Back on the ocean, Peruvian style

Hola,
Well I am back on the pacfic coast in a nice resort town of Trajillo (pronounced tra-he-yo) for some seafood and sunrays after a long, but incredibly scenic overnight bus ride from Loja, Ecuador. The bus went through the world's driest desert (the same desert Trajillo is in, not that you would know), a spectacular sight. On the far right of the bus view sat the ominous silhouette of some frighteningly high andean peaks. To the close right, extending into the peaks, was a perfectly flat desert. The sight looked like giant rocks had slid over, and completely demoloished, Saskachawan. To the right you could see the same flat nothingness except throughout were little, almost man-made looking but too amazingly numerous to possibly be, sand bumps, like a desert with acne, or something. To the far right, instead of andean peaks, sat the mighty pacific, although the exactly strait interception with the desert it looked more like a the horizon at daybreak at the opposite end of the sky from the sunset. I am guessing the bumps were from a plant blowing and slowing errosion, but I am unsure.

Trajillo, well actually a small town about 12 km from it, is quite nice. Although touristy, all the tourists are south american. So while foreigners, we are still locals. Last night i saw, for the first time, traditional South American music in a place not somewhat catering to tourists. This wasn't just latin music, this was traditional music. All the performers wore traditional costumes, a white fullbody outfit with blue zig zags running horizontally accross, sort of like a latin flinstones suit. The music was really cool, something that I think would fly in Montreal although be completely foreign to it.

Today we slept in and hit the beach after a nice breakfast - with baccon! We spent most of the day with Mario (who I call "do do do do do do do" to the tune of Mario Brothers, and who calls me "papa noelle-sito, or mini-santa claus) and some local kids, lounging around the beach onto which the ocean flicked some nice waves.

I have begun to be really aware of a really subtle, but very telling, difference between north and southamerica. There is a very different way in which people here cohabitate, a sort of "brothers from a different mother" sort of mentality. Some examples. People, on buses let's say, don't quickly look away or look down when caught looking at someone. They smile or just continue as if nothing had happened... precisely because, to them, nothing DID happen. Or, when sitting next to a complete stranger on a bus, and they put their arm on yours (you were using the arm rest) they do not say sorry. They don't say anything, because there is no call for them to say anything. There is no "crowded all alone" sort of living here, no isolation. It is not as though I felt that there was in Canada while I was there, I just see now that there is.

Ciao for now

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