Ugh, so last night I was at Máximo and swore that I had posted this successfully, only to check my email today with no comments, and wondering if anyone had seen it. So I go to my blog, and see that there’s nothing there! I don’t’ know if I closed my laptop prematurely and it didn’t go up, but I feel pretty stupid for feeling all happy about something I wasn’t even successful in. So here’s my attempt to post it again, only this time with more guilt. (Though I suppose I can’t complain too badly because I’m able to add on more tidbits from last night post when I thought I had posted. So here goes:
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Hello world, who I swear I have not forgotten about. I desperately need to throw out a huge apology to you all for not updating this in way too long. The main reasons, though not worthy excuses, are:
• One, I’ve been fluctuating in and out of small colds, fevers, and stomach issues
• Two, there was a strike here for a few days (when isn’t there a strike or parade here?), so I had no access to the internet
• Three, I’ve continued to procrastinate posting this until I had it at a beautiful, lengthy, New York bestseller status, but instead just fell behind even more.
Thus, I come to you all with the completed recount of my Machu Picchu trip, and an EXTREMELY abridged version of my week after that. It’s not the way I wanted to do it, but the sooner this goes up, the sooner I can go back to normal posting, and I’m hoping it’ll still be enough to keep you all hooked. =]

SATURDAY – 27th of September
The moment our guide arrived at our hotel, she immediately stated that she only spoke Spanish. And though Karen and I can get by pretty well in Spanish, she simply was unable to speak slower. Every time we asked her to slow down or repeat herself, she seemed to get more and more annoyed. Also, when she asked us if we wanted to the first or second hike up to Waynapicchu, one going up at 7am and the other going up at 10am, she looked at us as if we were foolish for wanting to choose the earlier route. We told her it was because we had heard from one of our housemates that loads of people couldn’t finish the 10am hike because it was simply too hot at that time, but she kept insisting the heat was the same no matter what time of day. We later figured out that she was leading the 8am guided tour, which we missed because we were on our way up Waynapicchu at this point, and therefore, she lost her money.

When we had gotten the essentials out of her, she left, and we decided to go out, annoyed by her irate manner. We decided we would visit the thermal baths since we knew we wouldn’t have time to get in them, but were still curious to see what all of the fuss was about. So we walked up for about five minutes to the thermal baths, paid the ten soles entrance fee, crossed a stone bridge and followed the pathway to the “pools”. Though the setup of the baths were nice, and there was a little restaurant hut above the baths, the brown water helped me get over the fact that I didn’t have enough time to go in for a swim. Prior to going up to Aguas Calientes, I had already heard from others in my house that the baths had been so overused over the years that they no longer had their original splendor, so my hopes were already set to a low standard on the way up. A few pictures later, we were done, and decided it was time again to stuff face.

There was a place right by our hotel called Chez Maggy that Karen had read about in her Lonely Planet, so we went to try it out. Beyond Karen’s recommendation, what really helped seal the deal was a door. A lot of the restaurants in Aguas Calientes are open porch types of things, which is probably enjoyable during the day, but it was night, and we were cold.

Even though I originally had only planned on a small item when we walked in, I somehow ended up ordering a chimichanga, suddenly remembering my sophomore self and craving the Roach Coach chimichangas from high school. Sadly, my chimichanga was nothing like that at all. It was a hybrid puff pastry/empanada outside, with a whole lot of potato, and not enough chicken inside. But my meal was redeemed a bit by the amazingly cold and refreshing Sprites that they had in their cooler. The atmosphere was also pretty nice as well, with an actual clay oven open for all restaurant goers to see, so you could see your food being cooked right in front of you. Also, there was live traditional Peruvian/Andean music played by a duo. The girl had a large bass drum type of instrument (think Pahu drum for those of you that know Polynesian…) and sang. The guy had a large Peruvian flute, some half chime/half xylophone mix, and sang as well. It added a nice feel to our dinner, though I was pretty sad that they only played three songs before coming around with their donation bag and leaving. =/

After we finished dinner, we walked back up to our hotel and said goodnight to Karen. I had phone calls to make though, so I asked the front desk to use their phone (since the phones they put in your room only dial to the front desk, no matter what button you push….). They told me a maximum of five minutes, and insisted on inputting my phone card number for me, so I told them thanks but no thanks, and went out to find a calling place. I had no such luck, but opted for a pay phone outside a corner store. Luckily, Aguas Calientes isn’t too heavily populated after a certain time of night because all of the tourists are sleeping early to make the 5 am bus line the next morning to Machu Picchu, so I was able to take my time with my phone calls without people staring at the stupid American awkwardly, or hovering over me as they wait to use the phone. When I finished my calls (or moreover, ran out of change), I wandered into the corner store I was in front of and wanted to buy some snacks. I thought a bag of sweet potato chips and chocolate covered cereal puffs would be good energy food for the morning, and took it up to the little boy working the cashier. But how bad did I feel when I realized I had left my money in my lighter jacket which I had exchanged for my fleece when I went out to make a call, and couldn’t pay him. I apologized profusely, but he eventually just said good night and walked into the backroom.

When I got back to my room, Rae was getting ready to sleep, and advised me against taking a shower, as the water pressure was even worse than ours at home, and she said the shampoo would never wash out of my hair. I took her advice, and told her I was sorry that I would stink immensely the next day, but she insisted we all would, and I told her she was probably right and hit the lights for bedtime.

SUNDAY – 28th of September
At around 4:45, I woke up to Maddie’s voice saying “Maymay, pick up your phone. Maymay, pick up your phone” about ten times over before I actually rolled over to turn off my alarm. The beauty of packing for a two day trip is you only bring as much as you need, and therefore have no issues picking out clothes the next the morning when you’re still half asleep. So within ten minutes, Rae and I were down to the “restaurant” part of our hotel, eating our breakfast of bread, butter, jam, and fruits.

Not wanting to miss our cutoff of the first 400 people, we didn’t stick around for much more of the breakfast, and grabbed some bread rolls and cheese to go. It wasn’t hard to find the bus station, but discouragement definitely set in as we came from the route that saw the beginning of the line first, and had to take the walk of shame past everyone that was already lined up. Though the thought of the trying to count everyone in line did pop into my head, I quickly tossed the idea and figured it’d be more worthwhile to rush to the end of the line instead.

I suppose the tourism board behind Machu Picchu has been doing this long enough, because though there were so many of us in line, the buses came one after the other and the file on process ran pretty smoothly. The ride was supposedly thirty minutes, but I would’ve sworn to you it took no more than fifteen. The drivers here in Peru must go through some intense training though, because the bus was making such tight turns along the side of the mountain, and would pass other buses on roads that were obviously made for one way only.

