A Few Reflections & Lessons Learned From Life So Far in Perú

It’s hard, really hard to believe that today I’ve actually been living here for three months. In that time I’ve done a lot of things, other than what the typical traveler does. For all intensive purposes I really haven’t traveled all that much. Two trips in three months while living in a foreign country isn’t much, at least it seems that way right now. As I was taking my last walk home from school yesterday afternoon, I was reminiscing about my time here. I’ve had some really fun moments, some really stupid ones, a few sad ones, and of course, the out-of-this-world incredibly funny ones.

I received my certificate/diploma yesterday from CEICA, the Spanish school that I’ve been attending…220 hours. That’s a lot of Spanish for someone who is technically on “vacation”. Heck! That’s a lot of Spanish for someone not on vacation. In 220 hours, I’ve learned all 16 verb tenses, I’ve learned countless phrases, an incredible number of words including adjectives, adverbs, verbs, nouns, pronouns, etc., I’ve learned tongue twisters designed to help people like me trill r’s (which I can most definitely do now), and I’ve learned how to properly construct complicated and not so complicated sentences. I can write in Spanish, I can listen to someone speak Spanish and generally understand everything that they’re saying, and best of all, I can speak Spanish. I can speak Spanish so well that for the past two and half months I haven’t really needed to use English at all, except to discover a new word or phrase, clarify something in school, or explain to someone in English what someone just said in Spanish. How cool is that!?!

So, what else have I been thinking about besides all my Spanish? Well, I’ve definitely run the gauntlet here as far as minor health problems (most of which I won’t write about…you’re welcome). I’ve learned a few things about taking the bus, local city buses and long distance buses; I’ve learned some tips for public bathrooms, and several other things that fortunately didn’t cost me my life.

Well, because I’m all into education and learning from someone else’s life or as some might say, mistakes, here are some specifics on the things I’ve learned thus far. Hopefully, my learning experiences in the near future as I travel around the rest of South America will also turn out to be things I can laugh about as they’re happening or shortly thereafter.

· My first lesson: Street dog have coodies. My little friend Guizi, who is absolutely adorable and sweet, is also the one who I’m pretty sure, is to blame for the hives I’ve had the past 1.5 months. I read up on it and it is possible for dogs to have bed bugs (which is the nice name for these nasty little creatures that I know I’m allergic to) and although you can never be positive about these things, it’s pretty likely that he’s the origin for my itching, which leads me to my second lesson learned. (Oh! Before I forget, a Guizi update: The little guy is doing incredibly well, he loves his family and they love him. He hasn’t had any accidents in the house…ever. Everyone is impressed with him…another perfect match!)

· Lesson #2: It’s possible to get a medical license from the Goodwill. This might sound a little strange but I’m pretty sure not all doctors here went to medical school. This of course is a bit of a generalization since I’ve only had experiences with two doctors and being a doctor’s daughter I understand that it is a little difficult to diagnose the origin of a strange rash that is sometimes there and sometimes not. But the last thing I want to hear is something I already know. “You have a very strong allergic reaction.” Well, duh. Thank you. How much do I owe? The first doctor I went to gave me some medicine that we commonly use in the States on cows and horses and is designed to kill parasites. Apparently, I’m not a parasite, as I’m still living and I’m sure if I did have any, it killed ‘em dead. It’s taken awhile but I finally don’t itch all the time although I do end up with red splotches from time to time. I can say one thing. A doctor’s appointment is cheap here. An office visit is between 50 and 70 soles which translates to $15 to $21 American. But doesn’t the saying go…you get what you pay for???

· Lesson #3 (is actually three-in-one): The bathroom. Part #1: Always bring your own toilet paper. Part #2: If using your own toilet paper, or someone else’s, if you have a friend, always put it in the trash can. I can say from experience it only takes about 5 weeks to really get the hang of that. Part #3: If you can’t see markings on the bathroom door (i.e. a picture of a little girl, the words: damas, chicas, hombres, men, women, etc.) it’s probably best to wait to see which door someone else picks, and I speak from experience when I say this. While hiking the Inca trail we stopped for lunch at a common area. There was a bathroom there, which I went in search of, after our lunch. When I arrived, I looked and looked and couldn’t see any identifying markings, although I did notice that there were two entrances. Finally, I peeked in one, thinking surely someone will be in there, and no one. So, I thought, it’s probably one of those unisex bathrooms, I’m on the Inca trail where generally people use the “eco-toilet” so I picked a door and went in. When I came out, there couldn’t have been more boys in the bathroom. I just kept my head down and walked as fast as I could towards the door. As always in these cases, there is always someone there to point out your error and for me, it was a Canadian, who followed me out of the bathroom while loudly proclaiming “You DO know you were in the BOY’s bathroom, right???” Ugh. Yes. Thank you.

