After switching my flights in Iquitos to getting back to Lima, I was now flying into Peru´s capital around 2 in the afternoon. I was pleased to have gotten assigned a window seat as I got see the amazon aand the andes in one sight. from above the amazon is exactly what i thought it would be...meandering through thick jungles getting so close to itself but only to do another huige turn... it literally came within feet of it self but would jet out to make a tear shape in the jungle. i spotted longhouses where the indiginous people live, saw vultures flying high in the sky, saw the world breath as i made my way to Lima. Flew over the Andes....raw peaks...barren...rockey...not muh life going on at the tops of the snow covered 20,000 ft high peaks. we made our way descent into the familar fog that overs Lima. this time i knew what to expect and i wasnt landing at 11 at night. i sat next to a 17 year old local from iquitos who was on his way buenos aires. we made lite conversation and he asked me what music was on my ipod...before i knew it this kid had my earplugs in and singing hotel califonia out loud while we made our into lima. what a sight a what a thing to hear.
landed safetly.
i did not check in any luggage as i lived out of a small backpack for a month.. i was so stoked on that. with the aamount of traveling iwas doing i packed light and fast. 1 pair of pants, swimsuit, 1 pair shorts, 3 boxers, a couple of shirts, some socks, camera, i pod. thinking back on my travels to europe when i only went for two weeks and i packed mu huge backpack i kick myself in the ass!
made my way down to the army of taxi drivers weanting your business. i really wanted to go cheap...try and find the bus that goes into town. one taxi screams 50 soles...i imeedatly say ciao...next one 45..adios. i continue walking, ut my bag down and do what i do whenever i feel i need a mionute to collecte my thought...lite a smoke. a driver approaches...he better appraoch with cation...im thinking. senor where are u going...central lima. ok 40 soles. oh yeah i say i could take a bus for 2 soles...a too dangerous for you. oh yeah why? they will mug you...i have been hearing that for a month buddy...i have no money on me, they can have my camera and ipod...and whatever dity underwear they want. ok replies ill get you there for 40 soles...cant do it pal, ill pay you 20 soles. at that point the tables turned he gave me the what are you crazy smile....35 soles he replies...30 soles final offer i shoot back.....he ponders while i flick my cigerette out..ok vamos. im on my way to the plaza. aits 230 at this point. i got time to make it to a bus for a night ride to ayacucho. driver drops me off and i immedatly see all the same polaces and faces that i saw a month ago. im no longer a lost gringo walking aimlessly thorugh the streets. i knew where i was going...my spanish ten times better than before. i find the staion that i need...bus leaves for ayacucho tonight at 8...23 soles please...you got it...here ya go. go to the south american exploeres club where i stored my huge backpack... ate some dinner with the staff there at the clubhouse, and i was off on my way to ayacucho where i would be living for next month. oh man i was gettin so excitied...done traveling for a month...backpacks would soon be empty...soon be working.. sounds cray huh, excited to be working!
805 still waiting, 820 pondering if i should take a picture of the front of the bus with big lettering AYACUCHO, 830 yeah im still on peruvian time. load the bus by 845 and we hit the long road to ayacucho by 9. i fall asleep....
i awake and check my watch...2 am. damn im freezing. stuppid draft coming through the window. open the curtain and BAM! the andea are right in my face. look down at my altitmeter....12000 ft and rising. the road goes higer and higher while the surroding peaks look like teeth of an alligator as we driver deeper and deeper into its thraot. ONWARD. INWARD. UPWARD. 12000 ft....13000 ft....damn i am fucking cold! stop crying kid, im tired! move over man your in my space! quit snoring fat dude behind me your doin nobody a favor! 3,00 am 4,00 am...its a nine hour ride we are getting close. the final measurement i got on my little watch which tells me how high i am read out at 15,254 ft. damn im pretty f´n high! we begin to make our way down the mountain, the sun begins to paint its faint pastel colors over the peruvioan sky, around a bend and i see my hometown of ayacucho, peru. sun now blazing as its close to 7 aand it stops on a dusty road in the middle of town. somethings different here...no taxi driver attacked me to get my busniess...i felt no urge to lite my thinking stick up. pull my loaded backpack out form the bottom of te buss and hailed yet another new form of taxi. take me here please..yes sir. i see my breath. its cold. it winter. made it to my hostel. immediatly crashed.
2 pm
wake up. still dressed. time to find the volunteer house. put together the essentials in my day pack...map, camera, lonelyplanet peru, ccs guide book, and im off. up the street make a right here go staright for a while and make a slight left. sounds easy right. well i got lost. gave up for an hour and jumped online. made my way out and back tracked a bit...hey there is a gringo...im going to foloow him, i know im close. one left...dont follow to close dont look like a freak. where did he go i pop my head in an internet cafe he sits down. i walk 10 more feet to the corner and there it is! same hosue i saw in the pictures. a few other gringos make their way out of thew house, i stop them and ask CCS house... sure is pal! hell yeah i made it. ring the buzzer and walk in. bombarded by names, new faces, and whas this ENGLISH! mt start date wasnt for another two days but i was invited that night for dinner, and to stay at the house on sat night! right on!
That night nothing to much...went to another karaokee. there are three in town. mmm feel something sneaking up in my throat...that dont feel good. cough cough something was up! made it back to my hostel room by and was fast asleep.
i woke up the next morning at 12 feeling like absolute hell. thorat dry as the dessert and it felt like snot was in every part of my head. DAMN DRAFT IN THE BUS! couple that with all the dust in this town makes for a perfect sore throat. pack my things check out, and hail another taxi...take me home!
After a month of seeing northern peru, traveling, roughin it, constantly being on the move i finally was in my room...bags unpacked...in my basketball shorts...relaxin! most of the house was empty as most people went to the mountains tyo explore. ah starght chillin time...time to kill this sore throat. i did not leabe the house for two days! well besides to jump on the internet. sat and sun i really did nothing but enjoy the ammenties that i did not have the past month. cooked meals...hot showers...tv with dvd...a huge library. i slept gained my strength back...im gonna need it. time to get to work!
ahhhh feels good to update the blog! im happy to be here. we had orientation on monday and i started placement today. ill try and update my work within the next few days. once again thank you to everyone who helped me achieve this goal. i would have not been able to do it without you!
ciao
ps throat is feeling better!
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