Cajamarca might actually win as my favorite city in Peru, rivaling for my affection with Arequipa. Nestled within the extremeties of the Andean highlands, this city is known for being the last Incan stronghold before the Spanish conquest. The Battle of Cajamarca marks the end of one of the most interesting civilazations in human history. And the Spanish didn't hold back on marking the legacy of their conquest-- there are so many churches here, I feel like I'm in Italy or something. The churches are absolutely beautiful. There are two churches around the Plaza de Armas, or main square. The Iglesia San Francisco has stained glass windows that are illuminated at night-- so stunning. I really can't describe it and my camera will never do it justice.
Beig so close to the Andean highlands comes with some serious perks. The city is known well for its cheese and dairy products, and also chocolate. Subsequently, it is known for having many pastelerias, or bakieries, filled with mouth-watering sweet treats. Tomorrow, my British friend Sophie and I are going to do some serious sugar diving.
But really, tonight was one of the highlights of my trip in South America so far. I have been in Peru for almost two months-- I just love it so much, it's so hard to part with. The people in Peru are so kind, warm, laid back, and happy. And the food is just incredible.
Sophie and I went to a bar called "Usha Usha". I honestly just went to accompany Sophie, and I was expecting the usual gringified nonsense (loud music, drunk dudes, and overpriced everything). However, this place totally blew my expectations out of the water... as soon as we walked in we were welcomed by congenial surroundings, soft lighting, various South American artwork on the walls, and a huge poster of Mr. Che himself. Also the owner, Jamie, greeted us warmly and loudly. The bar was basically just five South American dudes hanging out over a bottle of wine. Each of them had an instrument, and they went through ballads and traditional folk music, some in Quechua, Spanish and Guarani. The songs were so tranquil and lovely,and performed with sincerity. I understood so little of the words, but the music spoke to me so clearly. There was a song about dreams, another about the raven warning of dying love, and others celebrating the strength of hope. Jaime and his friends toasted respectfully to us, and he told us about the different musical instruments used by the northern Peruvians in pre-Incan times. As you can see, I've completely fallen for Peru. It's so rich in history, culture, nature and most saliently, spirit.
Tonight reminds me of why I need to travel. Yes, need-- travel for me is not a choice. I can't imagine living a life without learning as much as I can about the world and our common humanity. The scenery is gorgeous, but really connecting with people is the most fulfilling aspect of traveling, more gorgeous than any glowing mountain or crystal clear lake. They say that the more you travel, the more you realize that people are so similar, in a beautiful way. And there is so much strength in this understanding, I truly wish that you can experience this also...
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The dance show
One of the highlights of my stay in Arequipa was the dance show. There was a troupe of Argentinian dancers staying at my hostal, and they performed at the Arequipenian anniversary parade, and then we found out that they stayed for about a week to perform at a dance festival. I attended along with a few other people at my school. The show included dancers from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. My favorite were the Peruvian dancers from Ayacucho. One day, I plan on visiting Ayacucho around Easter time in order to view the famous scissor dance.
Click here to see pictures of the dances.
Click here to see pictures of the dances.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
El Mercado y Jugo de Rana (The market and frog juice)
One of the most fascinating places in Arequipa is the market. It's by far my favorite place to shop. I love how fresh everything is-- the fruits and vegetables taste like they've been picked from a hearty farm and brought the same day to the market. There are all kinds of animals for sale, dead and alive. You can buy toothpaste, dried llama embryos or Rocky Mountain oysters (if you know what that is). My friend Natalie bought a kilogram of wax to carve in order to make metal jewelery through lost wax casting.
One day after classes, my friends and I decided to drink frog juice. The following are pictures of the process-- we even got to pick out our own frog. The vendor then smashed its head and gutted and boiled it, and threw it into a blender along with a whole Cornish hen egg (shell and all), bee pollen, flour and herbs from the jungle, etc. The result was a pasty green shake served slighty warm (due to the boiled frog)...
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Monasterio Santa Catalina
Built in 1580, this convent is one of the most memorable, beautiful places in Arequipa. It was founded by the richest Spanish families in the colonial era, evident still today because of the vastness of the space and the luxuries inside (an indoor well?)... I can imagine that wealthy young ladies would reside there along with their servants. It's practically its own village within Arequipa. I hope the pictures speak for themselves...