· Lesson #4: Always double, triple, quadruple check the time of your departure. Now, at this point you might be thinking I’m talking about reconfirming the time of the departure for changes with the airline, as it’s common for them to change departure times with little or no notice. But alas! I’m simply talking about looking at the departure time on your ticket. It’s also helpful to really know military time here. (i.e. 20:00 is 8:00 pm, 22:00 is 10:00 pm, that sort of thing.) When I purchased my bus ticket for Cusco (my Machu Picchu trip two weeks ago) the lady at the counter told me not once but three times I needed to be at the terminal by diez, which is 10:00 for a diez y media bus, which is 10:30. She even said it once by writing it again on my ticket. What I failed to notice is that she wrote 20:00 which is most definitely NOT 10:00 pm. After an interrogation session about the departure time of my bus from Juana, I finally decided to go search for my ticket to prove to her I was right about the departure time. Oh no…20:00…there’s 24 hours in a day…so 20 can’t mean 10:00, oh holy heck! It’s 8:00. I’ve missed my freaking bus! Fortunately, while everyone else was panicking, I was able to laugh hysterically as it was my own stupidity for not looking at the ticket before 8:35 the night it was scheduled to leave. By the way, bus tickets are non-refundable but fortunately are cheap. My solution to the problem? I bought a rather cheap plane ticket the next morning to Cusco and arrived only a few hours before I was originally supposed to get there.

· Lesson #5: Use Facebook. If you’re not already using it and you’re thinking of traveling, forget Myspace. I may have met a few people who don’t use Facebook but I haven’t met any who use Myspace. It’s a great way to keep up with people you’ve met and who more than likely you’ll see again along your travels. I saw yesterday that a guy I ended up traveling with to Puno and Lake Titicaca took a picture with a girl from my Inca Trail group in La Paz, Bolivia. How wild is that?!? If you’re completely repulsed by online tools for keeping up with your new friends. Then at least make sure you get their email address…these are people who live in prospective places to visit in the future after all…plus, incredible people!

· Lesson #6: Always stay within sight of at least one member of your group…at least you’ll end up lost together. If you read my Inca Trail blog post then you already know that I got lost on the Inca Trail, which I’m sure most of you (including me) thought was impossible since generally speaking there’s only one way in and one way out. I know…leave it to me. If it can happen, it will. I can say that if you are lost, sometimes it’s helpful NOT to know that you’re lost. You’ll enjoy it more. So, just try to remain oblivious. Hopefully you’ll be in a group of people who like you and actually notice that you’re missing. And if you’re really nice, then they’ll send someone looking for you. Brent is my hero! I probably would have made it to Machu Picchu a day early if it hadn’t been for him.

· Lesson #7: Always buy souvenirs. Not I’m not talking about the chincy souvenirs like cheap little key chains (there are some nice ones out there) or well, there are a whole host of basically nasty things to choose from. My favorite things to buy in Perú? Of course, Baby Alpaca. I’ve definitely bought more than my fair share of this stuff, which here is incredibly cheap, authentic, and ooooohhh so soft, which include frazadas (blankets) and chalinas (scarves). I also happened to pick up a casaca (jacket), a chompa (sweater), and the most gorgeous abrigo (winter coat) you’ve ever seen in your life. I’ve also purchased several chullos (stocking caps), fundas de almohadas (pillow cases), and cuadros (paintings). While I have purchased several things for my family and friends who are making this trip possible for me, I also have purchased lots of things for my house so that when I am back home (wherever that may be) I will always remember this place, and the other places I’ve been. (I learned that trick from my Aunt Susan. It’s like being every place she’s been when you enter her house…it’s an amazing, peaceful, and energizing feeling that overcomes me every time. I love it.)

· Lesson #8: ALWAYS get a massage, at least one, while you’re here. I love massages but I hardly ever spring for one. Why? I guess because life gets a little too busy or maybe I’m a little too cheap. Every time I get one I always think, “Why don’t I do this more often?” Especially here. I got my first massage here probably three weeks ago. I had been incredibly sick for what seemed like an eternity, my head was killing me, and I needed to try something a little different. Renato had mentioned a massage and it sounded like a good idea to me. So, we took the bus to a little blue building. And yes, they had someone free. For the next hour, I enjoyed the most amazing, least expensive massage I’ve ever had in my life. What does a good massage cost in Perú? In Arequipa it’s 15 soles which translates to $5. Incredible! After Machu Picchu I treated myself to a massage in Cusco, not one but two…count ‘em 2 hours, complete with hot stones, for 30 soles…$10 bucks. Not that’s what Robert would call an entertainment value! Surely now you understand what I’m talkin’ about Holmes.

