PERU: Lima - Part I &II

I think the last time you read I had left Quito. I went to Lima for a day and then to Cuzco to meet up with my dad to hike the Inca Trail, then back to Lima for a few days before I took off to Santiago, Chile, where I am right now. Ok, that´s the geography.

LIMA: The first night I went I stayed at my friend (through Carlo) Thierry´s place. He has an outstanding apartment overlooking the beachfront of Lima. Outstanding. My favorite part was that the walls facing the sea where all glass. Pictures later.

I spent my day being a tourist. The historical buildings in Lima, and the Baroque-Peruvian architecture was truly exquisite. Lima is foggy about 9 months out of the year...so imagine every day I spent there overcast. It was not cold, or hot. The weather was pleasant, but it was like being stuck in Baryshnikov´s (sp) WHITE NIGHTS.

Two moments to write home about.

-Pizarro´s statue was among the many sites a tourist should see. So, I took off to find it. The guide (not Lonely Planet) said it was in the middle of the Plaza de Armas, the main plaza in Lima. I started at the center for while and saw nothing. Later I learned that the statue had been placed Pizarro´s horse´s ass to the city´s main church so it had to be removed. I consulted Lonely PLanet and found out where it had gone. So, I followed the map, got there, and again...no Pizarro. At this point I could have said, forget it. He was a conquistador and what the heck am I doing looking for him all over the place, but the gay over achiever got the best of me, and I HAD TO FIND IT!!! So, I started asking around, and eventhough everyone knew where it was, nobody really did. After searching 2-3 more spots I finally found the damn thing. It was HUGE, UGLY and well a man on a horse. Lesson: when you cannot find a Spanish consquistador let it go. In the end all you will really find is a horse´s ass.

-Pepe. Pepe is a great friend of Andres (from Quito). Again, the amazing connections of this travel experience along with the outstanding hosting by everyone has been beautiful. I met Pepe at his job and immediately we were off. He wanted me to see Lima at night. It was different, the lighting, the energy. We drove around for a while and ended up at La Rosa Nautica, a beautiful sea restaurant. I say sea because it is literally in the sea. We sat in the bar and had Peru´s national drink (mostly. it is also chile´s drink and it is a big fight, but enough.) The pisco was grand, but the cool thing was that the bar shook a bit when the waves hit. It was very cool. Ok, a little sickening for those with weak stomachs, but tres cool for me. We then went to SCENAS, an outstanding restaurant where I ate A LOT OF GREAT FOOD!!! Pepe has
an advanced knowledge of Limeno restaurants and the gastronomical tour was fabulous. Beyond food and tourism was the best gift of all - PEPE. I know I have said this a lot this time around, but G-d, I just keep meeting these outstanding people. His heart is huge. He is smart, funny,
interesting, truly another gift of travel, living, and well, Andres. GRACIAS!!!

I will write about the return to Lima here...Cusco was in between and it needs its own entry.

I returned to Lima with my dad. He fell in love with Cusco, and the idea of being in a big city was less exciting, but Lima is interesting so it was worth it. I think. He may write later and he can give you his opintion. We spent our days being tourists and, well, eating. For me much of the experience was seeing my dad´s shocked face everytime I spoke about food. Like my mother in Thailand my dad spend most of his trip wondering how I could eat so much, why I talked so much about food, and well, where it all goes. So...

THE COOLEST THING ABOUT LIMA Part Deux was RAFAELLOs. Suggested by Thierry who came to dinner with us and Pepe, and Pepe´s partner Carlos Rafaello. Rafaellos proved to be some of the yummiest food I have eaten in Latin America. The service was outstanding, food quality tops, and wines very, very, very good. Although we should have had the first bottle again, instead of switching to the Merlot. Perhaps my favorite thing in the world to do is eat, drink wine and be with friends and family. I loved being able to exchange in English and Spanish, watching my dad enjoy himself with my new friends and eating great food. Note here, we started eating at 11pm, a time that seemed normal to all but my dad. Nonetheless, he was a champ drinking up the wine and eating a feast.

I ended my time in Lima by going dancing until 7am. Pretty dandy.

What it feels like for a girl...in Sud America

South America has been hard for me. Because South America has been amazing. I cannot explain in words, in any language, what it feels like to be in the energy that is Latin America.