Click here to see pictures
Sweet and Spicy Treats
My favorite dessert in Peru so far is Mazamorada Arroz con Leche combinado. I had this in Lima from a street vendor in the park, and I knew I would love it The mazamorada is a syrup made of Chicha Morada, which is a an absolutely delicious drink made of purple corn essence and pineapple juice, with some cinnamon and cloves mixed in. The combinado is rice pudding with a mazamorada topping-- and I'm in heaven...
Arequipa has its own distinct flavor of cuisine which is different from the rest of Peru. I went out with a couple of Spanish school buddies to a restaurant called "La Neuva Palomino". It's a traditional restaurant that Peruvians eat at with their families on Sundays. Of course, I ordered the biggest platter they have. This plate included rocoto relleno, a specialty of Arequipa, which is stuffed Rocoto pepper, kind of like a red bell pepper, but much spicier.
My gigantic lunch also included lamb's feet-- I couldn't bring myself to eat it, so my homestay family's dog, Matija, had a feast that night.
However, in Arequipa, one of the most fascinating desserts are picarones, which is a Peruvian version of doughnuts. These are not so sweet and much lighter and flakier than you would find in Dunkin Donuts, and the people who make them are much cuter (no bias here). The flour is made typically of yams or yucca, and its served with a sugary syrup with orange essence and a hint of spices like cinnamon or cloves. Yum!
Arequipa has its own distinct flavor of cuisine which is different from the rest of Peru. I went out with a couple of Spanish school buddies to a restaurant called "La Neuva Palomino". It's a traditional restaurant that Peruvians eat at with their families on Sundays. Of course, I ordered the biggest platter they have. This plate included rocoto relleno, a specialty of Arequipa, which is stuffed Rocoto pepper, kind of like a red bell pepper, but much spicier.
My gigantic lunch also included lamb's feet-- I couldn't bring myself to eat it, so my homestay family's dog, Matija, had a feast that night.
However, in Arequipa, one of the most fascinating desserts are picarones, which is a Peruvian version of doughnuts. These are not so sweet and much lighter and flakier than you would find in Dunkin Donuts, and the people who make them are much cuter (no bias here). The flour is made typically of yams or yucca, and its served with a sugary syrup with orange essence and a hint of spices like cinnamon or cloves. Yum!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Arequipa, Peru
I've been in Arequipa for about two weeks. It's a beautiful colonial city nestled within the Andes mountains in Southern Peru. It's Peru's second-largest city, Lima being the first. It's really one of the most spectacular places I've ever been to in my life. According to my Spanish teacher, the city was founded in ancient times by a group of Incans who wandered over from Cuzco. The name of the city is comprised of the Quechan words "ari" and "quipay" which mean, literally, "yes, let's stay here". And looking around, I can see why. Everywhere you turn, there are mountains, the weather during the day is sunny and a perfect seventy-something degrees. The climate is somewhat similar to Arizona, dry and not too humid.
I arrived in Arequipa after an 18 hour bus ride from Lima. The bus ride was awesome-- refer to my post about South American buses for more details.
I signed up for Spanish classes in Arequipa, so I hung out there for two weeks. The view was amazing, here's one of my favorite pictures-- it's taken from my hostel room window.
I arrived at an opportune moment for the city, as it was just celebrating its 471st birthday. The entire city was besides itself in revelry, check out some pictures from the parade or "procession" below:
A jubilant celebration to welcome me to a beautiful city was too good to be true. I ventured outside to snap a few pictures and to observe the celebration, but I soon got stuck in the mob, along with a few other travelers. It was exactly like being stuck in a mosh pit-- except instead of concert-goers, we were surrounded by families, including babies and little old ladies. And boy, are there a lot of babies in Peru-- adorable ones. And little old ladies, equally adorable. We snaked our way through the crowd back to the hostel, but we were literally stuck inside for the rest of the celebration, which from the sounds of it, continued into the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps what I appreciate the most about Arequipa, in comparison to other cities in the developing world, is that the city is kept stringently clean. I went out for an early morning jog the following morning to find the streets hosed clean of party remnants, food, libations, and other yucky stuff.
More about Arequipa to come soon-- it's hard to find a place with fast enough internet to upload my gigantic files of pictures...
