If you were only reading my posts about this trip, you might assume I was having terrible time. This is because the things I enjoy writing about are the disasters and near-disasters of travel; you can only write so much about a pretty view. So read on with the understanding that for every misfortune there […]
During our recent stay in San Pedro de Atacama, we were harassed by an overly friendly llama and a cat that wanted to sleep on our faces. One night we didn’t have hot water, the next we didn’t have any water at all. A dog barked continuously through both nights. Early on our last morning, I fell into a hole in the driveway and rolled into a clay oven. And when we were packing up to leave, as if in atonement for our suffering, we found a million Chilean pesos in a drawer. But let me start at the beginning.
Whenever I approach an international border, I break into a cold sweat. This is not because I have contraband in my suitcase or cocaine in my ass. This is because border crossings are created to make you feel guilty, just like traffic stops by cops. Borders are there to remind you that you belong to a country, and not to the world.
Before we leave Peru, I want to take a moment to remember some people who passed through our lives during our two months in this amazing country. The Guard at the Presidential Palace You know those very serious, unsmiling guards in front of presidential and governmental palaces? There were several of them in front of […]
“You want it quiet?!” The drunken Peruvian in the boxer shorts stood on the roof across from me. He held a bottle in one hand and gesticulated wildly with the other. “You want the music QUIET?!” “Yes!” I shouted across the street. “Si! Por favor! We can’t sleep!” It’s two in the morning in Aquas […]