An attempt...my heart skips as I find more and more the missing pieces of 20 years in the States. The passion for life in this part of the world is excilirating. And it is not because there are people going around saying...I went to yoga, I found myself, I meditated, I whatever, and now I love life, and I live it hard. It is a passion by people who are screwed up just like everyone else, who smoke, drink and eat fatty foods derived from animals that were killed inhumanily (is there humanity in killing anything?). It is a passion for walking down the street hard, laughing really loud, and talking really fast, and listening to loud music. I love it. It´s like the whole world is finally at a speed and volume I understand. It is home.

Saying this is of course difficult because, well, you are all not here. It´s amazing to have lived in the States for the last 20 years and have built a life so full of joy and friends and love. And it is wild to bhere where I know three people - Romina, Pancha y Pepa - and yet feel so connected to everyone else, so at home. It´s weird and wonderful and complex. If I could only move you all here for a while...a couple of years or so.

I love the coffee here. I love the meat, and there is a lot of it. I LOVE THE WINE. My goal has been to taste two wines per day, and make sure it is not 2 bottles per day. So far I am doing well. I have a list of good wines which I will impart with you as soon as I am done with the research.

I know I am on vacation, not working, etc, etc, etc...but the energy I am talking about is beyond profession. It is a core energy, a feeling of arrival. It´s a sweet everything.

So, my heart wonders, my mind races, and my blood burns as I reflect on all of my life, the things that matter, the feeling of alignment, my love for my friends, family and Drew and all that moves my core in this land that it still America, but farther down. As Drew so beautifully suggested, I will continue to let the energies pulse through, be in my travels, be the bird that I see myself being. And more and more I feel like that damn song I hate (Nelly Furtado´s Swan Song - Like a Bird) and that right now "I don´t know where my soul is, and I don´t know where my home is."

"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." V.

www.brazilbean.net

QUITO: A Final Entry, Really

Special Note: I am actually in Peru with my father right now. We hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu and are off to Lima for three days. I will write about this in the upcoming week.

I am not exactly sure what to say about Quito in the end of it all. To put it simply, I fell for it. After 1 year and a month on the road I have actually been to a city that I thought, "I could live here." It is odd. It is so San Francisco in so many ways. Its history, its earthquakes, its fog, its mountains and its quaintness (sp) really spoke to me. I saw this happening as the weeks went by and I learned the bus systems, the map of the city, and got a feel, a taste for the way things work. But, between deciding not to travel anywhere else in Ecuador, changing my ticket to stay longer, and missing it so much from Peru I know that it struck a cord that is really sweet inside of me. It was a magical place in which to learn Spanish, to live in for 6 weeks, and as many of you have read, the people I met were outstanding.

In the last couple of weeks I got a proper tour of Old Town from Carla whose knowledge and passion for Quito are invigorating. She also took me to dinner and the theater at Teatro Sucre, Quito´s exquisite performance space. I also ate out a lot with friends and cooked a little more. But, just moving around in the city, getting my haircut, my nails done, and talking to NGO made me happy.

Salome made my heart open up to Quito. Her yoga classes, along with Caridad, helped me relax into my experience, be present every step of the way, and offered an endlessly loving place. Yes, she kicked my ass in class and while others did the "easier" yoga, she demanded that I do more. But, with every push came and adjustment, a touch of care and knowledge of the practice. She has magical hands. This, plus the outings for dancing made life richer for me.

Dani made sure I got my daily dosage of caffeine and helped me practice my Spanish. She helped me become TOTALLY OBSESSED with SMS-text messaging, and it was outstanding to meet someone with an independent political perspective and a - do something - attitude.

Camilo´s hunger made me happy. I have cooked for many, and love it when people like my food. But, I have never been as certain as I was with Camilo when I cooked. He was honestly heartbroken when he heard I made something he did not eat, and his Gracias and adjectives after eating a meal I made were memorable. And, I also love that yes, he liked my food, but that, like me, he is a food whore...so in the end, I was good, but really, I could have been anyone else as long as I was cooking. LOLOL!

Andres, Roberto, Oliver and Tita (the cat) continued to make everything seem simple, and made me feel like I had been in their lives for years. Their home and their love for each other was and endless welcoming space.

As you know, my teachers continued to teach me even after I was done with school. Their commitment to their craft and their care for me came simply, without too many questions and no ifs and buts. This kind of care is rare.

And, of course, Carlo was really the glue of Quito for me. His own love for his city, openess to having me around, and friendship made me feel that everyday I was in a place where I was taken care of, loved and had amigos all around.

So, that´s Quito. There were many other people that made it outstanding Sadig, Max, Gustavo, Olga, and others. Thank you all. From the bottom of my heart.

"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." V.

www.brazilbean.net