Once we got there, we checked in our backpacks and lined up to get our tickets checked and enter the ruins. You would’ve thought everyone was a bunch of six year olds at Disneyland, because people all around us were pushing and trying to cut in front of one another. It was all just so vicious. After our tickets were stamped and ready to go, we took a few pictures, and then realized we had no idea how to get to the Waynapicchu line. But I suppose we weren’t the first, as there were a lot of local-looking people dispersed conveniently throughout the ruins that we were able to ask directions from.

The closer we got, the more we noticed people around us, which sparked our competitive sides. So Rae and I took off and went ahead, determined to claim a spot in line for our group. It didn’t look too promising, because the line was going off into an area we couldn’t even see, but we weren’t about to just leave. We got to know one woman in line from England, though we never actually caught her name. She told us about how she had been living in Bolivia for a couple of months, and was about to go home, but wanted to come here with her parents, who were trekking around the ruins with their walking sticks. (Side note: I’m still amazed at how many “mature” people opt to go to Machu Picchu. I suppose most of them don’t trek up Waynapicchu, or take the Inca Trail, or Salkantay there, so it can be okay for them, but the ruins can still take a lot out of you. One of my favorite people that I saw in Machu Picchu was an elderly Japanese lady using ski poles as walking sticks. =])

When it came time to start allowing people into Waynapicchu, everyone tensed up and returned to their respective places in line. Of course we were friends when they hadn’t opened, but now everyone was merely one more person to stop you from getting to the top of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. But the ticket person came around, and asked 8:00 or 10:00 group? We said 8:00, and they took our tickets and marked our numbers. We honestly just barely made it, being in the 150s out of the first 200 allowed in on the first group.

Our excitement at making the cut had time to die down though, as we were 150-something out of 200, and therefore, it took a while to get to the entrance gates. When we did get there, I was a little surprised at the logbook they had everyone sign. You had to show your Machu Picchu ticket and passport, and then fill out your full legal name, followed by your nationality, gender and age, and the time that you were entering. They also require you to sign in on the way out, leaving your signature again, along with the time that you leave. I suppose it’s a security measure to make sure people everyone makes it out alive, and also to make sure no one tries to camp out and destroy Waynapicchu.

The hike up Waynapicchu was amazing, and so satisfying to complete. I’m not going to write a whole lot about it, because it’s one of those experiences that you just simply have to experience, and no matter how many times you hear it described, it’s not the same until it’s your story to tell. I know this because I spent my last month before leaving trying to read as many experiences I could as possible on the internet, hoping to gain insight on what I was getting myself into. Still, all the stories sounded the same to me, and were completely removed from my mind as I hiked myself. I will say that the most difficult thing about the hike is probably the altitude and breathing rather than the real exertion. So if anyone is thinking of doing it, I suppose you should focus on aerobics, cardio and stamina rather than muscle strength, since you never feel anything in your calves, but always have to stop to catch your breath.

It didn’t really hit me when I reached the top, and my initial thought wasn’t too life changing. I think it honestly was just, “Wow, these bugs are GIGANTIC; I hope I have enough DEET on.” Perhaps it would have been more quote-worthy had I been there on a day when the bugs weren’t out, but we all know that I’m a magnet for anything of insect/bug kind. I did feel the sense of satisfaction when I hiked back to the gate though, perhaps because I was alone the whole way down. Rae and Ebony stayed together, and told me to go on ahead. I’m the tiniest bit ashamed to say that after completing the feat of reaching the top attainable point of one of the most admired and traveled to natural spots/ruins, I turned urban little city girl and put the headphones in, and turned the iPod on shuffle on the way down. I was in my zone though, and the music helped me totally forget that the whole way down is basically one eternal one-legged squat and totally lights your thighs on fire.

When we all reached the bottom, we had about half an hour until our guided tour been supposed to begin. We all rewarded ourselves with what seemed to be the most amazing food in the world, at out-of-this-world-expensive prices. I felt like I was at a Giants game, paying 18 soles for a soft serve cone. Still, it was an amazing cone, so I have nothing to complain about. Plus, we all know that any food tastes insanely delicious after some heavy exertion.

The guided tour was pretty good, and the two hours passed by fairly quickly, but unfortunately, I was so tired I probably didn’t get as much out of it as I could have. Our guide was hilarious though, and had obviously been doing this for a while, as he had his jokes planned out, which were pretty successful. (i.e. Here is the coca leaf, which is used a lot for altitude sickness here in Peru, which is different from cocaine, which I can give you the recipe for later. Or, the descendants are Quechuan people, you can usually tell us apart because we’re short, but handsome. =]) One thing I did really enjoy learning about was that the Incans believe in three worlds symbolized by the Condor, the Puma, and Snake which is why a lot of their architecture has designs with windows of three.

At the end of the tour, we waited for the bus back to Aguas Calientes, and grabbed a quick, but totally filling lunch at the buffet right outside the train station. For about forty soles, I was able to chow down on some pasta, Mongolian beef, adobo, and spaghetti. I also was able to treat myself to some amazing chocolate cake and strawberry shortcake before heading onto the very long train ride.

The train ride most definitely took a lot longer on the way back, which is so weird since I always feel like the way back home is usually much quicker than the way there. I wasn’t too bothered though, as a majority of the time, I just slept. The part I was awake for however, was entertaining, strange, and just plain different. The two workers for our section of the train put on a thirty to forty minute fashion show of some Alpaca clothing from the Machu Picchu area and surrounding towns. Of course they were trying to sell it for about three times the cost you could get it for OFF the train, but “duty free” shopping is kind of like that as well, isn’t it?

Anyways, the fashion was enjoyable enough nonetheless since they did it to this strange mastertechnomix of “If You’re Going to San Francisco”. I’ll admit, I got a little homesick. =] Still, I couldn’t help but wonder how much these people must get paid for their job, or how unhappy they might be having to do this every train ride back. Then again, the girl seemed to be enjoying the time a little bit. Every girl has wanted to be a supermodel when she was younger, so this was probably a good excuse to live it out if not for just 45 minutes. By the way, they sold at least one highly expensive alpaca sweater/cape/scarf/coat to every woman over 60 on that train. Imagine that revenue!

We got back around 8ish to the Cusco train station, and were surprised to have Jonathan come and meet us, taxi ready to go. It was pretty great of him, considering it was a Sunday night, and at 19 years old, he should be out partying with his friends.

