LIMA

The following is a little "blurp" (or I guess I could say blog?) about my time in Lima which was short and rather uneventful. Consider this the testing phase for my blogging...

I feel a new life in my veins. I have been so suppressed – suffocated with my own thoughts. Fear has pressed in from all angles while I have thrashed wildly in my own soul to overcome it. Forcing myself to arise from bed, dress for the day and GO OUT, I did so reluctantly. I resisted conversations and friendships, focused on assessing my surroundings for safety and missing any beauty and joy of the moments. It’s been a struggle but little by little I forced myself to work through it.

I saw the play ¨Las Brujas de Salem¨ in Spanish last night – good practice but I´ll admit I was somewhat lost. When the lights first darkened, leaving me blind, I clutched my bag and felt my breathing cease. Even in the safety of the nice theatre, filled with paying customers, appreciators of the arts, I trusted no one. ¨This HAS to stop!¨ I thought. Thankful that women sat on either side of me, I strained to listen to the fast flowing Spanish rather than continually scan my surroundings and determine every man´s intentions. It began to work. I began to ENJOY something again, and my mind began to relax.

I spent 4 or 5 days in Lima. I slept a TON, and walked, walked, walked, being that I trust no taxi. I saw only a little being that most excursions were on foot, but what I did see I REALLY saw as I passed slowly by rather than speeding past in a taxi. I did take a few combis- public buses – safety in numbers J. The going is slow in them because you stop every few seconds for those boarding and departing. I ended in Central Lima on a combi one day with Mercedes, a student from Spain who left me wondering if travel there is REALLY such a good idea for me as her lisp and rapid tongue often left me staring blankly…¿Que? She led me to the Plaza de Armas and left me with warnings of caution as there are many thieves…Thanks.

(Random shot in Lima)

(Plaza de Armas, Lima)

With my bag secure I began to stroll. I haven´t ¨strolled¨ much lately. My walking can be more accurately described as deliberate, destination based and dangerously fast these days. But as I strolled, I began to appreciate my surroundings. I even used my camera – dangerous! Hahaha. I paid for entrance into the museum of religious art (aka: The Catholic Church profiting from me going to Church, haha) and my camera died with a last photo of skulls and bones. With my camera dead, I stopped focusing so much and just let it all rush in. I meandered and stopped in a pew near the rear. The lights went off and I watched a janitor sweep. It was peaceful – a welcome change. I didn´t even mind the ¨Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas¨ ditty playing in the background. I felt still.

It was short lived as I usually don´t sit long in one place without reading or writing (or food, of course), but it was another baby step toward peace.

More walking, followed by a lengthy taxi ride to Larco Mar (where the play was performed),

(this is Larco Mar, a massive shopping center with an ocean view...gorgeous!)

(Another view along the ocean)

which I felt was safe because he tried to rip me off. If you´re going to rob someone you don´t care what they agree to pay, you´ll be taking it all anyway! So when he asked for 150% what I should be paying, I figured he was safe. But trust me, I definitely bargained and got my asking price J.

I spent most evenings with my friend Lalo, whom I met in Arequipa, but who lives in Lima and works as a photographer for a tourist magazine for Peru. It´s been nice having someone to talk to at the end of the day. The first time we met up I actually went to a club – NOT my scene. I kept wondering how I ended up in a club in Lima, Peru stumbling through as the only white girl with my limited Spanish and suffering through that awful music J I would´ve preferred crappy club music but the live band was sticking to traditional Peruvian music – NOT my favorite, I´ve discovered. It was fun to watch the locals dance and laugh at some of the horrendous fashions, though!

Other nights Lalo and I got coffee, played air hockey at an arcade place, he taught me another way to play pool at a German Pub (I won, for the record J), and we walked…and walked…and walked…I did practice Spanish with him, but I think he practiced English more. He got so tired of me asking, ¨How do you say _______?¨ and ¨What´s the word for ______?¨

One night we were talking about the ¨big pictures¨ of our lives, our happiness, etc… I shared that when I left GA I felt like I went backwards in the normal progression of life. From a home, a career, a family – to me and my dog, unemployed and homeless. And then he said something profound to my ears. In his rusty English he explained that considering where I am now, it sounds like I didn´t go backwards, but it was more like when you´re preparing to leap. Before you jump, you back up and get a running start.

I believe this conversation also helped me change my thoughts and attitude. I haven´t been focused lately, I haven´t spent as much time in thought and reflection as I normally do, as is healthy for me. I haven´t listened to music with the ¨disappearance¨ of my iPhone, and music helps me reflect and go deeper. I haven´t written much, I haven´t connected with my roots. And I´m ready to return to that place – to remember the big picture of my life, not just today or this week.

So…I enjoyed sincerely my last days in Lima. With nothing particular I wanted to do, I roamed and explored. I took a cheesy bus tour and walked the cliffs of the ocean – it really felt like San Diego sometimes! I had random discussions with random people: The old man in the park, Marco (see left), who wanted to practice his English; the street vendor kid who just wanted my money, named Tupac, HA! But had so many questions to stall me; and the cute bartender who really was just hitting on me (there was a fly in my salad and he gave me my entire meal and drinks for free – nice! J) but at least I got to practice Spanish for an hour or so with him. I now refuse to entertain my violent thoughts of disabling every man who crosses my path, and I find that I like people a lot more when I´m not imagining hurting them…go figure.

So now what? Now I´m in Cusco, the tourist capital of Peru. I am close to Machu Picchu here, and I can see why tourists come here…It´s beautiful! My drive here (23 hours on a bus…FUN!) was GORGEOUS! Pictures don´t do it justice at all. The town is filled with character, its tiny winding ¨streets¨ (more like alleys) are filled with hostels, hotels, laundry places, restaurants, travel agencies and arts & crafts stores. My taxi driver said the only real industry here is tourism and he wasn´t kidding. Everything I´ve seen so far is focused on tourism. I haven´t even seen a real grocery store or hardware store yet – nothing a normal city would be filled with. I´m sure further out from the city’s center they exist, but it is strange.

I plan to visit ruins, do some hiking, maybe ride a horse, see Machu Picchu, and who knows what else while I´m here. I´d love to go rafting but upon my arrival I discovered a sad truth. It´s cold here. Arequipa and Lima were downright hot at times – more so Lima – but the intense climb in altitude has left me freezing. In capris and flip flops on laundry days (I only have one pair of full length jeans…genius), but I did buy a beanie and gloves in Arequipa for the chilly nights and they´re coming in handy! Maybe another pair of pants would be a wise investment, but I have to carry everything I buy and my bag might not fit even one more pair of pants it´s just that full. I´m wishing it was cheaper to mail things home cause it´s getting a little heavy…