Thoughts from Afar

¡Hola, mi familia!

It's the rainy season in Peru. I'm mildly wet, and hanging out in the town of Ollantaytambo. It's close to Cusco, and along the way to Machu Picchu. I had originally planned to catch the 7 pm train to Aguas Calientes... but the three people in front of me bought the last three tickets. So... I'm on an 11 pm train, and won't be able to buy my tourist ticket until tomorrow morning, which means no sunrise at the ruins.

Plus, to top it off... I forgot my camera batteries at the hostal :(

However, I suppose this creates the opportunity for me to hang out online while it rains, and wait it out by writing to you all!

(Update: as I'm finishing this, I'm in a Hostal down the road. Thinking the unierse was rearranging things for me, I met someone who wanted to switch to the later train... only to find that since my name didn't end up on the list, I wasn't allowed on! SO I'm staying the night here, and will be doing Machu Picchu on Tuesday, before I leave the Sacred Valley).

As of.... right now! .... Peru has completely captured my heart and imagination. Seriously... this is an incredible land!
Despite slight delays in transport (usual down here), completely insane driving (like most other less-developed places), and the occasional stomach upset, things are flowing smooth as silk. A perfect flow...

Each day brings new experiences in my heart and mind, new challenges (especially in language, although I'm learning), and greater openness. Plus, a combination of GREAT food (yep, it's true!) and way more sunlight than I'm used to, is leaving me feeling energized and very much alive.

(Athough the altitude up here in the Andes leaves one pretty winded sometimes... thank the universe for coca, and mid-afternoon naps)

Flying into Lima was a beautiful experience. I watched little twinkling lights as I flew over Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, amazed by the sheer size of land I was covering. 5254 miles, to be exact, from Vancouver to Lima.

Lima, however, is anything but a pretty city. Although it does have it's nice parts (especially Miraflores, where I stayed), Lima is an unbelieveably HUGE city, population about 10 million. It's loud, dirty urban sprawl at it's finest...
From what I learned, Lima's population exploded in the last 20 years, the result of massive rural migration during the civil wars and conflicts of the 1980's. Going from 2 to 10 million people meant huge stress on infrastructure.... and thus, the metropolis we know today.

Like I said, my hostal was in Miraflores, the nicest part of the city (where all the tourists, of course, hang out). Literally minutes from the coast. My first morning (after a VERY long sleep), I made good friends with Lydia, a German woman who arrived the same day. Bonding over the fascenating and deeply involved process of boiling hot water for tea (mate!), we started travelling together for the next few weeks.

That day, a group of us wandered through town, ate some amazing (and quite expensive) Peruvian food, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Lima. Founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, the city is reputed to have the best of Peruvian cuisine, some of the most beautiful architecture and museums in Peru, and really amazing seafood. Mmmm.... Ceviche!

During the rest of the day's wandering, we met a really lovely man, Alejandro, in parque de amor (which features really cute love-related quotes inset in walls, encircling a huge sculpture of a couple making love). Over the next few hours, we ate a big mango together, talked of life and love, played some music, chewed the sacred coca leaves, and watched the sun set. Alejandro was on his way to the airport for a flight to Mexico, so it was a perfect moment for us to to connect with a brother, and learn a bit about the land I'm spending this time in.

I will admit, though: leaving Lima was a total relief. I'm just not cut out for huge, crazy cities.
Our plans coinciding, we left for Cusco on friday, beginning a 22-hour bus odyssey from sea-level to 11,000 feet.
Cusco is the center of the former Inca empire, and is considered by many to the the sacred navel of the earth, of Panchamama.

Cusco is simply amazing. Nestled in a beautiful valley, surrounded by spectacular peaks and citadels of stone, Cusco stands out as an amazing place.... no wonder the Inca settled there! Protected with mountains vast, noutrished by fertile soil and the gifts of the earth, the Inca really had an amazing thing going! Although the Spanish plundered the city and stripped it of it's golden splendor (apparently, the city used to shimmer blindingly...), there's still a few examples of Inca archetecture: the famous 12-sided stone (most sides cut on any stone by the Inca), the ruins of Sacsayhuamán (sexy woman... hahaha), an Inca military fortress where the Spanish won a major victory over the Inca (Most of the stones of Sacsayhuamán were subsequently removed from the site, and used to build structures in Cusco), and the terraces built for agriculture, which are still used today.

I've been staying at a place called Hostal Magico, about 15 min walk from the center of town. Upon seeing the brilliant blue door, I knew I was in the right place :) The hostal is part of a non-profit group that supports a small local school, Aldea Yanapay, where underprivledged children get an amzing learning environment in which to thrive. The school accepts volunteers, most of whom stay at the hostal, incuding another solid friend, Selka, from Denmark. The volunteers are the teachers, and create lesson plans, play with the kids, and generally make a world of difference. I spent two afternoons playing games with the littlest kids, the 'delfins', and really enjoyed being 'Proffe Chris'. And having kids pull on my dreads and wonder about my eccentiricites is pretty sweet :) There's more online: http://www.aldeayanapay.org/

After a few days of being sick (and chewing lots of coca to get better), I began to get out and see the city. The Plaza de Armas is always buzzing with people, while you can get almost anything you want in the Mercado Central (including: live frogs, an abundance of fruit, veggies galore, all sorts of meat, Ayahuasca and San Pedro, fresh HUGE juices of all things yummy, mountains of herbs that I don't recognize, really delicious and inexpensive meals). I've found a few vendor ladies that I always go back to, and who seem to know what I want before even I do...

I also spent a week doing Spanish lessons.... which is a relief, as I really needed to improve. I've since learned how to express myself in the past tense (simply), and say what I want to do, say, tomorrow. I also learned a nuch of new verbs.... although I still find myself whipping out the dictionary a lot. But there's still 3 1/2 months to go...

As for right now... I'm in the Sacred Valley. I came here yesterday, and am absolutely captivated. It's amazing.... and oh so sacred. There's an indescribable energy here, one that permeates all things. You just need to experience it...
My heart feels truely alive, and I'm thankful for all the wonderful people around me here, old friends and new. I met up with Jordan this week, and it's been great to have a brother from back home here in Peru, to share experinces with. I also randomly met up with my friend Jenna, who I met on Ometepe in Nicaragua, when we were both on the way to the same restaurant for dinner. So trippy :)

I wish I could post pictures online.... but I don't currently have any way to get pics off my camera onto the net. When I remedy this, you'll know :)

So... yeah. That's life thus far. This week... I'll be doing Machu Picchu, spending a bit more time just outside of Pisaq with some friends, and soaking up the Sacred Valley. From there, I make my way to Iquitos, in the north. Which will be written about later...

For a sneak peek: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iquitos

Thanks for all the love and light from back home... I appreciate the beautiful little words of wisdom and love shared. It does indeed touch me, alllllll the way down here.

Much love and blessings from the Sacred Valley,
Chris / Nagdeo / Gnome