One day from now I'll be in a plane somewhere between Missoula and Lima, Peru. The total time in the plane, or waiting to get on a plane, will be about 18 hours. I have 2 short layovers in Seattle and in LA. I'm not too concerned about catching the Swine Flu, but I am worried about the lines and screenings that may slow me down at the airports. As of today there are only 3 cases of the flu in Peru and too many to count in the US. So they are more worried about us bringing it to them than the other way around. That may mean big delays.
Ricky and Calvic are going to meet me at the airport in Lima. Good thing they are "night" people. It may be 1:00 AM or later by the time I get through customs, etc. That should be another interesting roadblock. I am bringing several items into the country for friends. Hopefully I can convince them they are all mine so I don't have to pay taxes:
-Toneport USB recording device (for Ricky).
-M-Audio recording interface (for Jaime).
-PSP (for Ricky's kid).
-External hard drive (from Eduardo to Ricky). Packed full of tunes and software from me.
-Old laptop (for Nito).
-Aspirin and Ricola cough drops (Calvic and his mother).
-Various gifts for other friends.
And of course I'll be bringing in my own laptop, webcam, digital camera, video camera, MP3 player. I guess I should throw some clothes in there somewhere as well.
I am really looking forward to this trip. I'm going to meet some really cool people and do some really cool things. I know the 10 days are going to fly by. But it should give me a good feel for the country so next time I can bring Joni with me.
I called my friends Holli and Liz in Germany today. They were having a BBQ with some friends. It was great to hear their voices again. They are good people. I hope I get to see them again soon. They are also being hit by the bad economy, particularly the auto industry, which is Holli's trade.
I think I have things pretty well lined up for my stay in Peru. I'm sure everything will go to hell as soon as I step foot on the plane and all my well-laid plans will crumble like a flimsy house of Peruvian cards (I have no idea what that means). But I'm going for the adventure. Not the organization. So DO NOT STRESS, I tell myself over and over. Also Peruvians are known for their lack of punctuality. Joni says that'll drive me crazy. We'll see if it does!
Ricky and Calvic are going to meet me at the airport in Lima. Good thing they are "night" people. It may be 1:00 AM or later by the time I get through customs, etc. That should be another interesting roadblock. I am bringing several items into the country for friends. Hopefully I can convince them they are all mine so I don't have to pay taxes:
-Toneport USB recording device (for Ricky).
-M-Audio recording interface (for Jaime).
-PSP (for Ricky's kid).
-External hard drive (from Eduardo to Ricky). Packed full of tunes and software from me.
-Old laptop (for Nito).
-Aspirin and Ricola cough drops (Calvic and his mother).
-Various gifts for other friends.
And of course I'll be bringing in my own laptop, webcam, digital camera, video camera, MP3 player. I guess I should throw some clothes in there somewhere as well.
I am really looking forward to this trip. I'm going to meet some really cool people and do some really cool things. I know the 10 days are going to fly by. But it should give me a good feel for the country so next time I can bring Joni with me.
I called my friends Holli and Liz in Germany today. They were having a BBQ with some friends. It was great to hear their voices again. They are good people. I hope I get to see them again soon. They are also being hit by the bad economy, particularly the auto industry, which is Holli's trade.
I think I have things pretty well lined up for my stay in Peru. I'm sure everything will go to hell as soon as I step foot on the plane and all my well-laid plans will crumble like a flimsy house of Peruvian cards (I have no idea what that means). But I'm going for the adventure. Not the organization. So DO NOT STRESS, I tell myself over and over. Also Peruvians are known for their lack of punctuality. Joni says that'll drive me crazy. We'll see if it does!
It's the beginning of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere. (This will be my first time south of the equator). I've been checking the forecast. Looks like low 70s during the day and lower 40s at night. Not bad for Winter. The weather will be a little more extreme in Cusco but nothing too drastic. My main concern at this point is altitude sickness. I'll be hiking up to around 16,000 feet my second day there. But Lenino assures me I'll be fine as long as I chew on some cocoa leaves. Too high too care???
Photo of Machu Picchu from Google Earth! COOL!
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