I arrived in Arequipa after an 18 hour bus ride from Lima. The bus ride was awesome-- refer to my post about South American buses for more details.
I signed up for Spanish classes in Arequipa, so I hung out there for two weeks. The view was amazing, here's one of my favorite pictures-- it's taken from my hostel room window.
I arrived at an opportune moment for the city, as it was just celebrating its 471st birthday. The entire city was besides itself in revelry, check out some pictures from the parade or "procession" below:
A jubilant celebration to welcome me to a beautiful city was too good to be true. I ventured outside to snap a few pictures and to observe the celebration, but I soon got stuck in the mob, along with a few other travelers. It was exactly like being stuck in a mosh pit-- except instead of concert-goers, we were surrounded by families, including babies and little old ladies. And boy, are there a lot of babies in Peru-- adorable ones. And little old ladies, equally adorable. We snaked our way through the crowd back to the hostel, but we were literally stuck inside for the rest of the celebration, which from the sounds of it, continued into the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps what I appreciate the most about Arequipa, in comparison to other cities in the developing world, is that the city is kept stringently clean. I went out for an early morning jog the following morning to find the streets hosed clean of party remnants, food, libations, and other yucky stuff.
More about Arequipa to come soon-- it's hard to find a place with fast enough internet to upload my gigantic files of pictures...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Bus trips in South America
I am officially a long-term traveler, a nomad, a wanderer who lives out of a pack on my back. This is an extremely low-budget lifestyle; the cost of traveling through South America is approximately half the cost of paying my bills and living in Tempe, Arizona. And with this lifestyle comes obligations and duties, like taking very long bus rides instead of pricey flights. I was actually dreading this aspect of the trip, as I get antsy if I have to drive to Glendale from Tempe. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be stuck on a bus for 18 hours.
I had been hearing of Arequipa from other travelers and from various traveler's blogs and podcasts. I knew I would absolutely love the city, but I had to get there from Lima... and off I was on a South American bus. I bought the most expensive "VIP" ticket, on a bus that was all VIP seats, mostly because this bus ticket fit my schedule perfectly. I try to book tickets for overnight buses, and this way I can arrive to a new city during daylight hours.
I was expecting, at the very best, a jacked-up version of a Greyhound bus, with minimal legroom, barely enough room for luggage and lots of loud crying children. Boy, was I in for a surprise. I checked into the "terrapuerto", or bus station, in Lima, and I was ushered into the VIP lounge, after my passport was checked and my luggage was weighed, scanned and checked (just like taking a flight!). I was then ushered into the "VIP" lounge, which is one of the nicest waiting areas I've ever been in, with super-comfy furniture, high-speed wifi, books, magazines, and American movies on a flat-screen panel:
I could get used to this. Once I boarded the bus, I was taken aback at how large the seats were-- three Annas could have fit on one. Furthermore, they reclined all the way, and were super-comfy, like sitting in a good old Lazy-boy recliner. There were blankets, pillows, American movies playing on the TV, meals served by the "terramoza" (a bus stewardess) and the best... HIGH SPEED WIFI-- on the bus!! Oh yes, and I'm sure you're wondering, there are bathrooms on the bus, and they are super-clean, much cleaner than a lot of the flights I've been on.
The price for this amazing bus ride was $60 USD for an 18 hour bus trip. Not bad at all. Actually with this level of comfort, I prefer to ride the bus rather than take a flight, even though the travel time is much longer. Since it's an overnight bus, I am saving money on one night of accommodation and two meals. All for the fraction of a price of a flight. Low budget travel rocks. I wish I had gotten a picture of me fully reclining on the bus seat, but these will have to do:
That last picture is of the desert along the Peruvian coast somewhere between Lima and Arequipa.
I had been hearing of Arequipa from other travelers and from various traveler's blogs and podcasts. I knew I would absolutely love the city, but I had to get there from Lima... and off I was on a South American bus. I bought the most expensive "VIP" ticket, on a bus that was all VIP seats, mostly because this bus ticket fit my schedule perfectly. I try to book tickets for overnight buses, and this way I can arrive to a new city during daylight hours.