The ideal home welcoming wasn’t exactly executed best, and I was pretty perturbed walking into our house. All of the people from the other family house were in our living room, playing games and listening to music and watching a movie. I actually like a lot of the people from the other house, but I couldn’t help but just want them to leave, and have our house be quiet. Still, I went with my better judgment and decided not to make a scene, and just head upstairs. I jumped into the shower immediately, ready to get outdoor grime off of me as soon as possible. When I took off my white shirt, I couldn’t help but feel like a Tide commercial waiting to happen as my soccer mom shakes her head at the dirt stains all over my shirt. Unfortunately, the water wasn’t supremely hot, but lukewarm was enough considering how much I wanted and needed a shower. And it did its job, since I was knocked out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I’m happy to leave my biggest highlight here for the end. Considering my past track record (i.e. Taiwan, 2004, 48 bug bites in one day after forgetting to put bug repellent on for the final day), I feel like I should have a mini statue erected of myself at Machu Picchu, because I miraculously managed to walk away with absolutely no bug bites. subliminalmessagesubliminalmessagesubliminalmessagesubliminalmessageULTRATHONWORKSWONDERS subliminalmessage subliminalmessage subliminalmessageBUYULTRATHON subliminalmessage subliminalmessage subliminalmessageYOUWONTGETBITTEN subliminalmessage subliminalmessage.
So uhh, thank you to that one bug repellent I forget the name of. =]

P.S. I did manage to get a strange tan line though. =] Because I layered a camisole under my v-neck, I have a square tan line on my chest, so there’s just a rectangle of darkness, which I hope will fade soon.

29th and 30th of September

Monday:
- I began the morning without an alarm clock. How unlike me! Strange, but perhaps the start of something new? (Cue High School Musical…)
- Had two huge fried eggs, mmm. The eggs always make me happy to be home.
- During work, I was a sorry excuse of a worker and sat the whole time and just had the kids run over to me. I was just uber tired, but luckily they didn’t seem to notice.
- Decided against going to class and tandem because I was just uber tired, so I called in sick to Maximo.
- On my way home I went to the supermarket La Canasta and bought 90 soles worth of food. Trolli gummies, pan de leche (basically), other cookie thing, cereal bars, ritz crackers, candies, lollipops, shoestring potatoes, potato chips, chocolate soy milk, bananas, apples, oranges, etc. I told the girl working the cashier I was having a party, but she gave me a knowing smile and knew I was lying.
- I actually took a taxi home because I had three bags full of stuff. The whole ride home I couldn’t help but think, “I’m a 5’1 girl bringing home three bags full of snacks; this can’t be good or healthy, or normal for that matter.”
- Lunch today was some weird curry thing with potatoes and squeaky cheese. Squeaky cheese really does squeak as you bite into it. A Peruvian delicacy I can live WITHOUT.
- Went out to buy a phone card, and somehow ended up walking all the way up to Avenida El Sol because I needed an ATM.
- Along the way I stopped by SBS (Special Book Store) and bought “Conquest of the Incas.” The sell point for me was the line on the back of the cover that said, “SOLD IN LATIN AMERICA ONLY.” I figured it must be good if us Americans can’t handle it.
- When I got home, I saw that they had MOVED EBONYS BED OUT, so Ciara and I have 32940932840324830984 miles of free space to run back and forth in.
- Sat downstairs for a while and watched some more of the show “Psych” with Ben and Ciara.Ben sang his crazy stupid songs, i.e. “I Think My Brother is the Devil.”
- Grabbed some juice (fresh squeezed, always) from CCC with Ben. Pineapple-orange. YUM. =]
- Headed with Ben to the gym so I could check it out and see if it would be worth joining.
- Before the gym though, we made a detour and stopped by Real McCoy’s and made reservations for pub quiz since we always have a huge group
- While Ben worked out, I sat on the couch with my Incan conquest book and we pulled our boyfriend/girlfriend stint as I would wave now and again and say encouraging things.
- Had some dinner before heading over to Real McCoy’s
- Our team name was “Benjamin’s Angels” since all of the other guys were still on their way back from the trek. WE WON!
- We got home and saw through the window that everyone was back from trek. We decided it’d be best if we were extremely annoying and shouted as we walked in, excited about our win. They all looked half dead and didn’t respond for a good one minute lol. =]
- Phone calls home followed by sleep.
Tuesday:
- Woke up (with alarm this time unfortunately) and headed off to work.
- After work I decided I would sign up for the gym, but didn’t have any workout clothes on me. Thus, I went to Topitop for workout clothes and grabbed some shorts and a big shirt.
- I successfully joined EMPIRE GYM! It came out to about 35-40 dollars for a one month membership, not great, but at least normal.
- With the help of my personal trainer Josef, I worked out for about an hour, and learned how to use the different machines for whatever I wanted to target.
- It was kind of awesome to have a trainer, but he kept calling me Naomi. I definitely do not think my face screams Naomi.
- Went to Bembos afterwards, probably the worst possible choice after working out. I noticed for the first time though the Peruvian Pop Art on the walls, which is so odd but cool at the same time.
- On the walk back home I had someone say Konichiwa to me. WEIRD, but must go onto the list of ethnicities I’ve been taken for. (Most common is still Korean, have no idea why.)
- Took a taxi to class and had my first real taxi driver convo. He asked me about my stay in Cusco, if I liked it, and all of the great sociable things taxi drivers should.
- Went to class
- First day with Tandem partner, who’s name is Renzo. We spoke in all Spanish today, and got to know each other a bit. He’s originally from Arequipa, but in Cusco for work. He works for Cusco’s version of the IRS. Pretty nice guy, but the conversation didn’t exactly flow…
- Walked home with Mateo, and we got fruit from some HUGE farmer’s market type thing. I had my first taste of this fruit called granadilla, which is kind of slimy with seeds that you eat, but super tasty.
Wednesday
- Left for work, but on the way, bought ice cream cone from Davarinos.
- Kids were really crazy at work today, and kind of hard to control.
- Asked my mamitas about where I can find Duho and Cemi and foods, and they told me at any of the typical restaurants around Cusco, told me to go and look tomorrow for it, and they’ll see me on Monday.
- We were going to celebrate Liz’s birthday that night, so went to Topitop for some girls night out party clothes
