Well I'm back in the big city of Lima after the jungle.  Its so different !! 

Its almost like I'm in an alternate universe .......

 or maybe even a foriegn country !!

Titicaca

I don't for the life of me why I think I know all about things before I even get there (no need to comment). As long as I've known the name Lake Titicaca I've always just assumed it was just considered to be an Inca legend that it was the origin of the world.  It may very well have been i don't know but it certainly epitomized the reason I had always wanted to visit Peru - the culture.
     The Aymara Indians live today exactly as they have for hundreds of years with everything having a long tradition. Even the hats and belts they wear symbolize whether they're single or married. They have what they call 6 month trial marriages (interesting!! could have saved a couple of women a lot of grief). If after 6 months there are no kids it can be ended !
      The Aymara build thier small communities on floating islands that they literally build out of reeds.  They build everything including their houses and boats out of reeds. Each little island gets rebuilt every few weeks and if they don't like their neighbours they just untie the anchors and float the whole island to somewhere else.  How cool would that be ?? 
       Anyways I re-discovered my love and interest in different cultures and the strength of other people's beliefs.

 

 

 

Just had one of the best meal I've had in a while, trout & asparagus done perfectly. 

I've been here a week and so far I've been on 2 planes, 3 buses, and 2 trains. Stayed in6 different hotels of varying but exceptable levels of comfort.  Spent 7 hours on a bus trip from Cusco to Puno, actually got as high as 4,500m in altitude. It was tough to breathe and slow to move.  Still enjoying thr sights and of course the people.

Tomorrow I'm off on a cruise to see the floating islands on Lake Titicaca.  I'm sure you've already figured out that I'm hoping for more Titi than Caca. 

 

 

I climbed the mountain

So today I took the train from Ollantayambo to Machu Pichu - The Lost City of the Incas, another one of my must see places in the world. I climbed / struggled / pushed / damn near pissed my pants on my way to the top and it was more than worth every painful breathless step. Powerfully moving moment !!  Took the time to reflect on just how blessed my life really is .... and I prayed. 

 

 

Of course this was again so unbelievable that it adds to the confusion I stuggle with about aliens !!

 

 

OK ..... OK ..... so again my day is almost a disaster !! Its 6 AM I have to catch a flight to Cusco in 10 minutes and I can't find my wallet. I've got everything from my suitcases spread out all over the hotel lobby and I got a couple of looks but I gave a couple back and I think i won because everyone left me alone. I'm thinking someone must have broke into my room and stole it .. I mean what else could it be ? However just before I start screaming I looked into my special important hideaway wallet and Holy crap there it is. If I live to be 100, I will never understand why some dirty thieving #!^*#~!!  would take the time to break into my room while I was asleep and rather than take my wallet, money and credit cards just hide the damn thing just so I'd freak out, well that was just too weird. However, once again I'm living proof that God takes care of drunks and fools.

 

 As for Peru, its getting amazing ... and in the words of Dorothy "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore",  or was that ToTo?

 

 

 

 

Hello from Lima

Well its raining in Lima even though every travel site said it never rains in Lima.  Man if you can't believe an internet travel site what has the world come to ??

I can't believe that with a population of 7,000,000 I'm the only one wearing shorts. The looks I keep getting are weirding me out a bit.  I was tempted to just take them off but with my luck I'd be the first one killed in the screaming stampede.  Anyways I'm still a Big Man in Peru.  No really ..... I'm a giant here, most Peruvians seem to be quite short !!

So I was trying to find a store where i could replace the glasses. On the way I met a woman (of course). Although I couldn't see clearly, her obvious beauty shone through my hazy view. I tried to chat her up but she seemed quite shy and didn't say anything. I promised her I'd be back after I found some glasses.

Bought some glasses and after running back to find my new found love, wishing she really was as beautiful as I first thought. 
Boom !!! 50 feet away from the love adventure of my life... and oops theres Daddy.
Drats foiled again !!  When will my suffering end ??

Almost gone now .... really !! Begin the Conga Line

Hello / Good Bye

Well I'm almost gone .. no really .  I'm almost ready and I've almost packed everthing I own in one suitcase.  I am however struggling with one major life Dilemma / Quandry / Conundrum.  I've got the jungle haircut but now I'm wondering if I should 1) shave my moustach  2)  grow a beard or 3) have the hair on my ears braided with some shiny beads.

Oh Lord why is my life soooo complicated ??

Here are a couple of cigar smoking beauties I have miraculously avoided being betrother to.  Please pray for me when I'm away as I'm getting weaker and can't run as fast anymore.

"Hasta la vista, baby"

Last chance

Only 6 more sleeps, I almost can't wait to see what wil try to kill or maim me or worse talk me into buying $1000 worth of trinkets.  As you can see I've the Jungle Doo haircut so its official !

I'm really hoping I don't meet another good looking cigar smoking woman, so far I've avoided getting married in 3 different countries, but Im getting older /weaker.  I hope I can resist just one more time.

Hey I think there's still 1 seat left on the tour, last chance to join me. This trip has everything you could grow to like.

You'd be staying in 5 star +/- hotels in Lima (the washrooms are even on the same floor and just a quick run down the hall from your room)

You get to experience the thrill of watching a huge snake slither by your canoe as you multi-task trying to bat away the flying bugs and the ones climbing up your leg while you try to figure out how to get the sharp toothed butt-ugly Piranha off your hook without tipping the log canoe. You get to experience the joy of eating something that just minutes before tried to eat you.  Can it get any better ?.

And then of course sleeping in a ratty kind of tent in the middle of the jungle wondering just what the hell that is scurrying around below your hammock and hoping it doesn't know how to climb.  And don't forget the photo opportunity to take a picture of a normal sized mosquito as it flies away with a dog in its claws. 

Are you sure you want to miss all that ??  Really ? 

Well I just can't wait,  it should be another great adventure and hopefully not my last .. no elephants chasing me or jeeps running me over this time. Or weird rashes I hope !!

Well I'm 2 weeks away from leaving and this trip has somehow snuck up on me.  Still too much to do before I leave.  I do like to go away in peace ... ya right !!