Lima, Peru 5/13/06

Lima, Peru 5/13/06

Welcome to South America! A new continent! I almost thought Ecuador was going to sneak in as my first country visited in South America, just beating out the number one contender and my planned destination, Peru. I flew out of Miami last night at Midnight, well that’s not exactly true. I got on the plane at midnight and was asleep before the plane took off at around 1 a.m.

Typical flight sleep for me; In and out of consciousness. Missed drinks, food, head phones, etc. Good thing I had a window seat so nobody had to climb over me this time. During my intermittent wake ups I would look at the little TV in the head set in front of me. Before I conked out I turned it to the flight status channel. I woke up in time to see Panama below and that was about it until I woke up when the little plane icon that represented my place in the world in that moment was less than a quarter inch from Lima, my destination. I rubbed the eyes for a few minutes, and got out a pen from my carry on, and filled out my arrival papers. I laid my head back after this thinking I would just rest my eyes for a few minutes before the touch down startled me awake. Well that was my thought at least.

I woke up again obviously hours later because the sun was now shinning. We were making our decent and a nice female voice was telling the plane in Spanish over the PA what I assumed were the same lifesaving instruction that you hear on American flights. How my seatback raised 1 inch is going to save me I’ll never know.

As the English translation started over the PA I notice my little plane icon was no longer pointed South and the names around it were towns I didn’t recognize, most notably Guayaquil which was the name my plane was landing on. Now I have woke up on flights landing in New York instead of Boston, Charleston instead of Atlanta, even Phoenix instead of San Diego. But as I flipped open my trusty Rough Guide book to my map of Peru to find out how far Guayaquil is from Lima the thought of them being in two different countries did not even cross my mind. When I found the city of Guayaquil on a side map I laughed out loud. My South American adventure had definitely started!

I spent roughly 3 hours sitting on a plane in Ecuador. We could not disembark which is why I don’t count Ecuador as an actual visit . Layovers don’t count in my mind. 2 hours after that I finally touched down in Lima as the heavy fog that prevented us from landing the first time was starting to lift. One last note on this little travel story. At no time on the plane did I hear one person complain and it’s not because I didn't speak Spanish. Everyone just took it in stride. I’ve seen Americans line up by the hundreds to bitch at a desk worker about a snow storm no human could do anything about. Today I sat on a plane for over 12 hours on what was supposed to be a 5 hour flight and every one just smiled. It was very nice.

Another first for me today: A driver at the airport holding a sign with my name on it. “He’s bewildered by the plane ride and the immigration line until he sees his Christian name upon a cardboard sign” Well, it was actually a dry erase board but seeing “Mathew Forrest” in a row of other names held chest high by a row of drivers still put a smile on my face.

The cabbie arranged by the hostel I was staying at had waited, or come back, for me. Not bad service for a $14 ride and a $25 room!

I am staying at the Hostel El Patieos and even though I have not seen my room, it isn’t quite ready yet, it looks like a great place. Lots of character! I am here in Peru for the next two weeks. Of course I wish I could be longer but the sale of my condo has gone slow so I’m still waiting to launch my big trip.
Dave and Australian buddy Niranj “Nij” Patel arrive tomorrow, uhhh manana that is. This Gringo is determined to start thinking and speaking more Spanish. I feel stupid!

Dave, Nij, and I will wander up to Juliaca, Puno, and Cusco before MJ flies in on the 19th just in time to do the Inca Trail with us, and of course what is sure to be the highlight of the trip, a visit to Machu Pichu. Ahhh, I can’t wait!!

Well my lunch at Las Tejar is completed and I’m proud to say I chose wisely off the all Spanish menu without any help; a nice spicy, seafood dish for the record. Now it’s time to go see some stuff. I’m off to find Huacca Pucllana which my Rough Guide book says is a “vast pre-Inca Adobe Pyramid” Sounds perfect!

After that I’m meeting up with a friend of a friend that I have never met or spoken to before. The world gets smaller everyday and I love it!

MJF