Don Keyhote's Checking In
11/24/2004
Hola Amigos,
Sorry it has been so long. I really don't have an excuse for not writing other
than general laziness. Things have been a bit strange down here, for a while I
was starting to feel that my wants and desires had shifted away from what my
traveling partner, Dave, wanted to do but now that he is gone I find that I am
more lost than ever. It is only now that I am finding out how much I relied on
our combined brain-power/bravado to get thing done. Ah well, got to learn to fly
on my own some day.
On Wednesday we went to see the Chile vs Peru futbol game. It was a blast, we
were in the cheap seats behind the Peruvian net with the rowdiest crowd. Our
section happened to be right next to the most expensive section , where a group
of Chileņos happend to be seated. If they had not been protected by a regiment
of riot cops with guard dogs and a chain link fence topped with razor wire, I
don't think they would have survived the game. As it was I learned a plethora of
new insults. Our chileņo friends would have been dismayed by the vigour with
which we hurled these new found insults across the razor wire but it was a
matter of nessesity... to appear to be friendly to the chileņos while sitting in
our section would have been hazardous to one's health. There is a deep rivalry
between these countries that goes back hundreads of years. The action on the
pitch was good as well, with the unexpected 2-1 win by Peru. Which lead to even
more revelry in the streets that lasted most of the night and nessitated the
need for tonnes of cerveza (and legions of riot cops). Made it a bit of an
adventure to get Dave to the airport right after the game.
I have made quite a change since Dave left, put most of my things in storage and
am traveling with a bag smaller than anything I would use for going to school.
It is kind of fun to play up the crazy Canadian line. Here most of the travelers
are chachee gringos that want nothing to do with anybody but other chachee
gringos. Yesterday I say two of these two girls carrying packs so big that they
would make a Sherpa faint. When they see a barefoot (lost my shoes in the
Bolivian jungle) bearded Canadian grinning at them awkwardness they get a little
uncomfortable. Those that aren't scared away tend to be fairly interesting.
Anyways things are kind of winding down for me, I don't have to much desire to
move around or see anymore places... just looking for some cool people to hang
with for a while. I am actually at the point where I would pass up seeing Machu
Picchu, though it was the one thing I wanted to see when I was planning this
trip. That is planning in the loosest sense of the word... I was sitting in
Archaeology class when the prof showed a picture of the ruins at sunrise. I
turned to my friend and said "That's it man... That's were I am going." That was
the totality of my research for this trip. Still I may go if I can get hooked up
with this guide that can take me there by donkey (the ride is about $25 by train
or $200 for the five day hike). This guy with the donkey is said to be able to
get you in through the back door, thus by-passing the mandatory $200 trail fee.
I think I would do it just to be showing up Don Keyjote style as those wannabe
Sherpas arrive through the front door after a labourious five day hike. Eat my
donkey dust fuckers. Ah well we will see, eh?
Espero que usted sea bien,
Adam
P.S. Sorry about the abundance of angst in the email. I am at roughly 4000m
above sea level and am feeling the effects of Altitude Sickness (again) which
makes me irritable and nauseous. It is kind of like a bad hang-over that lasts
for a few days.