peru in the news, sort of

hey pete,
you should check this out. an archaeological site found an ancient brewery in peru. it sounds kindof interesting.
are you anywhere close to there??

-robin

july 29

Sorry, I haven´t been emailing more regularly.  I doing okay still in Huanchaco.  I would have liked to have left, but I´ve been sick and diarrhea on a bus does not sound fun.  I have seen Pourto Chicama and Ive been impressed, its the longest wave in the world.  As I rode the wave, the wind was up and sent spray into my eyes.  I would only open my eyes at intervals to make sure I was still riding the wave.   When the ride ended, I opened my eyes and was disoriented as to where I was exactly.  I had traveled a long way down the beach.  It would have been better if I could´ve seen.  Ive also boogie boarded here in huanchaco which has some good rides, also.  Besides surf, I visited the town and nightlife in Trujillo.  I went to one discotech that had all teens and preteens, it felt a little awkward.  We soon found a salsa club with an older crowd.  Salsa is big here. The beer is expensive, so the practice is to buy one and share with friends using plastic cups. Also, I went to a private muesum that sounded really interesting because it was underneath a gas station.  I am almost intirily convinced it is full of fakes.  It had more pottery peices then the national muesum in Lima.  It has been explained to me that inca, pre inca left very few peices because they sacrificed most of them to the gods.  The peices were a little too numerous.  Also, the cloth on display was suppose to be really old, but it looked nothing like the cloth Ive seen in the Ica muesum that was authentically really old.  I want to head north to witchcraft capitial of Peru perhaps checkout a shaman at work.  I don´t think Ill particapate- just watch. 

july 22

Hello, I arrived in Trujillo yesterday morning and quickly got myself to beach resort of Huanchaco.  It looks touristy, no large resort buildings just small hostals that overlook the beach.  I quickly made friends, Carlos and Ronald, who are local surfers.  The waves looked simple enough- I thought.  I rented a board and got in the water.  Unfortunately, you have to walk about 20 or 30 yards on rocks under water.  The water level in only up to your calf or mid thigh which isn't enough to take weight off your legs.  Also, you have wavelet's (smaller waves) pushing you off balance to ensure you lose your footing and step on a sharp rock.  At waist high in water, I began to paddle.  I was always just out of reach of getting past the white water.  I hadn't realized that the current had slowly been pushing me down shore hindering my ability to paddle past it.  I spent all my energy yesterday for nothing.  At least, i got a workout and the experience of a new beach.  Today, the morning wind was too much and I was sure the day was lost for surfing.  So, I went to Chan Chan, the adobe ruins.  They were suppose to be the best, but at times it only looks like piles of adobe mud.  Next, the museum nearby with artifacts from Chan Chan.  I made friends with an Australian named Browney and she could read the Spanish and interpret for me.  Next we walked all the way to another ruin, I forget the name.  This new ruin was nice because it had been covered with sand for many years to protect it form the elements.  One could see some of the interesting decorations that covered the walls. Finally, back in huanchaco the surf was up and the sky was blue.  It looked beautiful much better then yesterday.  Ricardo, the Brazilian, Browney, the Australian, and I talked about politics and medicine and the environment- just beer talk, you know.  But, I think we solved the worlds problems as we watched the surfers play and the sunset.  Next, we played tag/ hide and seek with the local kids.  It was a good day.  Tomorrow, I go to Puerto Chicama the worlds longest wave!

July 20

Ok robin,
 
I ate sheikh kebob cow heart the other day, I highly recommend it.  The heart is a muscle too, so why not?  As for Machi Pichu, I didn´t´t go that's why I didn´t´t write about.  I was really upset when I saw how difficult and out of the way it was.   I tried three different times to get tickets, its pretty swamped with tourists.  I may try again later, but at the time I said ´fuck it´.  As for the gory stuff, I´ve seen chickens being killed.  First, a karate chop to the back of the head to paralyze them, then slit their throat and let the blood run out.  It was a enough to make me a vegetarian- once I get back to the states.   I still have to try guinea pig.

tell me tell me

i know it's your blog, pete, but i want more.
tell me about machu pichu!  i'm highly jealous, and someday i want to go.
but for now, i just want to hear about it.  what was it like?? how did you get there?
etc. etc.
 
and send more stories about seeing weird things at markets, too... cuz i love those.  (as you know if you remember that i came back from africa with one picture of a pile of sheep heads and another of a pile of cow heads.)
 