I was expecting, at the very best, a jacked-up version of a Greyhound bus, with minimal legroom, barely enough room for luggage and lots of loud crying children. Boy, was I in for a surprise. I checked into the "terrapuerto", or bus station, in Lima, and I was ushered into the VIP lounge, after my passport was checked and my luggage was weighed, scanned and checked (just like taking a flight!). I was then ushered into the "VIP" lounge, which is one of the nicest waiting areas I've ever been in, with super-comfy furniture, high-speed wifi, books, magazines, and American movies on a flat-screen panel:
I could get used to this. Once I boarded the bus, I was taken aback at how large the seats were-- three Annas could have fit on one. Furthermore, they reclined all the way, and were super-comfy, like sitting in a good old Lazy-boy recliner. There were blankets, pillows, American movies playing on the TV, meals served by the "terramoza" (a bus stewardess) and the best... HIGH SPEED WIFI-- on the bus!! Oh yes, and I'm sure you're wondering, there are bathrooms on the bus, and they are super-clean, much cleaner than a lot of the flights I've been on.
The price for this amazing bus ride was $60 USD for an 18 hour bus trip. Not bad at all. Actually with this level of comfort, I prefer to ride the bus rather than take a flight, even though the travel time is much longer. Since it's an overnight bus, I am saving money on one night of accommodation and two meals. All for the fraction of a price of a flight. Low budget travel rocks. I wish I had gotten a picture of me fully reclining on the bus seat, but these will have to do:
That last picture is of the desert along the Peruvian coast somewhere between Lima and Arequipa.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Miraflores, Lima
Everyone around me had warned me about Lima; that it was dangerous, unsafe, especially for a girl traveling alone. Furthermore, people seemed to illustrate a picture of Peru as an underdeveloped country, full of begging streetchildren, gangs, drug wars, and thieves. Mind you, most of these fictitious ideas were coming from people who have never traveled to Peru at all, much less South America.
Once I stepped off the plane, these ideas were eradicated, as I was in a highly modern, spotless, gleaming airport.
Once I stepped off the plane, these ideas were eradicated, as I was in a highly modern, spotless, gleaming airport.
The airport was also one of the most organized airports I had ever been to in my life, and I've been to quite a few of them. There must have been hundreds of people waiting on the immigration line with me, from all over the world, and unlike the check-in line at LaGuardia, this line moved fairly rapidly. I knew I had come to the right country to start my travels.
Miraflores is an affluent district within the city/ province of Lima. I'm sorry, I didn't take too many pictures, but I assure you, it was very beautiful. Actually, the city reminded me a lot of New York, high-rising buildings, people always in a rush from place to place, windy neighborhoods, and a large flowery park in the center of Miraflores. The most memorable aspect of Lima (and I imagine, of Peru in general) was the food. Even the scrambled eggs for breakfast were absolutely scrumptious. The hot chocolate is creamy, rich and carries an aroma of cinnamon and cloves. My favorite thing to eat in Lima was the pollo al la lena, or wood-fire roasted chicken (see below for picture).
I spent a week in Miraflores studying Spanish at an amazing Spanish school, along with travelers from all over the world. I made friends with a couple of Norwegian girls, Maria and Carolina, and an elderly American couple, Judy and Howard. Judy and Howard have been sailing around the world for about seven years in a sailboat. They've been in Lima for a few months studying Spanish, and waiting out for a good wind. I'm not sure how to say that in sailing terms.
The last day of our Spanish classes, all of the students went out to eat anticucho at another old colonial district in a different section of Lima, called Baranco. Anticucho is a traditional Peruvian specialty, it's skewered, roasted cow's heart. I didn't take any pictures, but I did sample it-- it kind of tastes like a well-seasoned steak. However, I couldn't settle with the idea of eating cow's heart, so I ordered grilled chicken. Carolina ordered a traditional dish, she later realized was the stomach of a chicken. Needless to say, she didn't eat very much.
Pena del Carajo was recommended by the teachers at the school as a non-touristy, local hangout. Penas are traditionally places where locals go to listen to traditional music, like Criolla, and eat traditional food with their families. It's a bar/ restaurant with a very traditional feel to it, or at least it was supposed to be. We were allowed in after waiting 45 minutes on line. Our tickets included a house Pisco sour, which is a traditional drink made with raw egg, cinnamon and Pisco, a Peruvian liquor. I didn't like it very much.
The traditional Peruvian hangout spot turned out to be rather rowdy and club-like for our tastes, instead of traditional instruments, they started playing Lady Gaga and reggatone. It was, however, filled with locals and not tourists. Not so much into the club/ bar scene, we left very early.
