So Long and Thanks for All the Microbes

Well, today was our last full day in the ´Ru, as it´s most commonly called here. I am both sad to leave the ´Ru and excited to return to my various homes in the states. I´m also shocked that 8 weeks in Peru just happened. Seems like just yesterday we were doing Spatula Updates. We may do a wrap-up post and include some pictures we haven´t yet, introduce you to Patty, and say some witty things. But that ain´t this post. Hasta luego, amigos y amigas.

Breakfast with Justin: A Retrospective

I´ve shared a goodly number of breakfasts with Justin in the past 7 weeks or so and I feel they have been worthy of comment.

Breakfast often finds Justin at his most raw. He can be at turns voracious, inquisitive, and practical, but in general, there is a certain optimism that he carries with him to the breakfast table that belies the indifference that breakfast zombies like most of us apply to our morning meal. Just take a look at this photo where he´s poised for this remorseless attack on his fruit salad.

The aforementioned optimism can sometimes lead him to do some over-ordering, but when that happens, he just assumes resposibility for his over-order and goes after it. Take the other day in Trujillo when he ordered scrambled eggs, juice, coffee, toast, and a pancake wih bananas--he could´ve balked when he saw the size of the banana-filled panqueque they brough him (pictured below), but instead he went straight after it. Like a proper existentialist, he accepts that ordering mistakes will be made, but he nonetheless builds meaning out of those decisions by assuming full responsibility for them. As Justin once said a few weeks ago "Morning is a terrible time to have to make decisions about breakfast", but that knowledge, far from paralyzing him, sends him charging into the maelstrom of desayuno with extra vim.

Birthdays, Jugos, Yogurt, Migraines, and Frogs

I went a little overboard yesterday. I don't usually eat much dairy, but armed with a little Lactaid pill, I tried consuming my body weight in this fruity drinkable yogurt stuff they have all over the place here. It was so delicious and fruity and probioticy.

Well, Kyle and I are walking around, looking for snacks, talking about stuff (including what to do that night for me birthdang), and I start getting this sensation that my left arm isn't attached, then weird spots in my field of vision, and an hour later it feels like someone's smashing a dozen knives into my eyeballs. 6 hours later, we do a little research and find that dairy can be a migraine trigger. Sigh.

Luckily, though, my recovery was (reasonably) swift, and by 11 Pm we were drinking drinks in the Cuban cafe, and managed to stay out until a birthday-worthy 3am after a relaxing night of mojitos and black russians.

Fast forward to early this afternoon. After donning my new shirt that Kyle got me for my birthday (Yo cuido el agua...Por eso no me bano) and dropping off my laundry with the good-natured laundry lady who couldn't believe that I didn't know my address, I went searching for the Phantom Jugueria. I was mostly interested in this particular jugueria because it reminded me of The Best Jugueria Ever, located in Arequipa. Well, not only did I find the Phantom

Jugueria (pretty good. not as good as TBJE in Arequipa), but I found some strawberry soy yogurt at the store. All within like 10 minutes. Like it's my birthday, everything's coming up Justin!

Also, we were wondering if the urine from a pregnant frog would make a human male ejaculate if injected into say, his arm. I figure, yeah.

Trip Up the Coast

Here are a few pictures from my trip up to Lima from Arequipa. More later.

So Long, Arequipa

Ah, Arequipa. The White City. The City of 3 Giant Mountains Looming Above. The City Whose Jugo Slays All Other City's Jugos. The City of Awesome Daily Friggin' Protests, Strikes, and Demonstrations. It has many names in Quechua.

I grew to love Arequipa as I spent most of the last month there. The city itself is beautiful, the landscape is ridiculous, the people passionate, the food awesome. Of course, a city with that many protests, strikes, and demonstrations is a city after my heart indeed. Well, Arequipa, mission accomplished.

But after unexpectedly staying in Arequipa for the better part of a month, my time there drew to a close. Our 2-month stay in Peru is down to 2 weeks, and since my birthday was coming up and I hadn't seen Kyle for almost 4 weeks, I planned my return to Lima.

Still, I would have stayed in Arequipa if I could. While we intentionally came to Peru with few concrete plans, I didn't anticipate deciding to part ways with Kyle for that long or staying somewhere for as long as I did, considering we had rented an apartment in Lima. Not that I would change any of it; nothing I ended up doing wasn't rewarding in some way- the spur-of-the-moment decision to hike to Machu Picchu with the Dutchman, returning to Arequipa to take Spanish classes for a week, buying those 2 giant manjar blanco cookie things and eating them waaaay too fast.

Now that I've returned to Lima, I'm dogged by a few questions that I wasn't able to resolve while I was there. One, why do so many dogs live on roofs (rooves?). Secondly, how do you manage to coordinate the National Police, Tourist Police, Transit Police, and City Security? They're ALL EVERYWHERE. Thirdly, WHY ARE YOU FEEDING THE PIGEONS!?!?!? SON RATAS CON ALAS!!!!