Ica not Nasca

Made a boo boo. Getting off the bus at Ica not Nasca and headed from there to Huacachina. Wanted to post that. Currently on a bus grabbing a random wireless signal. Peace...

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Lima rocks! And stinks unfortunately...

So yah, the pic is from Museo Larco. Gold is pretty. I took a ton of pictures. Museums aren't really the reason I came to Peru but pottery, textiles, sculpture and jewelry are pretty damn awesome. It also didn't hurt that I was hanging the whole day with a professor of anthropology from Chicago. Thanks Curtis. You are the man!

Got some necessities purchased this morning. I didn't bring a towel cause I'm an idiot, also picked up a sleeping bag. 

I took care of my next destination as well. I leave on a bus for Nasca tomorrow at 4:30pm. The company is Cruz del Sur and they are supposed to be one of the best bus companies in Peru. I even got to choose pollo for dinner during the ride. So dune surfing is next.

The day really was awesome. My legs hurt like hell from all the damn walking but it was worth it. The Museo Larco really was the highlight. Even Curtis was highly impressed with quality of the pieces and he's been to hundreds of museums. We were also both amused by a separate display they had of a bunch of pottery that depicted sex acts. Yes, they had butt sex pots. Classy...

Plaza de Armes and Plaza de San Martin were beautiful, especially at night. We just don't have places quite like this in the US. We have beautiful cities but they just have a different feel. Lima feels, and is, much older.

Curtis and I had dinner at a local restaurant that has been there since 1905 and has served every Peruvian President since then. It was called El Cordano and I see why the Presidents like it; it's right across the street from the presidential palace. Food was good but my ceviche was better yesterday. Curt made a better choice than me. I had picante mariscos con arroz whereas he had filet mignon.

We made one more stop that night at Parque de Reserva where they have a light and fountain show that was quite lovely. I especially enjoyed it because it was very much a local scene. Very few gringos and mostly locals with their families.

We walked from downtown Lima all the way back to our lodging in Miraflores which wasn't a great idea in retrospect. Peru doesn't have the emission standards of the states and the streets reek of exhaust. I'm so ready to get out of the city.

Tomorrow's agenda? Possible para-sailing sprinkled with a few more museums.

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I will not go hungry...

My command of the language may be tenous but I've got the eating part down. Ceviche is as good as I thought it would be.

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I have purified water Mom

Here is the proof. Bought some fruit and nuts at the supermercado as well. Just like trucking.

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Failure and success..

This morning I went down to get some breakfast. Couldn't understand the hostess in the kitchen at all. She seemed amused and faux angry about this. I heard her say after I walked away, 'Como si dice este, como se dice que!'. That was a fail.

Two really cute girls come down from their room. They both speak french, spanish and not a lick of english. I was able to wish them a good day, let them know I spoke a bit of both of their languages, and that was it. FAIL

However, I just sat down at a cafe, ordered my food, kindly corrected the girl when she gave me coffee instead of tea, ask for a fork, and paid the bill, all without seeming too too retarded. Sorta kinda success?

Gotta tear myself down to build myself up right?

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My first room in peru

Well, I'm here. I arrived last night after an enjoyable flight. I helped a middle aged woman and her mother find the flight out of Houston. The mother spoke almost no english at all but the daughter's english was ok. By the end of the flight we exchanged emails so she could practise her english and I could practise my spanish. 

Also met a hair dresser named Omar from Scottsdale, AZ. He was going on a 10 day guided tour of Cusco at the exorbitant price of $4k. I'm glad I'm not spending that much. 

The fellow next to me on the flight was Luis and he spoke very little english. It ended up being a perfect oppurtunity to work on some spanish. We played a game on the video screen set in the seatback in front of us. Luis wasn't very quick on the uptake so I was able to relearn my colors in spanish as well as some simple instructions.

I was surprised how smoothly everything went at the airport upon arrival. The check in line for passports and such was long but not a problem. I had to wait a long and agonizing 15 min or so for my checked bag to come down the baggage ramp, but it did, and I had a fellow waiting for me at ground transport. His name was Antonio and we made small talk in a combination of broken spanish/english.

Ok, so my Spanish is bad, but so far it seems like I know enough right now to make it all the way through this trip. One would hope I would get better.

I'm starving and a breakfast of some sort is supposed to be waiting for me downstairs. I met a traveling college prof named Curtis who mentioned he was planning on doing some museum and market hoping today. He seemed ok with the idea of me joining him.

Hasta luego!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypC9zyyk8As - My first room in Peru

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I'm BACK!

Stopped blogging at all or even keping track of my workouts for quite a while. I broke my phone while trucking in Dallas and when I finally got the new one I was too busy and lazy to start again.

I haven't stopped working out though. That has been a regular thing.

I'm currently on a plane using wifi and headed back home after a wedding in the Twin Cities. Technology is cool.

On Tues I leave for Peru and I plan on using this blog to document some of it. Hopefully that works out. It will require discipline, something I've gotten better at over the past 3 years.

I'm hoping to post vids on You tube as well. I believe my phone is capable of that.

Either way, it should be a blast...

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