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i embaked at 6am on a jurney that was due to get me into lima at 11pm that evening, when you consider the time difference ths was a 28 hour journey, i absolutley needed every one of those bloody marys that BA give out for free. at the heathrow i noticed that everyone was dressed quite smartly, aprt from me in my combats and red and white checked shirt, i compard this to ow i travled to india waistcoat and all and wandered if i was travelling comforably or dressing the part of someone going travelling? i could not decide but realised that i actually felt more comfortable in my smarter cloths. as i checked my bag in i got slightly worried as i did not have to pick my bag up at miami it would be transfered for me so i could pick it up at peru. uh oh.
some nine and a half hours later i touched down in miami, as its my first time in the states i walked out of the airport so i could touch tera firma, i also looked for some american prompty bought myself a hotdog and a playboy, only later did i realise
that disceatley carrying porn around peru was going to be a problem.
it also struck me how happy the americans are your lucky to get two words out of anyone working in a british airport but all the staff were really happy and trying to help, then i thought about how happy the indians were, and people in most countries i go to are the brits just miserable? th flight to peru had been oversold, the lady behind the desk asked if for ?? dollars i would mind getting the flight the next day, i explained non possible as it was a bit far to go home and i had to be out of the states in 8 hours.
landed in lima about 10pm there time, unsuprisingly the guy who was supposed to transfer me had not bothered turning up, so i was left with the airports taxis these guys are sharks the world over. so for what im sure was an incredibly expensive price he took me to my hotel, i almost had a heart attack when he told me that my hotel was in ´millaflores´ as i mis heard and thought he had said middle of the forest.
anyway he was a nice man and taught me some spanish, also when we arrived at the hotel i gave him $45, he said that the price we had agreed was 45 sols, or $20 and gave the rest back, expensice - yes, a shark, i guess not.
I checked into the hotel had a glass of wine, i ordered two but it was aweful and i could not face the second one, it tasted like punch at a student party. the next day i booked a taxi and arraged for him to drop me off and pick me up later, which was col as he was driving a 1970s cadallac, i felt like i was in the godfather. Lima is a very modern city with a european feel, after india i had no idea what to expect but this had proper building, roads, sewers, supermarkets and everything. i had a wonder around loooking at some of the rather impressive acrchitecture and got a bite to eat, before my gangster taxi picked me up and took me back to the hotel where i as dure to meet my new travelling comanions. there are 21 in all with a large number
of ozzys, some irish some brits, a kiwi and am american. we went uo int he main strip and got absolutley analiated, i felt a little sorry for the peruvians, in the clubs they would all be dancing perfect salse then we would rock up and boozy brit dancing. while they stood around dumbfounded. the next day a few of us decided to nurse our hangovers by soaking up the culterual delights of lima in a bar next to the hotel and watch the champions league final. i also realised what a global brand the premier league is i went for a walk doen the roan and noticed a huddle of peruivans watching the game in a shop window, they were all supporting either chelsea or manu and new all the players names. its kinda sad.
the next day we drove to huachachina via paracas. at paracas huachachinais an oasis village in the middle of the desert, we were taken out in dune buggies and did some sand boarding. this is just stupid and dangerous, its supposed to be like sow boarding but some bright spark pointed out that you can go much faster if you lie down on
the board. so if you fancy hurtling at break neck speen down a couple of hundred meters of incredibley steep sand dunes ith only your face as a break, give it a go. that said it was amazing fun. we all returned to the hostel with aces and paines where we had a BBQ and as is traditional got absolutley shit faces. we all playd a game where we had to guess why Jack had been in prision for 9 months, the answer was cattle restling, i didnt even know people still did this. later we met up with some israeli´s who were sitting around a fire, singing songs and celebrating ´some ancient battle or something´. where i had the idea of starting a campaign, RECLAIM THE SWATSTICA, as most people know this was originaly a hinu symbol for good luck and success, only when iwas in india did i realise how common it is and what a powerful and positive symbol it is. it strikes me as wrong that just because some maniac stole it and did terrible things we should not assosiatte the swatstica with him, it s not his. the israeli were very sceptical at first, but
then came around that this could be a good idea, although none of them could really face up to, which is understandable.
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