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Published: January 6th 2010
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Me, New Years Eve
Eating an ice cream cone and wearing my Inca Kola t-shirt. Greetings and happy New Year to all. I received an extremely lovely and heart-felt voicemail from my dearest high school friend, Amy (aka Ms. Baskin-Robbins). It made me realize that many of you may not know I’ve returned to South America for a few more months of frolicking. If you do already know this fact, then please bare with me as I take a few lines to ‘xplain.
My original trip down here was supposed to end after Machu Picchu. However, I just wasn’t ready to come home. I stayed as long as I could before wanting to get home for Thanksgiving and Grandpa Howard’s 90th birthday, when all the family would be together. Plus, I knew it was time to come home, face the music and prepare myself for a return trip! There was no way I could return to office life. And since I am generally thrifty, and have been the past many years, I still had available travel funds in the coiffeurs. One month later, and a zany idea to lead a tour group around Colombia in April, I’m back in South Peru where I left off.
Fast forward to the present. Before I left Peru,
I was invited to spend New Years Eve in a small Peruvian beach town called Mollendo. It’s the closest beach to Arequipa and one that most Arequipenas frequent during the summer months. So excited was I to be invited to this place few foreigners frequent, that I failed to ask some basic questions. For example, will there be running water (all the time)? Will any of it be hot/warm/tepid? What will the sleeping accommodations be? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions were less than ideal. Granted, the apartment was the family’s vacation/weekend getaway. And I’m not in the U.S. where second homes are as nice primary homes. When I really think about it, I mean, who needs furniture after all? In the bedroom was a bed complete with bed-frame, ancient mattress and three cushions placed width-wise across. There was a stool. Two hangers hanging from nails in the wall. No artwork. Actually, maybe a painting of Jesus - that’s pretty standard around here. If I wanted, I easily could have done jumping jacks, sit ups, yoga… The room itself was well, roomy. I guess sparse furnishings really help in that regard. Oh, there was a window too. It opened! The
main living room had a refrigerator. I’m not sure if it worked or was plugged in. I never saw anyone use it. The main space definitely had a picture of Jesus as well as a small painting of some ballet dancers that was placed on the wall above where a sofa might have once resided. Now, there were only chairs. The metal kind. And stools. Some broken, but still used. There was also a table where a laptop sat connected to the stereo on top of the fridge. At night, other people slept on mattresses on the floor in this room. I’m pretty certain everyone I was with loved being in Mollendo.
The part that I hate to admit the most is this. I recently read Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ non-fiction account of Colombian journalists kidnapped by narco-trafficantes as leverage for Pablo Escobar’s surrender. My room in Mollendo... yeah, it kinda reminded me of what I imagined the hostages’ rooms to be like. It’s pathetic I kept thinking of that. I don’t usually think of myself as an ungracious person. I guess I just hadn’t taken the time to properly assess my expectations. I forgot where I was. That won’t
happen again.
Despite my initial disappointment, the time at the beach was great. A warm New Years Eve next to the ocean in Mollendo was a fantastic departure from the normally cold and wet NYEs I spend indoors in San Francisco. Also, the ceviche was delicious. So delicious, in fact, that after eating it 4 out of 5 days, my stomach went on protest. For three days. Fortunately, the first day, we returned to Arequipa, and constantly running water (I dunno, really, why is that so comforting?). The second night I thought I was ready to eat. Nope. So the third morning, I started taking Cipro. And I’m happy to report that last night I ate pasta without a single problem!
So what next? I’m now settled in a B&B I found near the Plaza de Armas in Arequipa the last time I was here. It’s a cozy place with free wifi and a kitchen I can use. The location can’t be beat and there are great terraces on multiple levels. I feel like I lucked out finding this place. I looked at other options this time around and a lot of them were far more expensive for
less value and comfort. Soon I’ll have to start planning my route up north. I thought I might sneak off to Chile next week but I just received news a girlfriend of mine will be in Colombia February 8th - 17th. If I want to get up there in time to see her, I’ll probably have to skip Chile, thus allowing myself plenty of time to check out some of the beaches and ruins along the way. Meanwhile, I've been working on plans for my beta test group to come to Colombia in April. All goes well.
I guess that’s all for now. I’m hungry, which is a great thing. And I have food and a kitchen. Also, I’m very pleased I decided to bring a small French press with me (and grounded beans). Not that my stomach is ready for coffee, but mmmm…. so nice to have and smell.
Be well, amigos. Hablo contigo pronto!
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