From Peru: travel facts and thoughts

I am here! I finally made it to Peru...and the story of getting here was another complicated one!

Monday morning Lorenzo and I toursed the Old Blacksburg, then I left VA Tech and went to visit the Natural Bridge and then drove through Shenandoa National Park for a bit, it was great...but it got late. By the time I returned the rented car and got on a bus from Dulles Airport into D.C. it was 9.30 pm. The bus ride made me think. I waas the only non-airport worker on that bus, and the only white person. As I sat on the bus with people speaking languages I can't even name, I wondered why I was feeling so uneasy, while the same experience in London would make me excited to be there, and I felt the difference between me and "them" as I had in few other occasions. There was a sign on the bus saying 180 out of every 100,000 D.C. residents have AIDS, compared to 15/100,000 nationwide. I started thinking for the millionth time about the chances of birth and I fully realised that my committment to this abstract concept of social justice is more than anything my desire to see the world.

I got off the bus and took the metro to Irina's place. knowing full-well about D.C.'s crime rates, I decided to walk home from the metro station, alone at 11pm, with 2 heavy bags. The walk was longer than I expected, but I tought it was safe enough as there were a few people in the streets. Untill I turned left instead of right and heard a lot of police sirens. After a year in Camden I tought nothing about it and kept walking in that direction. Then I started hearing gunfire, there was a shooting a block away from me, and the way time elapses in moments like that, it lasted for hours, or probably seconds. Thankfully there was a gas station near there where a few taxis were filling up, so I got one to drive me to Irina's place. The driver basically asked me if I was insane to be walking alone at night in that area, especially not knowing the city. The entire next day I was nervous just being in the street, and went from museum, to cafe, to cafe.
I'm sad I understand so clearly teh "white flight" and urban sprawl...

The trip to Peru was not completely uneventful either. Of course I went to the wrong airport in D.C., and had to pay a fine to change flights. As my dad wisely said--I wonder why airline companies are not all making a profit, with all the money we donate to them.
Then the Lima-Cusco was delayed 5 hours, because of a technical problem with the plane: they had to wait for a new one to come, so I was in Lima airport from midnight to 10:30 am.
The landing in Cusco is probably the most beautiful landing I've eer seen. This is rain season (it is pouring right now), so the we flew above this grey layer of clouds, and when we emerged underneath it was all green mountains with little winding roads carved in the sides, and Cusco's red roofs. My camera doesn't work properly, but there is no way pictures could do it justice (You'll simply have to come see it for yoursefl!).

Cusco is 3300 mt above sea level, so the air is thinner, and some people suffer from altitude sickenss. I hadn't even got out from the plane that I saw this young man almost fainting...fortunately the altitude doesn't bother me at all, I didn't even need the oxygen bombs they have ready for fainty tourists! I love mountains :)

I walked out of the airport and Maricarmen wasn't there. Of course I didn't have her phone number with me, so I hadn't called to let her know the flight was delayed, and I couldn't get in touch with her. If anyone knows how I manage in my complete disorganization, let me know! I socialised with all the porters and other airport workers, who helped me find the number while suggesting that I should let them carry my bags and pay them for it or I'd get altitude fatigue sickness...

Eventually she arrived (she had already mistakenly come yesterday and then this morning at 7 am), and I really like her. I think we'll work well together. We came to her house, which is my new home too, and it's a really beautiful house. It's on 3 floors but not very big, and my room is tiny (much smaller than the one in London--I didn't think it possile either!). Fortunately I had a bunch of foldable furniture in my suitcase! I'll post pictures of the house and the great view from here. There are lots of windows, including in the bathroom. One window is really cool, 'cause you can see the sky while you shower, the other not so cool, 'cause people can see you while you pee...

And of course I need to talk about food. Based on lunch it's great! (So worry not about bringing your own past supplies ;) )...corn on the cob, but white, and the mais seeds are about 4 times as big as teh ones we know, and lots of potatoes cooked in all ways. I'll learn and reproduce the cooking. And the reassuring news: high speed internet at home and excellent skype connection! Because I already miss you...