- Got back late for lunch, but only by a bit.
- Saw that Ben bought his camera that he had been eyeing and I helped him pick. (Told him the difference between optical and digital zoom, and what the significance of megapixels were. Thanks daddy! =])
- Went to class and we read thisawesome story called, “What killed love?” The punch line? Routine. =]
- Bought an empanada during my hour wait between class and tandem at Davarinos.
- Somehow, my tandem partner decided to take me to Davarinos.
- 3rd time at Davarinos that day; It was a little embarrassing.
- He bought me a whole lemon meringue pie, really odd gesture.
- Today was an all English day. I found out that he likes Queen, Rolling stones, Pink Floyd, classic rock. He also told me that if you are a girl and go bungee jumping naked, its free.
- Got back home, wanted to shower really badly, so I missed dinner
- When I told Liz, Jake,and Yoeun at dinner, Jake said my tandem is probably trying to “court” me, and I should be careful. ;]
- We ent to Pub quiz and supposed to celebrate Liz’s birthday
- I got dressed up for her big night lol, thinking we might go dancing later.
- Split into two teams, Jake, Yuen, Rae, Colette and I against Ben, Ciara, Matt, Simon, Liz and Annie
- We won, so they owe us a bottle of wine in the future
- Everyone was so tired so we ended up just going home, and no discoteca-ing. =[
Thursday
- No work, so I stayed home and tried to call around to the local museums
- No luck, and they all directed me to places in Lake Titicaca
- Just Ben and I stayed home, so we played Rummikub outside when it was all sunny and listened to music. We also went to go get his hair cut at some place by CCC. It was crazy because the haircut was only 5 soles, but he gave 10 because he felt so bad for a 1.75 haircut.
- He’s really happy with his camera, and made me take pictures during his haircut.
- Came back home for lunch, even though we said were gonna go out. But we hadn’t told them we wouldn’t be home, so we felt bad about having them cook and not show up.
- It was worth it though, and probably surreptitious, because we had spaghetti, my favorite.
- Afterwards, chilled for a while and watched Austin Powers
- Me and matt went over early to ask about yellow fever shots. Apparently it’s not needed for the jungle, only malaria pills, which I was able to get for free from Jonathan.
- Read another story in class about a little boy. Not as good as the love one, but still cute.
- Met Ben afterwards to go work out at the gym
- Worked out for about an hour, Ben was having a headache so he stopped early
- I used the studio room to practice hula and Tahitian. Awesome with all of the mirrors in there, could check my faarapus from all sides
- Pretty tough without a pareo to really evaluate myself but just trying to keep my stamina up before I get whipped when I get back home.
- I think working out is helping with my levels, because going down and up wasn’t too difficult.
- Just walked home afterwards
- Went to Jack’s for dinner with Todd, Liz, Matt, Jake, Ben, and Simon
- Huevos rancheros again with Strawberry Frappe
- Went to Thai restaurant called Indigo which gave free popcorn, went to town on that
- Chilled there for a little bit longer afterwards with Todd and Carlene and Matt.
- Went home with Matt cause he wasn’t feeling well
- Could tell Todd really missed living at the house with us, because he kept trying to convince us to stay. He even offered to take me home individually when I was leaving with Matt just because he wanted to relive the house feeling. =]
Friday
- As you all know, I never have work on Fridays, so today I stayed home and chilled with Liz all day for a girls day.
- In the morning, we just lounged around and stayed home watching Y Tu Mama Tambien.
- Two new girls moved in today. They’re best friends from Canada, Anne and Danielle.
- Liz and I had been craving pizza all morning, so we asked Yoco where to go, and she told us to go to a place in Plaza Regocijo called “Marengo.”
- When we got there, we saw the place, outdoor tables, and were quickly swept down on by the waiters/bussers. We asked if we were at the right place for Marengo, and the guys said “Yes, yes” and repeatedly pointed to the sign that said Marengo.
- Of course, when we sat down, the menu was for El Maison something something…. We told them, “You said you were Marengo, but they just said, “Oh no, Marengo’s closed right now, but we’re just like them, you will like our food.” We were so geared up and really hungry at this point, so just ended up staying there.
- Ordered a family size pizza, half Margherita and half Hawaiian, and finished it EASILY.
- Got pancake with manjar blanco and ice cream for dessert. The ice cream was really good, almost like those Vienna ice cream dessert things (kind of like lasagna with chocolate and ice cream?) you can buy at the grocery back home.
- Afterwards, we needed change for the taxi so we decided the best way to do so would be to buy something else from a nearby bakery.
- Ended up getting two slices of cake: one straight up chocolate ganache, while the other one was a chocolate cake with strawberries inside.
- It was most definitely a day of REALLY GOOD FOOD. Plus it was pretty nice to not have the boys lurking over my food for once. =]
- I made it back home with just enough time to grab my stuff and run right back out the door.
- Went to class with Jorge, where he told me about his relationship with his partner =[ He was loyal for 8 years but in the end his partner was only about status and money, and therefore not the person Jorge wanted anymore.
- As class ended, he told me I didn’t have tandem that day, so I decided I would try to take some initiative and walk around trying to compare prices for the rafting trip we wanted to go on the next day. =]
- After I had found three places I could report back with, I dropped into a shoe store and bought some heels for partying due to Jorge’s suggestion (Shoes always complete the outfit for dancing!) The shoes only cost about 25 dollars, so I felt pretty accomplished.
- Met back up with the boys to walk back home, and found this great bakery on the way back home that we bought some puffed banana pastry at.
- When we got home, we just relaxed and had dinner before the boys had to start getting ready for Bolivia.
- After dinner, Matt asked me to help him pack by approving or disapproving of what would be needed for their two day trip.
- Liz, Simon and I stayed until the Bolivia crew left, before heading over to the Plaza de Armas desperately looking for someone still open at 10 to book a rafting trip. Luckily enough, we found one place in Gringo Alley that was just about to close when we walked in. In less than ten minutes, Simon had bargained with them to get the cost down to 100 soles, and we were sold.
- We went back home happy with our success, and popped in Erin Brockovich to fall asleep to.

