I have been on the go!  Flew into Arequipa on Wednesday and checked by backpack at the bus station.  Bought an overnight bus ticket to Cuzco and got into Cuzco yesterday morning on the 6am.  Got to my hotel and tried to figure out the way to get to Machu Picchu.  You´d think it would be easy to get there since it is one of the 7 wonders of the world and all.  No! 

I decided to take a tour of the Sacred Valley today so that I could stay in the 2nd to last town the tour visits.  Ollantaytambo is a very cool Inca town.  I didn´t have time to go to the ceremonial site because I had a 4pm train to catch to go to Aguas Calientes which is the place where you catch a 20 minute bus to Machu Picchu.  It´s 4 hours away from Cuzco.  I wanted to be at Machu Picchu at 5:30 before the crowds come in.  After I figured it all out, I bought a plane ticket to Lima.  Time is running out fast!

I´m here in Aguas Calientes now.  Got my hotel, recommended by Lonely Planet - just 10 bucks.  I have to eat some dinner and get some snacks for tomorrow.  I´m very excited.  It feels like the climax of my trip. 

Cuzco is a beautiful city.  It would be great to be here an entire week.  So much history and sights to see.  I would show you some pictures, but this internet connection is ssssslow. 

Ate some Alpaca last night.  Llama in Bolivia.  Alpaca is in the Llama family, but ísn´t used to carry as much.  It was a little like red meat, but more in the white meat family.  Didn´t feel as heavy when I was done.  Guinea pig is popular here.  Will try to have some.  Not much meat though.  I´ll probably have to order two.

Yay for Obama!  Everyone here is pretty happy about the result.

See you soon!

xo

Ruth

Found out yesterday that the Peruvian border at Tacna, where I was going to go today, is closed.  It`s been closed and will be closed indefinitely.  No buses are going in that direction.  The locals are throwing rocks at cabs, buses and people who try to cross the border.

In fact, as of today Tacna has been declared a state of emergency.  Here´s a blurb I got from the news:

“A strike is underway in Tacna to protest a vote by congress to modify a law that would redistribute tax revenues from a giant mining company, Southern Peru, in favor of residents in the neighboring region of Moquegua.”

I was supposed to go there yesterday or at the very least this morning so I can cross over into Peru.  I have to see Macchu Pichu!  I also have a flight out of Lima on the 12th. 

What sucks is that I was at the bus station to Peru and cab drivers were more than willing to drive me to Tacna.  Meanwhile, they knew all along about the strike because it had been going on for days. 

I had no idea what to do and thankfully, I`m staying at the Sunny Days hostel and the owner Ross, who´s from New Zealand, was so helpful.  I was going to turn around and go back to San Pedro, but I didn´t want to give up on Machu Picchu.   So Ross gave me the phone number to Sky Airlines and I called them before booking a tour of Lauca National Park.  Luckily I did, ´cause Sky Airlines only flies to Arequipa, Peru on Wednesdays and Sundays.  If I didn´t fly the next day, I´d be screwed! 

Reserved the flight and got to see this sunset in Arica.

Sunset in Arica

Sitting here at an internet cafe in Arica that is 1/3 the price it cost in San Pedro.  Catching up on UCLA homework and getting creeped out by this slouched over, nerdy, postal worker looking man with greasy hair and glasses - sweet looking though -  who is searching and chatting with young girls on a site called Tagged. 

Took an overnight bus ride from San Pedro and got here at 6:30am.  Left my back at the bus station, walked into the center of town and parked myself at this internet cafe to catch up on homework and blogging. 

May be going to Peru today if I can catch a bus that will get me into Arequipa before 10pm.  Otherwise I´ll stay here and leave tomorrow morning.  Sad to leave San Pedro.  Had a great time and although I am sick of the desert, (I spent 4 days in the Bolivian desert and San Pedro is one of the driest deserts on the planet) i look at the pictures and realize how beautiful it was.  The night time sky was amazing.  It´s nice not to have chalky hands and a smoker´s cough though.

Looking forward to Peru.  Will skip Lake Titicaca.  Would love to share more, but not enough time or internet cafes.  Actually, there are enough of those, they just get pricey.  Next time I´m traveling with a tiny laptop one of my tour buddies had with him.  He´s from Holland and does some travel writing as well. 

God, this man is pulling up teenage girl´s high school pictures now on a site called Amigos Adventistas!!!!  I think those are 7th Day Adventists girls.  He´s been here for about an hour.  Gross.  I´m outta here. 

See you soon!