final peru update, at long last

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Sorry for the delay. I think when I last wrote, I was crawling on the
floor to a bathroom that had no water in order to get sick. My
experience with the Peruvian healthcare system was, well maybe we
should we just call it "special". It was comprised of a morning at
school, stretched out on 5 chairs pushed together for my exam. I then
wandered around looking for a lab to deliver my "specimen". My first
parasite. I was excited. It's like the Red Badge of Courage for those
in development work. As my final week of classes drew to a close, I
was sadder and sadder.

But David arrived on Saturday morning. My host dad took me to the
airport to pick him up. David didn't get off the plane and he didn't
get off the next plane either. Luckily, security isn't the biggest
concern in the Cusco airport, and they went through the passenger
manifest and told me what flight he would be on. So I sat and waited…
Then I grew bored so I decided to go and hang out in the airport
parking lot with everyone else. (The baggage claim dumps into the
parking lot). Despite all the warnings (that I'd yet to heed) I
promptly crossed the street and had a nice tamale from a street
vendor. I found that street vendors always have the tastiest food… And
as long as it's hot… Well, it's not like I was eating beef hearts at
the soccer game like everyone else.

So David finally made it, sans luggage, which is another story
altogether. And off we went to my house for a nice lunch of lamb and
of course, potatoes. Then Kurt, Kim, and I had our farewell departure
from the house of Carlos and made way for the new students.

David and I then took the train to Machu Picchu. Of course it was
spectacular, and I'll post the pictures soon so you can all have a
look. There are two mountains you can climb in Machu Picchu, the first
is Waynapichu and the second is Machu Picchu mountain. Of course we
chose Macchu Pichu mountain because it is far harder and higher up
then Waynapichu. But it was so unbelievably beautiful, it was worth
it.

We stayed in the town below the actual Machu Picchu site, because
there is only one (really expensive) hotel up by the ruins. The town
was built because of the tourists to Machu Picchu and it made me think
a little of Myrtle Beach or some other slightly over the top tourist
(and solely tourist) destination. Fortunately we found one restaurant,
hidden up in the rocks, that wasn't for tourists, it was for the
locals in the town. One of the best meals I had in Peru, but I was a
little worried that the chicha morada (purple corn juice) was made
with water, but we survived. We were the first gringos to visit the
restaurant and a source of amusement for the little girl. You'll see
pictures of that, too.

Not much to report on Lima, dirty, polluted, crowded and like lots of
big cities.

So now I'm back, trying to remember to throw my toilet paper in the
toilet and not the trash can and already thinking about when I can
possibly return to South America! The best trip ever, and I hope you
all enjoyed the updates!

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