Mi Primer Millon
Since the last entry, I`ve spent a lot of time in Bus.
From Quito to Lima, it was 36 hours: we left Quito at midnight, and arrived in Lima at noon two days later. Most of this journey was through the coastal desert of Peru. If you`ve never been to Peru, you may not realize that the entire coast of the country is a dusty, rocky desert where the majority of the country`s population lives. As you arrive in Lima, the desert becomes filled with vast slums of people living out of nothing at all, which gradually give way to the city itself.
I was told many times to avoid Lima, that it is ugly, dangerous, and has little to offer. It is an interesting city, however. The center is packed with gorgeous architecture, and the southern suburbs hang on cliffs above the ocean. The rich parts of Lima look, feel, and sound like the average American city.
We spent several days in Lima recovering from the bus trip and doing some necessary errands. One day we went shopping, and I bought a new shirt, new jeans, new shoes, and I got a haircut. We also spent some time with two friends who Tanael had contacted before our arrival. They acted as our city guides, and took us to eat traditional Peruvian food and to see some of the cities sights.
We had planned to leave Lima for Cusco on Monday, but as it was labor day, there were no buses leaving the city. Instead on Tuesday we embarked on another long bus ride, which amounted to 22 hours in total. The last part of the ride was incredibly scenic and a bit frightening, as we were winding along narrow roads above huge cliffs and through gorgeous valleys. We arrived exhausted, and I spent the evening relaxing.
Cusco is a beautiful city. It is perhaps the gringo capital of South America, and with reason. The architecture and the city`s crazy layout make it a wonderful place to explore, and the prominent indigenous culture keeps it colorful, and the surrounding mountains make for endless adventure opportunities. Unfortunately, being the gringo capital means that is full of gringos, and at times it can feel far too touristy.
I am feeling a bit sick at the moment, probably because of the rapid change in altitude as well as the cold weather. I have a runny nose and a headache, and I certainly dont feel capable of going on any exciting excursions at the moment.
Thats about all for now,
Love,
Dan
Tags: Travel
Neocoltrane
May 10th, 2006 at 10:58 am
hey!
its nice to hear from u again 😀
Peru is a gorgeous country, im so happy that u went there because I kno i had the time of my life wen i was there on my school trip 🙂
I remember wen i was in Cusco that I went on top of a hill overlooking the city and on another hill far accross the city it said “Viva Peru” let me kno if u see that!! that’d b really cool 😀
over here everything’s great, im in the middle of finals and stuff so its a bit stressful, but after every final i take i feel like a load is off my shoulders and its a great relief.
besides that, i hope u spent a great Cinco de Mayo!!! over here my friend Connie had a toga/mexican party which was really gud, except wen random Tufts students showed up (she lives right next to Tufts) and wen her mom (who was home) called the cops.. but other than that it was great 😀
im exited for u to come back and we can talk more bout ur trip and all, it’ll b nice to have u back!
lov always,
Alix.