Saturday

- Woke around 7:30 to ensure we could be at outside the tour agency by 8:45.
- The most worrisome moment came when we got there and no one was there, with the storefront closed as well. We were almost positive that we had been scammed, and concocted a plan that we would stay there until someone came to open the store and then confront them angrily about ripping us off. Of course, with our luck, right as we said that, some guys came to us asking, “For the rafting??” There’s really only one way to describe that final moment: moded.
- The rafting was so much fun, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun way to spend the afternoon. Everyone always insists that service makes or breaks an experience, and I’ll agree. That’s why we were happy and grateful that our guide was a really nice guy named Carlos, and the first somewhat good looking Peruvian here. =]
- It was six to a raft, so there was the four of us (Colette, Simon, Liz and I) and Nina from Wimbledon (just got dumped by boyfriend here in South America, was hungover, 23, very friendly and absolutely adorable), and Ramon (From Sydney, but now lives in London, about to move to Amsterdam, does IT work for BBC, 30, and absolutely gorgeous (I have his email Auntie May!))
- The gear was bathing suit under wetsuit, under waterproof pullover jacket, sealed with a helmet. I cannot tell you how happy I was that they provided the wetsuit and jacket, as the water gets PRETTY cold.
- One lowlight however was that we ended up having to get out of the raft at a really dangerous part and hike up these crazy rocks. Of course, the guy at the tour agency the day before just told me that flip flops would be enough, or any sandal with a strap. Thus, I had on my Isaac Mizrahi gladiator sandals, which I’m sure were not made with hiking in mind. =]
- The rapids were good and enjoyable enough. It was only a class 3 (out of 5), so we weren’t too in over our heads. It was tough to row through the rapids though, and many at times we had oars clashing. The main commands were forward, back. left forward right back, right forward left back, jump to the left, jump to the right, jump forward. Plenty of times we got stuck on a rock, and our guide would tell us to jump up and down to get the raft off the rock.
- Drum roll for this guys…I fell into the river! I was the lightest one on the raft, and sitting in the back corner of the raft, so when we hit a rock, I bounced out into the river. I wasn’t as worried or freaked out as I thought I would be, and was back in the boat within 30 seconds to a minute.
- It was a pretty fast ride, and spending about two hours on the river feels a lot shorter than it probably is.
- Now, the lunch they served us was AMAZING. (Chicken wings and fried rice, and the best part was that the CHICKEN HAD SKIN!!!!!!!) The lunch was also topped off by some hot cocoa, which warmed me up after the river. =]
- On the entire way back, I just slept in the van, iPod plugged in.
- Once we got home, took a shower and read some more of Les Mis.
- Around 8:30, we left for Todd and Vaila’s housewarming party. Had to buy them some wine along the way as a present, and some Bailey’s for ourselves.
- The best food item at the party was the AWESOME GUAC, which Todd made himself, and was so addictive.
- There was also Vodka soaked watermelon – way too much for the stomach, not a huge fan.
- Came back home early with Annie and Colette (the older girls) because I was getting kind of claustrophobic in their small apartment.
- When we got back, we watched anime on mute with Jim Morrison in the background. It completely looked like they were singing along, which was too funny.
- We also had a good long girl talk about boys, and it was absolutely adorable to watch Colette and Annie giggle and blush like little teeny boppers.
- I also really appreciated it when they told me that I was an old soul and didn’t seem 18, because I always feel like I get treated as the baby too often. Overall, it was a good way to end the night.
Sunday
- I woke up at 5 in the morning with a fever, feeling like crap.
- So I popped some medicine and went back to sleep until Liz barged into my room at 1:30 for lunch. Although I didn’t feel like eating, I knew she wouldn’t leave if I didn’t go down, so I was suckered into downing some soup.
- I met the new girls Dana and Casey (to later be known as the “American Girls”), from Dallas and Denver. Sadly, they didn’t seem very fond of me, though it could be because I was in sweats and a big tee, hair going every which way and looking extremely sickly.
- After lunch, I wanted to go out to buy a phone card and some nutrients, but ended up sleeping until 4. At this point though, I knew I needed to get out of the house and took a taxi to go get ginger ale and soda cracker, then another taxi to CCC and finally got my phone card.
- When I came back home, no one was home, and it was the first time here that I felt kind of alone. =/ It was bound to happen at some point though, so I just tried to sleep it off.
- I woke up around 8 when the boys came home from Bolivia, screaming “WE MADE IT!”
- I was still feeling a bit feverish, but they all persuaded me to go to the Inka Grill for dinner, so I threw on some clothes and brushed my teeth. =]
- When we were at the Inka Grill though, Jake wasn’t feeling too well, and said he wanted to head outside for some air. But as he was going out, he fainted. =[ We all had a mini heart attack, but the restaurant workers were on it so quickly, bringing out an oxygen tank immediately. I figure it was probably fatigue and lack of sugar, but none of us really knew for sure.
- Ben brought Jake home and the rest of us stayed to wait for the food. I had fettucine and prosciutto with mushrooms, which everyone agreed was the best dish of the night. The bread rolls were just as delicious though, but you know me and how I adore my carbs,
- When we got went home, we watched The French Connection, and all passed out on the couch until heading up at some early hour to our respective beds.
Monday
- I woke up at 11:30, because I knew I don’t have any work or class until Thursday. Today and tomorrow are strikes, and Wednesday is some holiday, so I have quite a long, long, vacation ahead of me.
- I started cleaning my room because I knew Ciara was coming home from the Jungle at some point that day, and coincidentally, she came home as I was mid-cleaning. =]
- She unpacked and told me all about the jungle, showing me photos as well.
- When I went downstairs, I was kidnapped into going to grab Ceviche with Simon, Matt, Liz, and Ben. The main reason we went was because Ben hasn’t had Ceviche or Cuy yet, and he leaves Friday morning
- On the way there, we had a piggyback ride race between me on Matt and Liz on Simon. Matt and I won, though I think I killed him, because I’d bet a good twenty that I probably weigh more than him lol.
- As soon as we got back home, I changed back into my sweats and lounged in Ben’s room and listened to him play his guitar. He worked on one of his new songs, and played me some of his earlier 13, 14 year old love songs. =] It’s become a normal occurrence to chill out with him as he plays; he’s like the big brother I never had.
- Went downstairs and chilled with Jake, and listened to some of Ben’s 180 songs on his iPod.
- We also worked on Ben’s memory video which he’s going to screen on Thursday night.
- After that, I prepped Ben for his geeky appearance since he was going solo for trivia tonight (being his own team).
- I picked out clothes, tucked in the shirt, and helped him part his hair and gel it. I also lent him my glasses for the full effect.
- We had spaghetti tonight, which was pretty good, though the sauce was a bit runny.
- We headed off to McCoy’s, where we won, though Ben came in last. =[
- I also stocked up on cravings and bought two milky ways and two sour skittles. =]
- The rest of the house played some drinking games but I didn’t want to, so I just stayed in my room and made some phone calls home. Now, the most amazing friends are the ones who will pick up your call even when you’re the most inconsiderate person in the world. i.e. Yvette is an hour ahead of me, instead of two hours behind (which I forgot at the time), so when I called her it was easily at least 1 in the morning, and she had class, but she still stayed on the phone with me. =]
Tuesday
- Decided to sleep in again since no work/class, and Ciara and I woke up around 10, craving Jack’s.
- So we gathered everyone and told them Jack’s for breakfast and they all said okay. As soon as we’re done getting ready, we go outside, only to find out everyone had thought we meant to go there for brunch at 2…and had already eaten breakfast.
- Ciara and I were still hungry, so we went out anyways and ended up walking all the way to Bembo’s because no taxis wanted to go up Avenida El Sol in fear of getting stoned. (Seriously though, there were rocks being thrown at taxis that weren’t going along with the strike.)
- We were so happy when we found that Bembo’s was open, because we didn’t want to walk all the way for nothing. We tried to sneak in really fast because we didn’t want anyone to see us and stone us as well. =]
- Got panqueques and chicken nuggets and cheese fingers and Mocha frappes. Yes, it sounds like a lot to take in, but rest assured we devoured it quite easily.
- Afterwards we went to go check out Jack’s to try and reserve a table for 10 later on at 2. We found out that they don’t take reservations, so headed home. At this point it began to rain like crazy. Does El Niño ring a bell?
- We didn’t see any taxis coming our way, so we started walking home.
- Then we saw all these taxis go by us, but always with people in it, so we decided to walk back up the hill closer to Jacks to try and find a taxi.
- We were soaking wet at this time, and felt so freaking horrible. We kept shouting out “5 soles!” every time a taxi went by hoping it would catch their attention and we could get in
- Finally one guy came around and said, “Three soles or you can’t get in.” We would’ve honestly paid ten, and agreed right away.
- When we got home, we RAN to the showers. I used Ben’s shower because Ciara and I share a room and therefore a shower, so it was most beneficial for everyone this way.
- It was easily the most amazing hot shower of my life (down here in Cusco at least). Unlike our shower, who’s water pressure is all over the place, and you can never efficiently wash away all the soap in one fell swoop, Ben’s shower has a solid stream.
- After the shower, I went to go help Ben work on the video a bit more, and then it was time for lunch.
- We had a chicken and potato stew like thing and koolaid =] Unfortunately, their Kool-aid here isn’t the same as back home with the KOOL twist off tops. =[
- I stayed home with Ben and chilled in his room as he played me some more of his songs from his “early years”, and then he played his iPod with songs he wrote for his kids at his preschool back home.
- When everyone got home, we began Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, figuring it’s the best of the trilogy, and a good way to start off the movie marathon.
- I didn’t finish it though, because I helped Ben set up for his date with Liz out in the garage. We made a fake menu for the restaurant, rightfully deemed “Chateau le garage” with crazy items like Unicorn tears and cactus flowers. We also set up some fake flowers, bought a bottle of wine, tablecloth, and set out some candles.
- Afterwards, I started feeling really sick, so I skipped dinner and went up to my room and slept. Throughout the night, everyone kept coming in to check on me. As much as I appreciated it, every time someone new sat on my bed, I couldn’t help but want to say, “I swear I’m okay, please just let me sleep.” The worst part is that I asked a couple of them to lock my door on their way out, but no one ever did, allowing the next person easy entry.
- Around midnight, I woke up and just could not find a way to fall back asleep, so I went down to grab some tea. Everyone was still down there playing drinking games, so I sat with Marco and together we laughed at how ridiculous everyone looked.
- Marco made me show his cousin my Tahitian dancing, even though I promised I would do it some other time since I was feeling well. But Marco pulled off a great puppy dog face for a 30 something year old man, and I figured I could go easy and still satisfy everyone.
- And though his cousin seemed like a pretty cool guy at first, and not bad looking, he kept calling me Shakira, Shakira and tried to whisper in my ear and put his arms around me. From that night on, I named him “Creeper”, and we continue to call him that to this day. =]
Wednesday
Wednesday was very much a day of recovery for everyone in the house, and their languidness rubbed off on me as well. We all woke up late, around 11:30 or so, and decided to head to Jack’s for lunch. There were about 8 of us, and Jack’s gave us the knowing look as we walked up, realizing they would have to rearrange some tables for us. Today I ordered a bacon and fried egg sandwich with tomato jam, which I cannot wait to try and recreate at home. We also played musical plates, so we could all indulge in each other’s food. After all, the family that lives together can definitely share germs together.

