We mailed some packages from Arequipa on Monday. Mostly Christmas presents for our family and a couple things that we picked up and didn't want to carry anymore.

First we hd to borrow (or take I guess) some beer boxes from a friendly store clerk and then we went to the post ofice to pack and mail our packages. We made sure to make the packages extra secure with lots of tape and we wrapped the boxes in brown paper to cover the beer logos.

Finally they were ready to mail we went to the counter and the lady weighed them and then handed them back to us and said we had to go to the back to mail them. Finally we found the sketchy little back room where she was directing us. Funny that the only people in there were gringos. We handed ou package to the man there and he said that we would have to open them to inspect the contents. I guess they don't have x-rays in Peru. So we had to take out knoves and cut open our freshly wrapped parcels. Lisa was tramautized - as if he was asking her to take a knife to a child!

Finally we got the packages open and searched (unfortunately he confiscated all of my cocaine) and then we had to re-wrap them. Lisa's definitely looked like a mail-bomb and was probably more tape than cardboard at this point. When we went to get it wieghed again it was 3 grams over the cheaper category and so we had to pay twice as much to mail her package!

And that was our Christmas adventure at the Peruvian Post Office.