Picture it: Eastern Europe, 1991. A man in his salad days spends his first few days of his backpacking trip across Europe in Warsaw, Poland. At the time, the city was just crawling out from under the heavy thumb of communism. The people were sad, the weather was dreary, and the future seemed bleak. Days later, the man departed from this place of sadness, escaping to the town of Krakow, also in Poland. There he saw sunshine, saw smiling faces, and felt a general sense of optimism.
At first, today it seemed that today's Cusco is to yesteryear's Krakow as today's Lima is to yesteryear's Warsaw. My opinion has changed, but more on that later.
Before leaving Cusco today, I stopped by Jack's cafe for breakfast again. Delicious grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Open-faced. M'mm. I can't wait to get on the scales in Atlanta and see how much I have put on on this trip. Met some old people from Holland who apparently do a lot of traveling at this time in their lives: Just ended a 7-week trip to Bolivia and Peru. One has been to Machu Picchu three times in the past three years, and is so good at doing the "trekking", which I want to do on my next trip here, that he does not need to go through an agency anymore: He is setting up his own trip, hiring his own guides, etc.
Seeing these folks in their seventies going on long excursions made me feel a lot more positive about my opportunities to travel in the future. For so much of my twenties and thirties I could not afford to make a trip like the one I have made this year, and much of the time I have been here, I have mourned the fact that I am limited to two weeks here. But I guess I have retirement to look forward to. All I have to do is make sure I have enough money when I am in my seventies to go on big long trips. I will surely have the time (if I actually do retire).
Before leaving on my flight, I got the chance at the airport to try the "milk punch"-- the only ingredients I remember are in it are milk and Pisco. M'mm. It probably has sugar in it too.
Plane trip to Lima: Amazing. On the way out to Cusco it was dark most of the way. I only got to see the landscape for the last few minutes near Cusco. It turns out that mountains abound almost the entire way between Cusco and Lima. Most of the mountains are similar to the ones near Cusco: Green to brown with little vegetation. People scattered about in villages here and there, but not everywhere. High up; much higher than the Appalachians. But in the far distance I could see h.u.g.e. mountains. With ice caps. What the Andes are really famous for. That's one place I would like to go on my next trip to Peru.
On my arrival in Lima, I was at first slightly disappointed. Dreary weather. Too many people. It felt like Manhattan-- or probably Brooklyn-- without the cool stuff at first.
But then I got out for a while and realized it is much better than I thought. The people are extremely nice, just like in Cusco; and much nicer than in the US. It also appears that there are a lot more English-speakers.
I'm staying in Miraflores, which is just south of downtown. Not far from the hotel, I grabbed lunch/dinner-- more typical Peruvian fare: Beef(?) or pork(?) with tomatoes, potatoes, and rice. More Pisco Sour. Second favorite Pisco Sour so far. Only two more days to go to find the best one.
Near the restaurant is a park where some performances take place sometimes. It turns out that the performance that was going on when I got there was a group of kids from (??) Cleveland, Ohio (!! ) performing some jazz. They were pretty good.
After that, I walked to the Pacific Ocean. I know the history behind why we call it the Pacific, but I tell you, both places where I have seen it-- San Francisco and here-- it does not seem very peaceful. Here it is thrashing about anxiously. The Atlantic seems much more calm. Peaceful or not, it is very beautiful. Hoping to see the sun set there tomorrow. Today it was too dreary.
There was an improptu-almost-parade that got started close to the edge of the cliffs: Lots of horns blowing and flags waving celebrating Uruguay's victory over Ghana in South Africa this afternoon in the battle for the World Cup.
Right on the cliffs, is a big ol' mall-- the Larcomar. I stopped by, and felt like I was at Lenox Square, speaking of which, I do not think I have been there in ten years. I wonder if it is still there (??).
Before heading back to the hotel, I stopped for cheesecake and cappuccino. You've got to live it up while you can. It will be back to beans and rice, rice and beans in the ATL on Tuesday.
--NB
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