We took a leisurely walk back home, knowing it would be the best solution for our overworked stomachs to digest successfully. It was a nice walk though, as the weather was great, and we kept seeing people we knew on the street. First, we saw Yoco outside of the church, there for mass with her family. And no more than five minutes after that, we saw Jorge, who expressed his excitement for his birthday party the next day, and reminded us that we MUST be there.

When we got back home, we figured it might be nice to veg out, so we popped in The Fellowship of the Rings and watched until dinner time. Luke came home though, a day earlier than expected, and we were all really excited to hear about his trip. But Luke being Luke promised us he’d tell us all the details later, when he was done with his pineapple.

Dinner came, and Luke told us about what a cute city Arequipa was, and what great food it had to offer, though he did say that Cusco has better fruits.
Thursday
- During breakfast, Marco and Yoco told me to go to hospital today to get checked out, just because I had been sick twice already, and hadn’t gotten checked out yet. I told them I was fine, and had brought antibiotics with me, but they insisted self-diagnosis wasn’t enough. So I told them I’d go, figuring it might not be too bad of an idea if I could get Máximo to recommend me an inexpensive enough spot.
- Well I went to Máximo, only to find out that the hospital workers were on strike right now, and I wouldn’t be able to get checked up. Rae later told me that even people coming in with Apendicitis were being sent away just because the workers were on strike. I cannot wait to get home for a checkup. (Auntie Rie…that was a hint to you. =])
- Since I had no luck with getting examined, I just went home and did my homework and lunched.
- When I went to class that afternoon, Jorge was super excited for his birthday and that’s pretty much all we talked about for the entire class. This was his first birthday party in eight years, since his partner never liked big parties. I told him I couldn’t wait, though we might be late since we had another party to go to at the other family house for Jessica’s birthday.
- Dinner was pretty emotional tonight, as it was Ben’s final night, and he was not ready to go out at all. He locked himself in his room for a bit, but eventually Luke, Liz, and I were able to coax him out to spend his last day with people, and not alone sulking.
- He screened his movie after dinner, and it was a huge success. There was no crying like we had all expected, but definitely a lot of “Aww”s and laughter, which was all he wanted.
- After taking one last family photo before the cycle of people leaving began, we got ready to go to other family house for Jessica’s birthday. It was a hat party, so we all had hats on of all types. I rocked my Giants hat, backwards, of course. Ciara had her baseball hat as well, and we decided we could easily make a future out of becoming a rap duo. =]
- On the way there, we took Reservoir Dog type pics, which looked absolutely hilarious with our hats on.
- Once we got to the house, we felt as if we had walked into a sorority house. There were just so many girls there, accompanied by high pitched giggles and “Ohmygod!”s said in unison. Someone must have been watching out for me when I got placed in my house versus this one
- The girls from that house were already really smashed when we got there, and ended up breaking at least three glasses that night. The next day, we found out that they had blamed it on our house and their house owners wanted us to pay for the damages.
- Ben, however, did actually accidentally break a light because he’s so tall and reached his hand up while dancing and cracked the light fixture.
- When it was obvious that things were only going to get worse at this point, we moved onto Jorge’s party in San Blas.
- I suppose we must have gotten there pretty late, because as soon as we walked in, Jorge was already so drunk, and was falling all over the place the entire night. It was as if he was a 15 year old who had downed more than he should have. But, it was his birthday, and his bar, so couldn’t do much more than laugh and take incriminating photos. =]
- A bunch of people were ready to dance, so we all (a large group of at least 20) went over to Mama Africa, in search of some good music.
- Along the way, I saw my Peruvian boyfriend again (the 16 year old who works for Mama Africa and offered me free cocaine and always says hi to me every time he sees me). I said hi, but went ahead and “broke up” with him that night, as Jake told him we were going out, but it might still be alright if he and I remained friends. It was such a laugh, but he got over it as soon as we said we were going to Mama Africa anyways.
- We got a good decent hour of dancing in, and the highlight of the night for me was when they played “I Would Walk 500 Miles”. We were all singing so obnoxiously loud on the little stage area, jumping up and down with a crazy mosh pit going on. Twas so fun, and reminded me of when they played it in Aberdeen and we all went crazy as well.
- We figured we shouldn’t stay at one place for too long, so we went to try out Mythology, which unfortunately brought us HORRIBLE music. We seriously stayed for all of three minutes before Ciara and I convinced everyone to leave with us and head to Uptown.
- Uptown had better music, but I didn’t dance much. A majority of our time there, I just stayed on the balcony with Ben, Jake and Ciara, just talking and reminiscing since it was Ben’s last night.
- At one point, we all just decided it seemed like the right time to go home, and somehow squeezed into 8 of us into a taxi. Ciara and I sat in the boot, which was crazy fun, especially as we went over bumps and hills.
- When we got home, we all just sat on the couch and passed out listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers.
- I woke up as everyone was still sleeping and went upstairs to try and get some sleep. But for some reason I just couldn’t, and listened to music until I finally became tired around 4.
Friday
- Ben came into our room at 6:30 to say goodbye. I’m glad I was still tired at this point, or else I probably would’ve cried rather than mumbling “You better visit me or else.”
- I went back to sleep and didn’t wake up until 11, where I just laid around the house with everyone else for a bit, deciding if we indeed wanted to go to Jack’s or not.
- We remembered that we had told Jake and Yoeun we would meet them at Jack’s at 1, and didn’t want them to wait there for us, so we decided to go. (Sure…it was only for their sake that we stuffed face. =]). I tried out the banana pancakes this day, and was quite satisfied. I personally would’ve preferred bananas over Swedish pancakes (which Jake told me are just called “pancakes” in Sweden =] while our “normal” pancakes are called American pancakes), but beggars can’t be choosers.
- We embarked on our usual post-Jack’s walk home, hoping to leave the calories and fat on the road somehow.
- I got home just as it was time to leave for class, so I pulled another run up the stairs and run back out.
- Class was hilarious today, because Jorge was so hungover and kept apologizing and telling me how sad and disappointed in himself he was and how he’ll never drink again. Apparently he even lost his phone at some point in the night, though it must have been in a taxi, as it wasn’t in his restaurant.
- I was told that my tandem couldn’t make it AGAIN, but wanted to wander, so I stayed out and walked around, attempting to shop for souvenirs, but found no success because I’m too picky.
- I did find success at the market though, where I picked up a chocolate bar, baby food applesauce, and instant noodles.
- I went back to Máximo to meet up with the boys, and found that Ciara was still there, so we chilled as I ate my noodles and she checked her email.
- We found the boys and walked home as Simon told us about how his flight had been cancelled and now he had no flight home.
- When we got home, Marco tried to help Simon sort out flight details but apparently the chance of rain was making it really difficult to get a flight, as Cusco airport closes when it rains.
- Simon decided he would just wing it and call LAN afterwards, but couldn’t deal with at the moment, so we went to grab Pollo a la Brasa at Toldo’s.
- It was such a good meal, with fries and ketchup and soft, moist chicken with skin. They also had a “salad bar” which was pretty sketchy, but had great potato salad. We also ordered the large “GIGANTE” sized pizza of pesto and cheese which rounded out the meal perfectly.