 

july 17

I just wanted to send a little update that Im alright.  I havent been doing much here which is just fine by me.  The movies that are in theater at the states, Ive seen on DVD for much cheaper.   The quality isnt as good, but, hey, it works.  It is as if, I am so well adjusted that things seem normal here.  It is harder to think of shocking differences to write home about.  Heres one, "I saw a cows tongue hanging from a hook at the market."   I have thought about visiting other countries in the area just for the stamp on the passport- ecudor, bolivia, chilli.  All this after Victor teaches me how to fish, in Trujillo.  Also, I have some sort of credit card problem that Ill have to take care of monday before I can go anywhere.  I wandered into a tattoo shop in Lima and saw my uncles picture in one of their photograph books- small world.

from pete's email again

Hey, here I am in Lima, again. I don´t now what I am doing here although at the time I wasn´t enjoying the mountains. The mountains are really great, I may have to climb a 6000 meter peak before I come home because its so cheap. I hooked up with victor, my boss form the pool, and am enjoying the life in tahuantinsuyo. It is a surburd of Lima and has fewer cars then lima centeral, so it is better for my health then Lima. Besides, this is the real Peru with people that don´t speak english and work hard everyday just to get by. I haven´t been able to do much since I got here as I am in and out of a perpetual because of the carbrohidrates I eat. I think, I am learning spanish from Victor´s family. It is what I do with my 4 hours a day of quality learning time. I should mention, in Abancay, I went walking in the mountains and came across a funny looking cacti. It had spikes on the bottom and a stem about 20 feet tall. Unfortunately, I touched it and now have a bit of a rash. sorry, have to go time running out.

july 7

I am in Abancay. It is warmer here then cusco, althought there isnt anything to do here. I had my first patient yesterday, we will call her Senora H. It was really exciting. I was at the bus terminal, and I noticed a women sitting on the curd with her family around her. I hesitated, and got on my bus, but from my bus widow I could see the situation wasnt getting better. I got off the bus, and asked if the women need help. The pulse was weak at 84 beats per min. and the breathing was rapid and shallow. Senora H looked about 80, but was only 38 years old. Her mental status was slow, but she could understand my basic broken spanish questions. I could only ask a limited amount of questions about her condition. I understood that she had arrived to Cusco after 7 months in Lima. She had complaints about her stomach, couldnt walk, and difficultly breathing. The best we could do was a taxi to the hospital. The bus terminal people were very helpful in getting my luggage off the bus. She had some sort of medical history written on a piece of paper. Her family tried to put rubbing alchol in front of her mouth, not a good idea when she is having trouble breathing. I think with her weakend medical condition, the higher altitude of Cusco was too much for her. I just monitered the Senora and comforted her to the hospital. At the hospital, I was even more worried about communicating. The docotrs and nurses understood some of what I told them. They were much calmer then I. The entire episode ended within an hour, but it felt like forever. So, I took the later bus. It was a good experience, but, also difficult because of the language barrier. As any memoriable experince does, it keeps playing in my head over and over again. I could have some things differently, but I did my best at the time.

july 4

hey everybody, Happy birthday to me. I am sorry I haven´t been emailing more, but I haven´t been keeping busy. I didn´t realize how sick the altitude had made me. it was a sickness I have never experienced, and doesn´t have strong signs like the flu. I can see how the mountain climbers could fool themselves into a false sense of security. I finally admitted it to myself. Combining altitude sickness with hagglers on the street is an accident waiting to happen which is why I left Arequipa. I am in Cusco now, and feeling much better although I am still short of breath at times. I saw a bunch of ruins the other day. The colective bus drove us (candian I meet at the hostal) up the hills of Cuzco and we walked down. We saw Tambomachey, Pukapukara, and the very impressive Saqsaywaman (pronounced= "sexy woman"). It is said, if Cusco is the Puma, Saqsaywaman ("sexy woman") is the head of the puma. The hugh stones in a zig-zag shape are the teeth of the puma at Saqsaywaman (¨"sexy woman"). The rocks were just amazing at this sight, and with their massize size its amazing to see them put together with such geometeric fluency. (does geometric fluency make sense ?) I was planning to go to Machu Pichu today, but with poor planning on my part it´ll have to wait for tomorrow. take care everybody,

july 1

I didn´t stay long in Arequipa. I didn´t like the hassel on the street, so I left. It is too bad because I would have liked to go river rafting or mountain biking or hiking. I arrived in Puno yesterday. I saw the Uros island in lake Titcaca. This island is intirely made out of reeds. The history is amazing because the people built them to get away from the waring tribes on land. It was not what I expected. The island is incredibly firm and not at all like walking on a water bed. The reeds have been trambled on in a way that makes them feel like wood chips under your feet. Like wood chips, you cant get a good footing, so even walking seemed to take some energy out of your legs. The islands seem to be a good tourist trap and the people have solar power and TV and other creature comforts. There are some strutures on pantoon floats, probably bought with tourist money. But, they know the reed island is how they make a living. I asked if it was cold at night with a house made of reeds. They said it wasn´t. I am going to take the night bus to cusco. i should see Machu Pichu in time for my birthday.

bye,

Pete