11,000 feet and counting

We've made it to Cusco, though now without our share of shady taxi drivers, cross-country busses, and friendly German co-travelers.

In short, Lima is a hole. To paraphrase Obi Wan Kenobi, there is no greater collection of scum and villainy in the universe. I know that´s being a little harsh, but I am only basing it off of rip-off hotels and hostels, shady taxi drivers, and frustrating service-people.

We met a couple of nice German guys who are traveling the world and teamed up to find our hostels. We´re also going to meet up for our travels tomorrow. Traveling with additional people, even complete strangers always seems to make you feel safer somehow.

No apologies, just Peru

The last 6 months since I have written here have involved love, travel, and more than a few hours of family TV time and now I am in Peru. We decided to go somewhat untraditionalist this year and are now in Lima. I rarely know what to expect because I never really form an image in my mind of what things might be like. In any case, this place is beautiful, overcast, poor, and friendly. There are a lot of bright colored buildings, rundown buildings, dogs in the streets, and clothes lines strung around. I'm typing on a keyboard that the hostel owns and there is some exposed metal on it right where my wrist touches that shocks me when every couple of seconds if I'm not careful.

We're on our way to explore the town a little before we get on a 22 hour bus ride to Cusco at the base of Machu Picchu. I'm showered, rested, and completely inept in Spanish. Lo, but by the grace of God go we into the land of Lamanites and llamas (alpacas, I know, but I wanted alliteration).