- We still somehow wanted dessert afterwards, but didn’t trust Toldo’s dessert after seeing the Crème Brulee lying out in the open, so we walked around the block until we found a beautiful cake and pastry shop. We bought a communal bag of butterflies (the pasty puff swirl things) and cinnamon twists (not as good as Ambrosia…) and éclairs and just ate on the street.
- Matt, the dork (though prepared dork) he is brought floss picks along as a preemptive move for Polla a la Brasa, so we took a photo in front of the mural with floss picks hanging out of our mouths. Of course this brought on taking more Reservoir Dogs shots, except with flosspicks in mouth instead of hats upon heads.
- As soon as we got home, we all decided to forgo socializing downstairs and just went upstairs and crashed.
Saturday
- Woke up at 8am for family breakfast to say goodbye to Ciara and Simon. It didn’t feel like they were leaving, though there was a funny moment when the “American Girls” walked up to them and said, “Would it be weird if we hugged you?” It’s like “Yes…you have just made the situation awkward. Thank you.”
- Marco’s dad brought Ciara and Simon to the airport so they wouldn’t have to grab a taxi, and we all had a mini hug session, not wanting to prolong the sadness.
- I waved from my balcony as they left, not letting it settle in that they were leaving. =[
- I decided to take a shower because I couldn’t think of anything else to do, and felt guilty because it was hot, while Ciara’s last shower that morning was ice cold.
- Around 11:30, I went to the gym with Liz, Jake, and Yoeun, which was pretty fun. It’s always nice to have a workout buddy, and when it’s a girl, it’s more enjoyable as well.
- When we finished, we went back home for lunch, which I was somehow able to devour completely. It’s as if Simon left me his appetite and now I can’t do anything but stuff face all day long.
- Liz, Yoeun and Luke went to Salsa lessons, but I opted out today. So instead I walked to Molino with Jake and Matt to hunt for some DVDs. I bought Weeds Season 4 and two churros, and made sure to visited my little guy who promised me Stand by Me two weeks ago. Sadly, he wasn’t there, so I can’t be sure if he made it through on his word.
- On the way home, we decided we wanted to finish off the trilogy and watch Return of the King, so we popped it in as soon as we got in.
- Slowly people started trickling in from roaming and Salsa lessons (I should be going, but felt lazy) and got into it as well.
- As we were watching Return of the King, started raining and hailing and thunder-ing at the most epic moments (i.e. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas go to get the “mountain dwellers”, the ones that betrayed the King of Gondor)
- Dinner was timed perfectly and we were called to eat while the credits began to roll. We had a hamburger patty with broccoli and carrots for dinner, which I loaded with ketchup and finished (again).
- Because Liz, Yoeun and Luke had gotten ice cream earlier that day, we all had a sudden craving for ice cream. It began as a joke that we should go out spontaneously at that moment to get some, which soon turned into reality. So we taxied it over to Davorinos with plenty of time to spare before they closed. Somehow we met up with Creeper (Shakira Shakira cousin)along the way, and he joined us for ice cream. As we ate, we watched Spanish music videos, which was really entertaining.
- Afterwards, we went to Ukukus for a couple of drinks. I got something called a Machupicchu which has the Reggae colors going on because of Orange juice, granadilla syrup, and something with green coloring. It tasted a lot like those firecracker popsicles they have back home, or the rainbow rocket things. =]
- We gained a second stomach sometime during Ukukus, and went to grab a snack at Indigo, the Thai place up Gringo Alley. Their chicken satay was too die for, as it was served with a supremely made peanut sauce. We played Jenga as we ate, and actually held out for a while before it tipped.
- I walked home with Jake, Liz, and Luke, and Yoeun went out with the Peruvians to go discoteca-hopping.
- We attempted to find a boutique that was still open on the way home so that I could buy shaving cream, but found no success =[
- When we got home, we watched a couple of episodes of “The Office” before heading up.
- Jake gave me the final Harry Potter because he refuses to just tell me what happens instead, so I began it that night. I didn’t make it very far before I crashed. It was my first night alone. =[
Sunday
- I woke up at 7:30 for some God forsaken reason (without an alarm), but still didn’t feel ready for breakfast. So instead, I sat on my balcony with Harry Potter and read until 8:15ish.
- Moved downstairs, no one still up, grabbed some cereal and yogurt and lounged on the couch by the window, eating and reading
- People started coming down, but we were all still pretty tired, so minimal conversation was made. Read for a while longer until I got hooked into watching the Tampa Bay, Red Sox game from the night before (the one that went into the 11th inning)
- When the game was over, I went to clean my room a bit, since it’s hard to stay tidy when you have no roommate to think about.
- We went to Jack’s again for lunch, and I had the French toast again. I don’t know why I’m never able to resist its powers, because there were other things on the menu I wanted to try as well. Luckily, the French toast delivered and I walked (or waddled) away happily.
- Met up with Jake at McCoy’s, where he went earlier to watch a futbol game. We watched The Goonies at McCoy’s as part of their daily movie showing. I continued to read Harry Potter on the couch, but was so comfy at some points I had to watch the movie to keep myself awake. =]
- Stopped by gym afterwards, but found out it isn’t open on Sundays.
- It worked out though (that we didn’t work out, haha…no pun. =]), because we were able to run a bunch of errands. I was able to buy my shaving cream, although we couldn’t find Skintimate or any feminine sort of option, so I bought men’s shaving cream off of the recommendation of Jake. “If it’s gentle enough for my baby face, it should work fine for you.”
- We also stopped by PATAS along the way for phone card pickup before heading over to Mega for a grocery run. I bought ketchup and some mandarin oranges. A beautiful combination, I know. The ketchup here is so good, because it’s always sweeter than it is tangy, so I pretty much drown everything I eat at home in it to give it some actual flavor.
- When we got home, I watched some German futbol with the boys until it was time to eat.
- For dinner, we had spaghetti in pesto sauce which was really fantastic, and which I finished (again. SIMON! WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME FAT?)
- Post dinner, we watched an episode of Weeds, and I spent a lot of time explaining who and what everything or one was. Everyone seemed to like It though, so we may scout the earlier seasons on the next Molino run.
- We also watched some Seinfeld (it’s almost a ritual here), but I went up after only one episode because I was falling asleep
- As I was brushing my teeth, I get a knock on my door. It’s Luke asking, “Are you decent right now? Because I need a favor.” After he left for Arequipa, he gave back his keys, and hasn’t had any since. Therefore, when the girls cleaned up his room earlier, they loc ked it, and he couldn’t get into his room. So he slept over in my room and we stayed up talking until 1:30 about differences between San Francisco and Sydney and our gap years. It was a great talk, but eventually we had to sleep.
Monday
- Both of our alarms didn’t work, so we woke up at 8:30 instead of our planned 8 o’clock.
- Grabbed a quick breakfast and walked up to work.
- I was super happy that my kids still remember me after...oh a week and a half! I haven’t seen them since October 1st due to sickness and strikes. But they acted as if nothing had happened at all, and still remembered how to ask me to give them a piggy pack ride. There were a lot of super big hugs, though I wasn’t TOO excited about all of the screaming and crying
- Went to Real McCoy’s on the walk back home to make a reservation for pub quiz, and heard Soulja Boy playing. I have to say I definitely wouldn’t have minded leaving that behind at home…
- I stopped by Maximo to check email, and walked home with Jake and Yoeun.
- We had lunch, which was a bland fried rice. Though with AMAZING amounts of ketchup, it tastes somewhat decent…
- Went to class with Jorge, more subjunctive practice