· Lesson #9: Buy a good camera and USE it!!! I bought a really nice camera this summer, a Canon PowerShot S5IS. I love it! Occasionally I wish I would have bought a more expensive, manual focus camera but this one is easy for other people to use (other than figuring out how to turn it on) and takes great pictures. Buy lots of memory cards and you’re in business. You can always delete them when you get home. Plus, take multiple pictures of the same view/scene with different settings. You’ll be surprised when you get back home. I’ve had a hard time choosing between the black and white of Machu Picchu and the color version. It’s the same thing but incredibly different looks.

· Lesson #10: NEVER color your hair in a foreign country. This is one of my most recent lessons. When I got here I had what I referred to as an irresponsible hair do, blonde on top and dark on the bottom. This week, I went from a blonde who needed to get her roots touched up to more of a dark redhead, to what I would consider florescent orange, to a cross between a strawberry blonde and a honey color with an orange tint…and now, although I’m not really happy…I’m a brunette. What a disaster! I don’t think I need to clarify this one anymore…the florescent orange speaks for itself I’m quite sure. I’m not laughing yet but I have high hopes for this adventure as well.

· Lesson #11: Always be open to exploration and new things. One of the things I love most about travel is the fact that you can be headed in one direction and then bam! You meet someone or a group of people and then you’re headed off in a different direction for a place that two minutes earlier you didn’t know existed. Nunca digas nunca, which translates into English directly…never say never. Keep your mind open and never be afraid to say “Hello!” (or here, Hola!”) to that stranger who sat down at the table next to you. Now of course, if he or she resembles Jack the Ripper or some other lunatic, I’m definitely not going to suggest you strike up a conversation; you always have to be smart. But if you can get out of your comfort zone just a little, you’ll be incredibly surprised at exactly how easy it is to make new friends. After seeing the pictures of the inside of a prison in La Paz that one of my newest friends took (where you BRIBE your way in) I’m wishing I hadn’t planned to come back to finish my last week of school this week. Of course, I love school but what an adventure! And yes, he did make it out…he’s enjoying amazing wine in Chile now.

· Lesson #12: Get off the beaten path and get to know the people. There are a lot of towns where you’ll run into lots of gringos. Cusco for instance. When you’re doing that and hanging out with tourist all the time you don’t really get to experience the culture. Now I’m not saying that everyone needs to find a local family to live with but find some places that aren’t in your guide book. To do this though, it is really helpful to know a little of the local language and here in Perú, that doesn’t always mean Spanish. It also means Quechua which is the native language of the Andean people. Fortunately, the majority of the people here speak both Quechua and Spanish. I’ve learned a few words in Quechua since I’ve been here but not enough to have a conversation with anyone. The non-beaten path also includes trying some of the local cuisine. I’ve written about trying guinea pig and cow’s hearts which definitely aren’t my new favorite dishes but they definitely are a part of my experience here and they make for interesting stories. My grandma Hetty always used to say “While in Rome, do as the Romans do.” And here, the phrase is “A donde fueras, laz lo que vieras.” Something I definitely and highly recommend.

Fortunately so far, my lessons learned contain las anécdotas…or funny stories that originated from not-so-funny circumstances. Besides my hair being jacked-up, I’ve been able to do more than a little chuckling at my mistakes which is the best thing to do when there’s something that doesn’t go your way. It’s much better than the alternative, and is likely to leave you in much better spirits and without a headache and runny nose.

So, what’s next for me? I’m leaving my computer and a few other things here in Arequipa and I’m taking the 4:00 bus (my ticket most definitely says 16:00) to Tacna which is really close to the Chilean border. I’m not exactly sure what my plans are between now and the 19th, when I’ve promised the Sarfatis I’ll be in Santiago to meet them at the airport for a few days of fun with old friends before they take off on a two week cruise. From there, I’ll either head south to Patagonia or perhaps take a flight up to the Galapagos Islands to meet some friends for Christmas. If I head south, then I’ll more than likely make a big loop counter-clockwise around South America and if I head back north after Santiago, then I’ll make a clockwise loop. It looks like even from the tip of South America it’s incredibly expensive to go to Antarctica so I’ll have to save that place for another adventure. A few places on my list…the beach for surfing, Patagonia, The Galapagos, Iguazú Falls between Argentina and Bolivia, the Amazon, and I haven’t really decided where else.

I’ll definitely try to keep up with my blog although now that I’m traveling it won’t be as easy as writing stories from my apartment with my own computer. But I’m sure it will happen. If you’re on Facebook, I’ve upload much more pictures there than on my blog so if you’re not already my “friend” find me there. That’s all for me this morning. I’ve got to head down for breakfast then start packing up my stuff. I’m looking at my room right now. Gee, I either brought a bunch of stuff with me or have bought a bunch of stuff since I’ve been here. I’m not sure which.