Heartbroken in South America

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Hello everyone!

I have been absent for the past 3 days, that´s because it´s a bit hard for me to get access to Internet here in Peru. I will do a quick and short update with you all.... and because of some hardware problems, the pictures will have to wait a little - hopefully when I get into Cusco tomorrow I can upload some pictures.

My experience here in Peru has been wonderful so far!!! I have met some very hospitable and very helpful Peruvians. All the anxieties I had prior to boarding the plane turned out to be really nothing... I am doing well here so far, but I am really heart broken at the sights of the post-earthquake situation here in Pisco and Ica...I have seen houses without roofs, and kids running after buses looking for items that tourists can spare for them. It leaves me utterly speechless, and I almost wanted to cry.

Yet, Peruvians are coping with the situation the best that they can. I will put up some pictures later on, and you will see what I mean.

As some of you may have already known/read a little bit about the Earthquake here in Peru, it took place in Pisco and Ica, one of my stops was in Ica...so two of the houses of my host had collapsed. As a result, he had to move back to his mother´s place...where it is already packed with his aunt and uncle and mother and grandmother, so I couldn´t really have stayed with them....I was going to just find a hostel or hotel of some sort..but he had insisted on taking me to one of his good friend´s place and let me crash over there...what´s more is that his friend gave me his bed as he sleeps on his couch.. and my host went back to the sleep at the house already crammed with all his relatives...I only fund this out the next day and gosh, I felt like a criminal afterwards!!

More about my trip in Peru should come in the next few days.

I am going to attend a lecture about the Nazca lines in 10 minutes...

Take care all!

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