And as of this very moment, I am stuffing face (what’s new?) at Davorino’s, my favorite little ice cream shop. My reason if anyone asks is because they have wifi, but it’s mostly because I can’t stop eating here. I’ve got a good setup at this moment though, so I’ll try best to set the mood for you. Crowded place, conversations going on all around me, me with a cheese empanada and Sprite, and there’s Abba in the background. You know you love it. =] So here is my sad and depressing excuse of an update, but know the intention behind it is genuine, though the execution was poor. Love you and miss you all. =]

P.S.By the way, it’s almost time to start sending me requests for souvenirs, as my time is drawing to a near in the VERY close future. =[
EDIT:

- After “posting” my blog, I attempted to find Matt to walk home with, until I remembered that he had class a coffee shop in San Blas, and probably was going to dinner from there. So I bounced, and saw Todd on my way out, and invited him out to Thai with us.
- I took a taxi home because I’m not a huge fan of walking alone at night, and saw Yoeun, Luke, and Rae in the living room.
- I freshened up a bit, and got all of my things together before leaving to go out to meet everyone for dinner.
- Yoeun had to leave early to make copies for quiz night (he was the quizmaster tonight), and Rae didn’t want to try Thai on her stomach, so Luke and I just grabbed a taxi and left.
- We got there and saw everyone already outside of Bembo’s waiting for us.
- We found the place that Jake and Yoeun’s teacher had recommended for Thai, but it turned out to be a place with SOME Thai items, NOT a Thai restaurant.
- So we went over to a Japanese place near Topitop, but Todd and Matt were stuck on Thai. It was pretty close to quiz time, so Jake, Yoeun and I left and went to grab some fast food at Bembo’s.
- We headed over to Real McCoy’s for the quiz, and started off as a two person team. A tad bitter, Jake and I decided to put our team name as “Who Cares About the Rest of Our Team Anyways?”, a bit angry that they found it so important to find food instead of try and support Yoeun.
- It was a brutal night for Yoeun though, and people were being real jerks, yelling out “I CAN’T HEAR YOU! WHAT???”, and other obnoxious things.
- We didn’t win the quiz, though we did come in third. The kicker was that we were only one point behind the first team, and half a point behind the second place, so it could’ve been anyone’s game.
- After the quiz, we sort of loitered for a bit, unsure of if we wanted to go home or not. It was Rachel’s (from the other family house) birthday, so there was the option of going out with them. I immediately declined, not needing that much estrogen around me, and in the end, only Youen went along with them.
- When we got home, we watched some more episodes of Weeds, and called it a night.

Thank you all for reading all…22 pages of that, and I can’t wait to get this back to normal again. =] Always feel free to email me at morgan.ashley29@gmail.com, or leave a comment, because I always love to hear about how life is back home, and what I have to look forward to going back to. =] Until tomorrow, Morgan.