Hola Chicos! I have just been spending some of the best days of my trip with my good buddy Andy Grock, Grockster if you will. After arriving in Arica for the surf contest I spent approx an hour looking for a place to stay that wasnt 15 dollars, and found one that was 7. I was excited. The wave called the Gringo was one viscious wave. it broke in about waist high water on top of rocks, let me tell you there were some concussions and stiches the first day, and the second day the first surfer broke his board on the first wave of the day, after which the top 50 surfers in the world decided they were too scared to surf. It was cool being there, and I managed to run into this girl from new zealend whom I met on the bus from the airport in Santiago. We played hacky sack, and I think had more people taking pictures of us then anything else.
After the amazing game of hacky sack I had the three consectutive most shady meals of my trip. First I had some civiche in a mercado where they had posted all kinds signs (about 3) saying Do not eat uncooked fish as it is bad for you. As we all kniow civiche is uncooked fish. Then I bought some salmi and bread and fruit, after which I crossed the border into Peru. A note, apparently crossing a border with bread, chicken, (of which I had a drumstick from the night before) fruit and vegetables (I had a carrot) is illegal. I was sweating when they x-rayed my bag. Right after the x-ray they started yelling and I thought I was done for, but they just stopped this nice looking lady with a bag full of what looked like Marijauana. Another note, traveling at high speeds in a 50 year old ford with 7 people in it across a border in the middle of a desert is a nerve racking experience, oh yea, no seat belts. But I had to do it to save about 30 bucks on my bus which I bought in Tacna, Peru, and was still way overcharged for.
Buses in Peru are not like busses in Chile or Argentina. Wow, understatment of the century. When we finally got on this but to Puno we had a box of hamsters (to eat) a box of chickens (for eggs) and three dogs (to eat?). It was the smelliest longest most miserable bus trip, well until my next overnighter in Peru. We arrived at about 13,000 feet on the banks of Lake Titicaca, and watched the sun come up over the highest navigable lake in the world. I then got on a 6 hour bus to Cuzco which was fun, but also quite miserable.
Cuzco is a wonderful city, full of historic spanish buildings built out of the stones which were once ancient Inca buildings. I arrived and got a look at the festival of the sun. Wow! Every city in the province had representivitves and they were all dancing through the streets. I had a great steak dinner which cost a fortune (read 15 dollars but I hadnt eaten anything but old chicken, bread and salami for hours). The dinner was good fun as I sat overlooking the plaza where all the action was. I talked to everybody who sat next to me and actually ended up seeing all of them again in Agaus Callientes. The next day all of the locals left and only tourists were left to see the actual Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun. We hiked to a few plazas and I actually bought a tour so I wouldnt have to be alone. We saw the sacrifce of a llama and then the burning of the llamas heart to try and determine the future, which looked good. Another note, evrybody in Peru lies constantly. It is actually amazing. I wazs told we would have food, seats and tour guides who spoke quechua on this guided tour. We had no seats, (we sat on a hill with trees blocking the festival), no lunch (a bar of coca leaf grain doesnt count) and I am convinced our guides were making up what the festival was all about. But it was fun, and the next morning Grock came!
More later, right now I need to catch a plane, yea I splurged 11 hours in a bus or 30 minutes in a plane, to Arequipa!
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