All Cooped Up, Nowhere To Go

Well, I was warned but I didn't believe them because I thought I was strong. Plus, I am opposed to bottled water on principle. So, I drank the water (in my defense it was filtered and my boss drank it first) and now I can't leave the house because I have limited control over some of my bodily functions. It's funny how the more basic a function, the more you appreciate it after it's gone. I am making mental note to remember this day so I will always have a good basis of comparison when I think I'm having a crappy day. Har har. Being opposed to medication too, I have resorted to pain relief in the form of movies Ratatouille, The Darjeeling Ltd, and Meet The Robinsons. Pictures of this little one also work wonders in helping me forget the stabbing abdominal pains. She's my three week old niece. Her name is Noa Fei Leenders Cheng as of right now though that might need to be reversed. Haha get it? Cause she's Chinese. Well, half. And the last name for Chinese people comes first. I'm dehydrated and possibly delirious.


I had a good weekend though.

Me and the roommates decided to escape the city. The pollution is smothering in Lima, the cars are loud, the overbearing color is grey. Exhibit A:But as soon as we left city bounds, the cloud cover thinned and the unrelenting smell of combusted fuel fades. 4 hours later, we arrived in Barranca, a oceanside town. To say the cool pacific breeze blowing inland was a breath of fresh air would be a gross understatement. There's Jesus in the background.

We ate, had a few drinks and then joined the rest of the town at the party sponsored by the new fast food chain, Roky's. This is a tactic frequently employed by fast food chains here. Get 'em while they're developing. Savvy marketing ploy for sure.

Maarten, being the conspicuous tall white guy, got called up on stage to join in the festivities. There was potential for some cross cultural miscommunication when he was asked what he thought of the ladies in Barranca and all he could do was shrug because he didn't understand the spanish. I was bracing myself for a riot. He was saved by the MC, who translated his shrug to the crowd as english for 'They are beautiful.' Everyone laughed.

Now we were partial celebrities and we got warned by some kindhearted ladies that we should be wary because some guys were preparing to rob us. We went back to the hotel, put all our valuables down and rejoined the crowd. I got my own moment of celebrity when a bunch of 12 year old girls asked if they could take a picture with me. Needless to say, I was flattered.

The next morning, we journeyed for an hour by collective taxi to see the ruins of Caral, recently discovered to be the oldest in South America (5000 years old). They built pyramids, had elaborate religious ceremonies and stayed around for about 1,000 years. I asked our guide why he thought this site and not others had given birth to the first American civilization. He responded that this site is close to a river, fertile lands, situated in a valley and close to the ocean but not quite on the coast. It wasn't until after we left that I realised I should have asked what were the reasons for their downfall. All the benefits of the location are still around but the civilization is gone.

PS Hi to everyone reading. Please leave any questions or comments if you have any. Say anything you want, anonymously if that helps.