After showering and packing, Maren and I went to the ATM (for like, the 100th time) then up to Richard's house. We really wanted to try ceviche (raw fish) and since Richard knows all the best restaurants, we wanted to go with him. He wasn't home yet from picking up the new volunteers (our replacements, sniffle), so we hung out on his front porch and met his roommates. Turned out that the roommates were hungry as well and they ended up coming to lunch with us. Spike, Richard's/our dog, really wanted to come too and actually chased the cab for several blocks. It was like something out of a Benji movie, kind of cute but I was worried he was going to get hit by a car.
For lunch, Maren and I shared ceviche and a big plate of fried stuff, as well as a pitcher of Chicha Morada (purple chicha) and Coke. About this time I was wishing I hadn't drank so much last night and ended up having an unpleasant discussion with Mother Nature in the ladies' room. Nice work, Ives.
I was feeling pretty green but we wanted to go to the wine store, so I persevered, keeping my eye out for a bathroom and/or garbage can in case of emergency. As we were walking through one of the markets, I noticed a sign advertising a local marathon! Naturally I had to stop and ask how much it was. The cost to run a Peruvian marathon? One nuevo sol, basically 25-30 cents in USD. Good grief. It costs $100 USD to run a marathon here...
We finally made it to the wine store where we bought Richard a gift for being such a good Captain. Then we had to say goodbye to him, Yrene, and Elizabeth who had also come to lunch with us and were headed to the grocery store. I somehow managed to keep it together, but it was really hard. We were far enough away from Gringo Alley (the neighborhood we stayed in Cusco) that we needed to get a cab back, so we decided to split one with Richard's roommates. However, they needed lightbulbs so we wandered here, there, and everywhere looking for a Ferrateria. You can't just buy whatever wherever here, you know? After a bit of walking, the guys gave up and we ended up just getting a cab home sans lightbulbs.
Viva el Peru
Random sighting on our walk
Maren and me, blending into the wall in my red Peru jacket. Yes, I know it is extremely unhip to wear vacation souvenirs when you are still ON VACATION; however, all of my other clothes were at la Lavanderia.
Back in Gringo Alley, we said goodbye to the roommates (I have totally forgotten their names) and went off to search for last minute gifts before meeting Gillie at Pampawasi for a final farewell. We picked up our laundry, got our bags out of storage, bid Gillie adieu, then haggled with a cab driver over a price to the airport. I will miss bargaining with everyone, I think.
The security line was stupid long...thank goodness we got there two hours ahead. Also, there were no signs telling you where to go or what to do, which is a problem if you don't know that you have to pay a departure tax. Somehow we figured it out and managed to get on our plane to Lima where we then had a six-hour layover. We were planning to check in and go crash on a bench, but no dice. The Delta counter wasn't going to be open for another two hours, so we dragged our backpacks up to the food court along with the other 250 passengers awaiting the 12:20 am flight to ATL. Our dinner options were:
Dunkin Donuts
McDonald's
Papa John's
Some random chicken place
We could have been anywhere really. The least-disgusting option seemed to be McDonald's, which killed about 15 minutes. We took turns wandering around an overpriced souvenir shop then went to wait in line for the Delta counter, hoping at some point that our ears would pop. Seriously. Everyone on the flight from Cusco was deaf in one or both ears from the change in cabin pressure, altitude, etc.
Miraculously, everything went off without a hitch and our plane left on time. I spent the flight face down in my tray table thanks to Dramamine and arrived in ATL feeling remarkably refreshed. Since it was only 8 am in Atlanta, customs was a breeze and Maren and I remarked how stupidly easy it is to go through passport control here. There are videos with step-by-step instructions, it would be impossible to get in the wrong line even if you are a monkey. In Lima, it was like a cattle call and anyone's best guess where you needed to go exactly. Much more interesting, in my opinion.
Four hours later, we were on the plane to CVG listening to two West Siders discuss which high school they had gone to (both people were in their 30's or 40's). I love Cincinnati but geez. I was kind of wishing my hearing hadn't come back so quickly. My mom came to pick us up at the airport and didn't recognize me at first. I think what she said was, "you're not pale anymore!". Ha! Even Jen gets tan if she works outside for two weeks. ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment