I´ve arrived!!!

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Not a whole lot to report but I did make it and am loving it!! Landed in Lima Wednesday night and braved the crazed taxi drive to my hotel. Love it that the lines on the road are merely a suggestion and traffic lights, about the same. Red ligh¨t -- if no one is coming, go like it´s green.

I realized the hotel I´d booked is in kind of a scary part of town after dark. I stayed in the central part but it´s like our downtown, once the business crowd is gone, you feel a bit unnerved by some of the people. But come light of day, it´s the best place because everything is within walking distance. I visited a couple of churches and no, I didn´t burst into flames as some of you might be thinking... Then visited this place called the Monestario de San Francisco, basically a Franciscan monestary. Not only is this monestary still used (not sure how old it is but it´s old), they had over 70,000 burials in the basement. The coolest (and obviously morbid) part is you could go down in the basement, walk over crypts and see the bones of all the people. There is this one part where someone has arranged a lot of skulls and femur bones in creepy (and kind of cool) concentric circles. The monks request that no photography occur inside the monestary so I bought a post card with that picture.

I then made my way to the Gran Bolivar hotel and sampled a Peruvian drink called Pisco Sour. All I can say is one drink of this fermented drink and I was feeling it! Then walking along, I encountered a demonstration -- apparently many of the Peruvians think the President is a murderer. I know I always said I´d run in the opposite direction if I encountered a demonstration but it was very peaceful, in fact, I got my photo taken with the Lima police decked out in their riot gear.

My directional stupidity got me into a scary part of town, so much so that I hailed a taxi, I need to pay closer attention to street signs, I guess.

Now I´m in Cuzco for a few days, then off to Machu Picchu. The altitude here is seriously kicked my butt. I´m used to about 1000 m above sea level, here, it´s 3400 m above sea level. Feeling out of sorts and tired but tomorrow is another day and I´m sure I´ll be fine. Sorry no pictures to upload yet, tried at this cafe but it´s not working. I promise I´ll upload something soon.

Hope all is well and hoping spring has arrived for you, I´ll update this again! Love you all....

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Comments

[MICHELLE]

NICE TO HEAR FROM YA
SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE HAVING FUN..A LITTLE SCARY FOR ME BUT I'M GLAD YOU R TAKING LOTS OF PICS, I CAN ALWAYS SEE THEM WHEN YOU GET BACK...MISS YA. XOXO MICHELLE

[jodi]

hi!
So wonderful to hear from you! Sounds like you are already having such an adventure, but be careful and no more Pisco Sour's for you!

[Wendy]

Hello World Traveler
I never got a chance to say bon voyage. Glad to hear you have arrived. Be safe and a will watch for your up dates!!!

[Garthie]

miss you!
Dear Cheryl, Nice to hear that you have arrived safely!!! Too bad you are in a scary part of town! Yikes.... be careful..... Sorry I was not able to reach you before you departed. I was a ill, still have a cold and a bad cough.... sound like a old man! I finally got my place and my furniture!! Looking out into the Ocean and the Sunsets are great!! I cannot wait to see you in Vancouver!! garth