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Published: August 29th 2008
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Vanessa, Mike, Dave, and GinaThe deadline for our trip has come and gone. It seems only a few days ago we were telling each other “Only 3 more weeks until our trip!” And now I'm sitting in a hostel in Lima, Peru writing this and still not being able to believe it.
Ever since coming home from our trip to Europe we've been a little restless, dreaming of traveling again but afraid to say anything less we seem irresponsible. We got jobs, made lots of friends, and had fun, but were still itching for a chance to explore and try new things.
One day I downloaded an Amateur Traveler Podcast about a couple who traveled around the world on a very small budget. I played it for Ammi and before I could say anything her eyes grew as big as saucers. I knew what that meant. We were going around the world. Uh oh.
That was 2006. Unfortunately it's true that a task will take exactly the amount of time that you give it, so the fact that we had two and a half years to plan didn't change the fact that we were working hard up to three hours before our
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Ammi, Sara, and JJ plane left.
We had a great going away party (thanks to everyone who showed up) and we said bye to our family and we were off. We had a small layover in Atlanta then stopped in Fort Lauderdale. Ammi made an interesting discovery about how airline bookings work. If she booked a flight from Abuquerque to Lima (which stopped in Fort Lauderdale anyway) it would be about $200 more than if she booked a flight from Albuquerque to Fort Lauderdale and another flight from Fort Lauderdale to Lima. Don't know why that worked but we'd take the savings thank you very much. www.kayak.com is awesome by the way. The only glitch was that we wouldn't have a comfortable amount of time between flights and so we decided to take the Lima flight the next day.
That meant we could either sleep in the airport or find a place to sleep. So after walking around in 90 degree heat with 90 percent humidity for two hours we were able to find a inexpensive hostel. We met some nice guys, Jose and John who showed us around town and cooked for us (John was a former world class chef who
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Ammi and Donna worked in South Beach). I had no idea Fort Lauderdale was so amazing. It's known as the Venice of America because a lot of canals maze their way throughout the city. Even people who lived three miles inland could walk out their door, step aboard their 50 foot ocean vessel, and zig zag their way to the ocean.
Getting through security on an international flight is interesting. The man with the rubber glove was surprisingly gentle. I'd rather they just dose us with knock-out gas, do whatever they want to us, and wake us up when we get there. The flight was also interesting. I could already tell we'd have to get used to having less personal space. The man sitting in front of Ammi didn't seem to accept the fact that his seat only reclined three inches, instead seeming to hold the belief that if he moved the seat forwards and backwards enough times and with enough ferocity, the powers-that-be would recognize his sincere desire and change the laws of physics just for him, allowing his seat to blissfully ease back another five feet into empty space.
After finding our bags and finding our hotel's taxi we
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Ammi and Roman surveyed our surroundings. I didn't realize how big Lima was, 8 million people. It's known as a cloudy city and this night was no exception. We were in the middle of a thick fog, which added to the dimly lit streets reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes movie. It was a good thing I wasn't driving, as people seem to regard lanes as decoration, and pedestrians don't seem to know what cross-walks are. Driving to our hotel I began to notice that the scenery would repeat itself, like the background of an old Flintstones cartoon: Shanty buildings that were once brightly painted wizzed by with foreboding alleyways in between, lovers caressed each other on park benches, and dogs rooted through trash bags.
I'm sure this city will look better in the daytime, and our sleep-deprived minds won't play tricks on us. But in meantime one thing is certain...our adventure has begun.
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Jeff
non-member comment
The Bliss of Magicially Being Whisked Away
Yes!!! Ammi, Kevin, this is what is meant by dreaming. No doubt when two people sincerely dream together, with altrusitic common goals, eventually, they become the dream, and the dream becomes the lucid fabric through which the misty windows of the soul are realized, and the bliss of being sinks deeply into the very marrow. I am thrilled and simply grateful, as if with you; Kevin, Ammi, I have known you for almost eight years, and with complete assurance, you two defy the physics of limitations. With love and understanding, I know you two, with wings spread will realize a greater ephifany, and as a drum roll, a crash, and sincerest tones of poetry at your tail-winds and guitar strums become aware of the likeness to eachone's struggles and joys, to witness and endure as One courting a Beloved's understanding and wisdom. I realize it's time to get moving, I have fall semester rising from the South Center of El Nuevo Mexico. Look up Calexico's musical album entitled 'Convict Pool' this is grande, and you should share my joy, that I may experience yours'. My size 11 Chuck Taylor's won't be planted for long, I might just lift off right here and now so that I might more closely examine the acequias of El Rio Grande Del Norte.. .. Ole!!!! THere is a lovely beach north of Ranchos De Corrales. Woooobuey!!!