TDPP

4 weeks after my last trip across the border... the 3rd week of April greeted me with the familiar task of renewing my visa.

Taking advantage of the travel disaster prevention plan I created after missing my bus in March and plane in February, Dan and I successfully caught a bus to Peru on Thursday morning. (t.d.p.p. = leave on thursday morning, not on saturday morning for 4 day weekend trips - avoiding the allure/pitfall of friday night drinking)

12 hours later we arrived in Arequipa on "Palm Thursday" according to Dan. The center of town was packed with Peruvians observing Semana Santa services.

Departing the next morning with RJ freshly off the plane from Lima, we headed north to Colca Canyon. Passing East to West thru the canyon we were initally disappointed by its similarity to a valley. However, as we approached Cabanaconde - the valley turned more into a Gourge and the scenery was spectacular.

Having traded organized gringo tours for independence - we were unhappy to learn no buses depart between 11am and 6pm to return to arequipa. With obligations for a saturday night of revelry in Arequipa we were forced to fit in the 6 hour Oasis hike in the morning prior to 11am.

Your dedicated gringos hit the path at 4:30am under a brilliant canopy of stars and a full moon. Hiking down into the canyon with our fearless guide dog (that promptly got it on with a dog at the bottom of the canyon - i thought he liked us), tripping over rocks, watching the sun rise over the mountain peaks and being attacked by a rooster made for an incredible trek (beak penetrated my knee).

Easter eve in Arequipa for this crew meant finding a local club and inflicting our "game" on the local talent. Dan excuted his patented elevated dance routine - this time choosing a table as his platform. RJ pulled out "The Surf" - his richly Phillipino influenced dance technique. And I sat innocently on the sidelines taking notes (its great to be the reporter in these situations). The nightlife was entertaining and we woke up with the requisite pain as a result.

Meeting up with my La Paz neighbors (Brian and Cecilia)... Dan and I thought we had a cheap and easy ride home in Brian's car..... hahaha. After dropping $50 on one tank of gas (gas in peru is ridiculously expensive), we made it 30 minutes outside of the city when the radiator started leaking. so we head back to town on easter sunday where everything was closed - hopes of a sunday night arrival in lp dashed.

after finding some help at a gas station... we were directed to a road where two mechanics live at their shops to make an attempt at getting some off-the-clock help.

as we drove down the recommended street a drunk peruano waved us down worried about the fluids shooting out of our car. of course, we stopped.

he and 4 others exited a cevicheria (3 mechanics among them) shit housed. long story short. using a kitchen knife and some other basic equipment, they fix the car and we depart after sharing beers with them 2 hours later. comedy. our repair cost us a 12 beer contribution to their inebriation (about 8 bucks).

our delay put us at the border after it closed, so we stopped in Chuquita on the Peruvian side for the night. Brian knew of a cool hotel there and some ruins. Turns out, this is the town where people go to conceive due in large part to the fallic representations of the ruins. (see pics)

Sunday night, we had an unexpectedly nice stay at an excellent hotel (dan and i shared a room at this love nest - sweet) and an amusing morning tour of the penis statues before heading to lp on monday morning.

24 hours after our orginial departure... we were safely back in the peace. Another excellent trip, new city, great hike and travel disaster under my belt.

here are the pics (ricker - as per your request i have included little boys)

http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b338eecd2556

Til later,
Nick

It Ain't Tax Day in LP

It has been a while since my last email so here is a brief update. (and more importantly my roommate got a digital camera so i have some pictures to share - skip to bottom for instant gratification)

Over the last 6 weeks or so.... I have been spending most of my time with three recently la paz'd gringos - kate (aussie), meagan (california), dan (nyc/boston) - because we have nothing better to do we have taken to calling ourselves 'the orphans.'

Apart from drinking and eating excessively... we have entertained ourselves with a trip to Coroico (in a monsoon), a couple soccer games, listening to Kate's stories (such as running around in the middle of the riots - dodging bullets, giving her email out to old men and how she broke my coffee table), and picking on little children (ok - so that has only been me - but its warranted, trust me).

I also had another 'travel disaster.' I missed a bus to Arequipa, Peru on a Saturday morning - shades of missing the flight to Cuzco in February - and had to postpone the trip (which i will take this weekend).

In the meantime, to keep current with my theme of losing everything I own, I lost my cell phone on a random trip to burger king last weekend. Which leaves me with only my cds left at this point and wondering, why the hell did i go to burger king in the first place?

Dan and I have taken up playing basketball against height challenged Bolivian teenagers. And until I seperated my shoulder we thought we were pretty damn impressive. (well, dan still thinks he is.) basketball has provided the picking on little children outlet i have needed for some time.

This email is also timely as brief farewell to Kate and Dan who are leaving the orphanage for other parts of the world. Kate is travelling the world for the next several months after 3 months in lp. Dan is headed to Peru to beg for money for other companies besides DESATEL. This leaves meagan and i to find the next random group of extranjeros or willing bolivians to create stories with.

Til next time - here are the picks....

Soccer game and Cacho

http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33bccf5c49b

Farewell Dinner at La Suissa

http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33bccfbc495

Hanging in La Paz

http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33bccde4580

Muela del Diablo

http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33bccd1c4bf