life @ 13
Saturday, February 28, 2009
peru, part 1
the past week has reminided me that travelling by bicycle is really a compromise. the uncontested best way to travel, if you're looking to get as close as possible to a country and people, is to go by foot. hands and knees might be a little too much. but by foot, you see everything, you are vulnerable to everything, nobody misses you and you miss practically nobody.
what reminded me of this? i was dumped in an "underprivileged" part of Lima at 6am, with nothing to do but wander around. one of the great things about the bus, besides being an excellent place to think, is that it often drops you somewhere strange and unfamiliar -- whereas on the bike you always ease your way into things.
i had a good 6 hours to catch the next bus onward to Cusco, and once the bus terminal security woke me up from my uncomfortable nap (head on top of arms on top of chair in front of me) and said that the only reasonable way to catch my next bus was to take a $4 taxi, i knew the best way to go would be to walk. every person i asked for directions along the way said i should be in a taxi. excellent sign. only had to turn around once because of shady looking blocks. i was looking for one of the largest avenues in the city; half the people i asked directions from claimed not to know how to get there. i was tired and got a little heatstroked again, looking like a total fool with my 2.5L bottle of water in one hand, red fleece jacket in the other, cowboy hat on top and beard protecting my cheeks. every little store and bakery i stopped at had a separate person at the cash register, all behind bars so thick you could not even be certain there was a person behind them. 90% of the shops i passed were selling car parts or small repairs. Lima is spotted with some big supermarkets, all playing a jingle based on "mambo #5" with the recurring theme "you must buy". I was in a good enough mood to actually make conversation with a guy on the street who started off with the typical "hey! gringo! tourist! lots of money!". i still feel that those who have the privilege to wander the world with a working bank card have an obligation to make cultural exchanges where possible.
going back a little, i spent 5 good days relaxing at the casa de ciclistas (google it), a guy named Lucho allows all travelling cyclists to crash at his little house/shop for free for as long as they want. an unparalleled hangout. the sad part is my body needed those 5 days to relax.
Trujillo has the worst traffic i have ever encountered. not as blazing fast as medellin, but at a maximum degree of anarchy.
and now i'm in Cusco with my gringo pal Miranda, both of us taking it easy for the first day at 11000'. a little touristy, but like most gringofied towns, you can always walk a few blocks away and find some locals to befriend.
the camera is back
the past week has reminided me that travelling by bicycle is really a compromise. the uncontested best way to travel, if you're looking to get as close as possible to a country and people, is to go by foot. hands and knees might be a little too much. but by foot, you see everything, you are vulnerable to everything, nobody misses you and you miss practically nobody.
what reminded me of this? i was dumped in an "underprivileged" part of Lima at 6am, with nothing to do but wander around. one of the great things about the bus, besides being an excellent place to think, is that it often drops you somewhere strange and unfamiliar -- whereas on the bike you always ease your way into things.
i had a good 6 hours to catch the next bus onward to Cusco, and once the bus terminal security woke me up from my uncomfortable nap (head on top of arms on top of chair in front of me) and said that the only reasonable way to catch my next bus was to take a $4 taxi, i knew the best way to go would be to walk. every person i asked for directions along the way said i should be in a taxi. excellent sign. only had to turn around once because of shady looking blocks. i was looking for one of the largest avenues in the city; half the people i asked directions from claimed not to know how to get there. i was tired and got a little heatstroked again, looking like a total fool with my 2.5L bottle of water in one hand, red fleece jacket in the other, cowboy hat on top and beard protecting my cheeks. every little store and bakery i stopped at had a separate person at the cash register, all behind bars so thick you could not even be certain there was a person behind them. 90% of the shops i passed were selling car parts or small repairs. Lima is spotted with some big supermarkets, all playing a jingle based on "mambo #5" with the recurring theme "you must buy". I was in a good enough mood to actually make conversation with a guy on the street who started off with the typical "hey! gringo! tourist! lots of money!". i still feel that those who have the privilege to wander the world with a working bank card have an obligation to make cultural exchanges where possible.
going back a little, i spent 5 good days relaxing at the casa de ciclistas (google it), a guy named Lucho allows all travelling cyclists to crash at his little house/shop for free for as long as they want. an unparalleled hangout. the sad part is my body needed those 5 days to relax.
Trujillo has the worst traffic i have ever encountered. not as blazing fast as medellin, but at a maximum degree of anarchy.
and now i'm in Cusco with my gringo pal Miranda, both of us taking it easy for the first day at 11000'. a little touristy, but like most gringofied towns, you can always walk a few blocks away and find some locals to befriend.
the camera is back
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