Cusco-Arequipa

The four of us setting off: Violeta, Sandy, Karen and Me

First leg of our journey complete, still with all legs and heads attached!

We decided to take an overnight bus from Cusco, leaving at 9pm, which would arrive at about 6.30 the next morning. Despite being the locals bus (some were clearly marked 'Turistic'), is all seemed very comfortable and efficient, like an aeroplane flight, with the 'pilots' being introduced by a stewardess. Even about an hour into the ride a snack pack was brought around!

Though there were a couple things that made us realise where we were - still on the ground (luckily)! First at about midnight a stone got chucked at the bus, smashing the window to pieces right behind me. I found some fragments of glass among my things this morning as souvenirs! Then this morning, at about 5, just as it was getting light and we stopped again, on the side of a deep ravine. It turned out the driver had got out to freshen and water the flowers on a roadside grave memorial! There was a suspiciously long list of names on the cross! And we had even tried to pick a bus that didn't have a reputation for overturning.

But we did manage to arrive all in one piece (the people on this particular bus at least!) just a bit after schedule, but we've had the whole morning to explore the town centre of Arequipa, which is pretty with lots of historical architecture.

Me in the Plaza de Armas

After a rest this afternoon (buses aren't very sleep condusive) we'll go out again, and then have tomorrow morning here as well. Tomorrow afternoon we'll be off to Tacna.

Me and the Babes

Me with a few of the babies one Thursday morning after morning snack. This is Ingrid. Alejandro and Ariana are on the right.

Already I am saying good bye to the children at Amantaní, though I'm please I could say 'But I´ll be back!'. I took a whole bunch of photos on Friday, particularily of the babies. Imagine how much they will have changed by January!

In fact I am leaving Amantaní a couple weeks earlier than I had planned, but for an exciting reason! With Sandy, and some of her friends, we're going to go on a circle of southern Peru - the locals way. Local buses, hostels, sleeping bags and backpacks, all on 25 soles ($7.50) a day!

We'll start in Cusco, go south to Arequipa, then a bit west and south to Ilo on the coast, then more south and now east to Tacna, then north and more east towards Puno, stopping on the way in another town, and from Puno back east to Cusco. That is the plan for now at least!

If the rest of Peru is anything like Cusco for their internet café's, I will be able to keep a live diary!

Gaviotas

One weekend we went to a local school's dance recital. Each group showcased a dance from a different area of Peru. This pair was performing a dance from the coast, imitating sea gulls - 'Gaviotas' in courtship. So beautiful!!

Proof against Darwin´s Survival of the Fittest

Previously, everything that I had learnt about Darwin's theories of evolution of species, survival of the fittest etc etc had made sense and I was a believer in apes being our ancestors. However that was before I observed the dogs of Peruvian roads. They are the stupidist animals and just keep breeding! It isn't even as if they don't have road sense, it seems they actually have a gene that forces them into traffic and then change speed or change direction of do something else completely unpredictable. They have obviously been to some hockey training sessions, as they are demonstrating very good examples of 'confuse the opponent tactics', though unfortunately for them this is real life, not a game! (Yes Mr Hermann-Smith, a game!) However I am yet to see a road kill. I don't understand it!!

An introduction to Peruvian slang

Mosca (fly) = fast person (physically and or mentally)

Lenteja (lentil) = slow person (opposite to mosca)

Trucha (trout) = intelligent person

Flaco (thin person) = guy, for example what you might call to get a waiter's attention

Cuero (leather) = hot guy

Cuero duro (tough leather) = old man

Fresco (fresh) = a rude child

Pata (foot/paw or female duck) = friend

Gordito (chubby) = toddler

Lata (can) = pain in the neck

Latear (to can) = to meander along slowly, as though you are dragging cans

Hablar ajos y cebollas (to talk garlics and onions) = to swear

Huevo (egg) = testicales

Foca de chicharia (light bulb in a shop selling chicha -a cheap maize liquior) = freckly face

Seco (dry) = Dead asleep

Luca = 1 sol (Peru's currency)

Quina (type of bark for herbal teas) = 0.5 soles

Plata (silver) = money

Chela = beer

Rubia (blonde) = lager

Malta (Malt) = stout

Chao = Bye

Nos vemos (we see each other) = See you later

This list is of course growing slowly with time!