On my last day in Lima, I went out to lunch with Judy and Howard to eat roasted chicken. Oh my goodness, it was amazing. Also, a cooked salad with beets, carrots and avocados-- so yummy!
More pictures here:
I headed off to Arequipa, Peru -- more to come soon.
 |
| Miraflores, Peru |
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Why Spirit Airlines sucks
I have been planning, dreaming, hoping for an extended backpacking trip FOREVER. Really, for as long as I could remember, I had been wanting to travel the world, ambling about from place to place. The wanderlust that propelled this trip has been twenty-seven years in the making. In the months prior to my trip, I bought enough travel gear to blow half the budget.... I was just so excited to finally live my dream. I've had my Osprey Ariel pack ready for about three years. Really, I've been ready for this mentally and emotionally for years, the logistics being the only obstacle I've needed to overcome...
August 6th finally arrived. My awesome, supportive parents drove me to the airport. I stood on line at the Spirit Airlines counter, and I noticed that each customer in front of me had some issue with their flight. An elderly woman with short auburn hair and an impatient frown looked at me, and asserted "You know, we're ahead of you-- we're next." Her husband looked at me apologetically, and scolded "Honey, there's no need to be rude. This line just isn't moving at all." Apparently, it was the first time they were flying Spirit too-- and they didn't hold back on their disdain, along with most of the other passengers I encountered. A short Peruvian man ahead of me looked at me, and shook his head, "Never flying this airline again...".. I wasn't perturbed, my big day had arrived, and there was little that could upset me-- go ahead give me a crappy seat, or make me throw stuff away because my bag is overweight. My flight was a connecting flight from NY to Fort Lauderdale, and then from Fort Lauderdale to Lima. All I cared about was getting to Lima.
I finally got to the ticket counter, and the ticket agent actually smiled at me. I handed her my return ticket from Bogota, Colombia, to Orlando, FL. A Peruvian law dictates that any foreign nationals flying into Peru needs to show proof of onward travel within 90 days of entry. My ticket from Bogota was well within this time frame, I was certain there was nothing to worry about.
"Miss, this ticket states that you are leaving Colombia, I need to see proof that you are leaving Peru."
"I am leaving Peru-- obviously I have to leave Peru in order to catch my flight in Bogota in late October."
"And how are you planning on getting to Colombia?"
"Via bus"
"Well, then I need to see your bus ticket," she stated flatly.
As an employee of the airline, she was responsible for enforcing this awkwardly irrational rule. If I show up in Peru without proof that I will leave the country within 90 days, the airline is legally obliged to fly me back to the States on their dollar. This law is ridiculously irrational, because many travelers simply buy a refundable fare ticket as proof of onward travel, and cancel it once they get into the country.
I got off the line, and I tried to look around for bus tickets online-- Cruz del Sur, South America's most popular bus company, has a terrible website, and I couldn't successfully buy a ticket. I tried buying a ticket on LAN, South America's most popular airline, and this didn't work either. I tried calling various customer service agents for Expedia, Travelocity, Delta, etc. in order to buy a refundable ticket. After two hours of agonizing, I finally discovered that Expedia has a 24 hour risk-free return policy on tickets purchased over the phone. The Expedia service agent had a very thick accent, and I couldn't understand him at all, especially since I was calling from a loud LaGuardia terminal. At last, I was able to purchase the ticket, and I showed up to the ticket counter, panicking that I would miss my flight. I had the Expedia service agent on the phone ready to tell the Spirit airlines agent that I had indeed purchased my flight, but then she informed me that she needed to see "visual proof" that I had purchased the ticket. I asked the Expedia agent to email it to me, and he did so three times, but I couldn't find it at all in my email. After some more agonizing, I found that his emails had been going into my spam box. When I showed this to the Spirit airlines agent, she informed me that my flight had already left. I was ready to cry-- the flight I had been waiting for for 27 years had left.
She was able to book me on the next flight to Fort Lauderdale, which was at 9 PM, so I was in LaGuardia waiting from 10 AM to 9 PM that day. This flight arrived in Ft Lauderdale at midnight, and I had to find a place to stay overnight, since the next flight to Lima, for which I was a standby, was 5 PM the following day. I found an inexpensive hotel, close to the airport, and spent about 17 hours in Ft Lauderdale twiddling my thumbs.
