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Published: August 4th 2008
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Pirhanna on a steeck!
Thanks dad -- made me laugh. Check out the teeth on this sucker! Didn´t get to see one when we were in the Amazon though. And we saw some crazy stuff! Day number 2 and I´m not sick yet. Well, I thought I was going to be sick, but I think I may have escaped this time... I´m currently sitting in an internet cafe with no door/windows, just open to the street. Lots of cars and especially moto-taxis (like motorized rickshaws) whizzing by. And it´s hot as balls... sorry mom, hot as a rainforest. No wait, that´s tomorrow.
Today we had a traditional American breakfast in the 4-star hotel. Haha just what I wanted when I came to Peru. Well it was a REALLY nice continental spread with a Peruvian twist (banana leaves and fried yuca instead of homefries with our eggs and bacon). We had most of the morning to just hang out in Lima. No pressure because we´re coming back in a week, for a week. We hopped in some cabs and rode down to the Indian Market (a major market in Lima). It was a nice drive through a dirty South American city. I had forgotten how much you take your life into your hands on the roads down here. Instead of calling it sitting b*tch, they should call it sitting suicide. Well, it´s not that bad. Kinda
A preview
Edwin and I will travel for a week after the trip to some Peruvian highlights -- including Macchu Picchu, which was plastered on the side of this building near the Indian Market in Lima. reminded me of how Rob Miller drives. Haha love ya rob... We strolled around the market for a couple of hours, and man am I glad I´ve been brushing up on my Spanish. Definitely comes in handy at times like that. I picked out a few things I want to buy, but we´ve all decided we´ll wait until we come back to buy anything (less to carry around). I especially loved the dried pirhanna on a stand (a scary take on the talking fish I think...). Sharp pointy little teeth. If I ever get to upload any pics, I´ll have some good ones 😊
For lunch we headed to a very well-known restaurant with a world-famous chef (who of course was not there on a Sunday morning). La Mar is the best cebicheria (ceviche) in Peru, supposedly. It was VERY good -- impressive plating and very tasty. You might laugh at the fact that a bunch of infectious disease docs were sitting around in Peru eating raw fish, but it was worth it. But hey, at least we got bottled water. Quite tasty.
Afterwards, we had just enough time to cab it back to the airport/hotel in time
The Cebicheria
Instead of getting those crappy little rolls everyone else puts on the table, they put out this AWESOME mix of plantain chips, potato chips, and sweet potato chips. All with those great sauces. And on the right is something weird -- it´s corn kernels that are cooked and taste like popcorn, but haven´t popped. for our 3pm flight. We checked in, hopped on the airbus, and off we went. Had a very nice flight (I even got to keep my liquids! What a novel idea...) and landed in Iquitos (the Amazon) at 6pm local time. In the airport at Iquitos (which is really just a small JC Penny parking lot with a very small open building for the baggage), there was a jet graveyard. I got a decent pic, but it was nothing I´ve ever seen. Apparently they bought a bunch of aircraft from the Russians after the cold war, and there 2 of them sit. Very cool looking.
We took a nice air-conditioned ride in a luxury bus out to the hotel we´re at tonight. A decent 3-star hotel that even has a pool! Nice place (except for the whole not drinking the water thing). I started coming down with a touch of upset stomach on the plane, which intensified on the bus ride to the hotel. Once we checked in and had about 20min for ourselves before we met for dinner, I snagged some bread, some clean water, and laid down for a minute. Fortunately I think it was just a
The Amazon
Not sure exactly which river this was, but maybe it´s the Amazon river... little motion sickness or something, not whatever scary thing I was envisioning from lunch (which will probably start within the next couple of days -- the incubation period is usually a little longer for everything).
For dinner we walked through Iquitos, passed a lot of dogs, people cuddling on the foot bridge, and a park full of vendors, impromptu tables filled with food, and street musicians. All in the pitch dark. Very interesting... Big night life tonight apparently because it´s the last night of a week-long vacation before the kids go back to school. We made our way to El Meson for dinner, and had some pretty traditional Peruvian food via a buffet. Lots of chicken, and stuff that tasted like chicken (debate is still on whether some of it was fish...). The obligatory Pisco Sour (those things are STRONG!) and a decent cerveza topped off the meal. Really, the food reminded me a lot of chinese food. Something like beef with brocoli, something like fried rice, steamed veggies, and a curried-chicken. They had yummy fried platanos (plantains) and fried yuca (very tasty!). A very intersted dish of hearts of palm, but not pickled, and it was cut into
very long shaved strips -- looked just like linguine! Pretty good though. I think the highlight of my meal was watching the lizard that was clinging to the wall by the ceiling dart forward and eat a moth that had wandered into its sights. Felt like I was watching the discovery channel.
After, everyone else split to the hotel, but a few of us hearty souls are braving the night in downtown Iquitos. I´m off to meet everyone else at the bar for a nightcap before heading back. Tomorrow, we´re up at 7:30 to do rounds at a local hospital, then we load into the river boats for our trip up river into the heart of the Amazon. For the next 4 days we´ll be floating up the river from village to village setting up clinic each day. This is the end of my air conditioning, warm showers, no bugs...
I´ve solved the ATM thing too -- really handy to be able to link an account with someone else´s online. What a nice option! Hopefully I can write in 4 days! Wish me luck in avoiding the runs or malaria (both equally bad haha).
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Mom
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don't drink the water
You're right not to take our way of life for granted. Please don't try to smuggle in any parasites in your digestive system. lol