The place wasn't too shabby. It's true, Florida is very similar to the the Indian state I'm from, Kerala. It's super humid, and the geckos are everywhere. The gardens outside the hotel where I ate my breakfast sullenly were certainly nice to look at. Sigh, I just want to get out of Florida.
I did catch the 5 PM flight to Lima, and now I'm finally a traveler!!!... more to come soon....
August 6th finally arrived. My awesome, supportive parents drove me to the airport. I stood on line at the Spirit Airlines counter, and I noticed that each customer in front of me had some issue with their flight. An elderly woman with short auburn hair and an impatient frown looked at me, and asserted "You know, we're ahead of you-- we're next." Her husband looked at me apologetically, and scolded "Honey, there's no need to be rude. This line just isn't moving at all." Apparently, it was the first time they were flying Spirit too-- and they didn't hold back on their disdain, along with most of the other passengers I encountered. A short Peruvian man ahead of me looked at me, and shook his head, "Never flying this airline again...".. I wasn't perturbed, my big day had arrived, and there was little that could upset me-- go ahead give me a crappy seat, or make me throw stuff away because my bag is overweight. My flight was a connecting flight from NY to Fort Lauderdale, and then from Fort Lauderdale to Lima. All I cared about was getting to Lima.
I finally got to the ticket counter, and the ticket agent actually smiled at me. I handed her my return ticket from Bogota, Colombia, to Orlando, FL. A Peruvian law dictates that any foreign nationals flying into Peru needs to show proof of onward travel within 90 days of entry. My ticket from Bogota was well within this time frame, I was certain there was nothing to worry about.
"Miss, this ticket states that you are leaving Colombia, I need to see proof that you are leaving Peru."
"I am leaving Peru-- obviously I have to leave Peru in order to catch my flight in Bogota in late October."
"And how are you planning on getting to Colombia?"
"Via bus"
"Well, then I need to see your bus ticket," she stated flatly.
As an employee of the airline, she was responsible for enforcing this awkwardly irrational rule. If I show up in Peru without proof that I will leave the country within 90 days, the airline is legally obliged to fly me back to the States on their dollar. This law is ridiculously irrational, because many travelers simply buy a refundable fare ticket as proof of onward travel, and cancel it once they get into the country.
I got off the line, and I tried to look around for bus tickets online-- Cruz del Sur, South America's most popular bus company, has a terrible website, and I couldn't successfully buy a ticket. I tried buying a ticket on LAN, South America's most popular airline, and this didn't work either. I tried calling various customer service agents for Expedia, Travelocity, Delta, etc. in order to buy a refundable ticket. After two hours of agonizing, I finally discovered that Expedia has a 24 hour risk-free return policy on tickets purchased over the phone. The Expedia service agent had a very thick accent, and I couldn't understand him at all, especially since I was calling from a loud LaGuardia terminal. At last, I was able to purchase the ticket, and I showed up to the ticket counter, panicking that I would miss my flight. I had the Expedia service agent on the phone ready to tell the Spirit airlines agent that I had indeed purchased my flight, but then she informed me that she needed to see "visual proof" that I had purchased the ticket. I asked the Expedia agent to email it to me, and he did so three times, but I couldn't find it at all in my email. After some more agonizing, I found that his emails had been going into my spam box. When I showed this to the Spirit airlines agent, she informed me that my flight had already left. I was ready to cry-- the flight I had been waiting for for 27 years had left.
She was able to book me on the next flight to Fort Lauderdale, which was at 9 PM, so I was in LaGuardia waiting from 10 AM to 9 PM that day. This flight arrived in Ft Lauderdale at midnight, and I had to find a place to stay overnight, since the next flight to Lima, for which I was a standby, was 5 PM the following day. I found an inexpensive hotel, close to the airport, and spent about 17 hours in Ft Lauderdale twiddling my thumbs.
The place wasn't too shabby. It's true, Florida is very similar to the the Indian state I'm from, Kerala. It's super humid, and the geckos are everywhere. The gardens outside the hotel where I ate my breakfast sullenly were certainly nice to look at. Sigh, I just want to get out of Florida.
I did catch the 5 PM flight to Lima, and now I'm finally a traveler!!!... more to come soon....
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)