I left Peru a few days ago and am now in Sao Paulo, the third biggest city in the world. Everything feels great and I dont know why I love this country and its people so much. I feel more at home here than in Peru.
I am staying at the place of George Guimaraes, a 31 year old doctor who does wonderful things here for vegetatianism. He has his own nutritional practice for veggies and would be veggies, his own vegan restaurant, and coordinates the Sao Paulo chapter of the Brazilian Veg Society. It is great to have this network of veg friends all over the world that you can hook up with in any country. Yesterday I gave a presentation about V-day in the restaurant for some 15 activists. This afternoon and evening I am meeting up with old friends from the congress last year (Lucas and Vanessa).
Sao Paulo is supposed to be a very unsafe city, but I feel pretty ok here, though it was a little bit scary to arrive here in the middle of the night and have to find my way to Georges appartment.
I will move to a commune for two weeks on monday, and after that have a few days left in Rio. During the two weeks I will not be able to blog anything and will be in solitary confinement.
Have to go, time is up.
Much love
Tobias
On September 6 I left Belgium for South America, for a period of three months. I would like to use this time to look at my life from a different angle, to pause, to break out, to make room, to empty my cup...
11.11.05
8.11.05
So whats the verdict? How were my two months in Peru?
Well...
I have spent two weeks in some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, rafted one of the best rivers on the planet, mountainbiked in the Cordillera Blanca, spend many hours in the wonderful Cafe Andino, looking at those same mountains from the balcony, had great and cheap food everywhere, played with the kids at Samana Wasi, read great books, had interesting conversation, had a great travel companion, researched my past lives, been in touch with my friends and family at home, had some great couple of nights out, tried salsa, was received by wonderful families in their homes, visited Inca ruins, met David, David, Kobi, Paulo, Bob, Tiffany, Johanna, Marta and so many more people...
So yes, I can only say it was Great. I still havent found what I am looking for, but I am sure I made some good progress here and there. So am very grateful.
Up to Brazil...
Well...
I have spent two weeks in some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, rafted one of the best rivers on the planet, mountainbiked in the Cordillera Blanca, spend many hours in the wonderful Cafe Andino, looking at those same mountains from the balcony, had great and cheap food everywhere, played with the kids at Samana Wasi, read great books, had interesting conversation, had a great travel companion, researched my past lives, been in touch with my friends and family at home, had some great couple of nights out, tried salsa, was received by wonderful families in their homes, visited Inca ruins, met David, David, Kobi, Paulo, Bob, Tiffany, Johanna, Marta and so many more people...
So yes, I can only say it was Great. I still havent found what I am looking for, but I am sure I made some good progress here and there. So am very grateful.
Up to Brazil...
Saying goodbye was rarely so difficult. As I waved to Johanna from my seat in the bus, on Nov 4, I cried for the first time on this trip. It is hard to leave wonderful people for God knows how much time. At least I spend a wonderful last night with her. After an afternoon nap (Heather and I arrived in Arequipa at 6am on the nightbus) we first went carting. Heather didnt join us, as she was too tired. Carting, for who doesnt have any idea, is driving a small gasonline-driven one person car on a track, at - I am guessing - maximum 50 km/h or so. Great fun, and the first time I did it. I drove 20 or so laps and felt my skills improving with every round.
After some table soccer and then checking out the Plaza the Armas at night, we got into a bar, and then another one. The cocktails were bit more expensive here than in Urubamba, but still more than half as cheap as in Belgium. We had a wonderful conversation about faith, fate, love, missions and whatnot. One thing I remember - and wrote on a beer card - was her answer to my question if she wasnt afraid that having children would make her have less time to fulfill her mission in life. It was a Paulo Coelho quote, from the Alchemist: Love will never get in the way of fulfilling your "leyenda personal", or else it is not love. The bar closed at 2am, and as we got back on the street we felt like dancing, so we payed 10 soles entrance to what Joanna said was the best disco in Arequipa. It was a nice place, and I felt I was already in Brazil. On the music of a live 10 man band, I did another attempt at salsa, guided by Johanna who howed me a couple of move.
I felt that, my bus to Lima leaving at 7am, it wasnt worth going to leep anymore, and to the rhythm of South America my gringo feet (I dont know what is worse to dance: sandals or hiking boots) danced the night away. As this closed too at 4am, we had another cocktail int he first bar, and chatted about how Joanna wanted to leave Peru. In Arequipa she found it difficult to find a non machist boyfrind, as most didn{t want her to work out of the house (Joanna teaches computer programming at the university of Arequipa).
At 5.30 it was time to go home and pack the rest of my stuff. The night less than great, however, when I realised I had left my camera in the taxi. I heard that Joanna has called all the taxi companies and hasnt given up yet, but I have not much hope. In any case I have decided no to let this loss of a material object affect my for even one minute. In the bus terminal we hugged goodbye, and Joanna kept waving till the bus set off, even though I dont think she could see me, because of the reflection on the window. Te amo mucho, Johanna.
After an almost sleepless night on the bus from Cusco to Arequipa and the sleepless night in Arequipa, I had another very brief, 3 hour night in Lima. The 14 hour bus ride - this time by day - wasnt as bad as expected, but I arrived at Paulos place in Lima only at 23h, ate dinner by 01.30 and then got to bed, only to get up at 4.30 am, to get the taxi and then four hour bussing to Marca Wasi, together with Paulo and David.
It was fitting to end my Peru adventure with a trek with the guys I had begun it. No more girls, just a male thing, with the necessary farting humor in the tent, and with the things that the guys talk about: (censored). After the busride, we had to climb for two hours to reach the Marca Wasi plateau, a strange place, full of weird shaped rocks. You see faces everywhere, faces of which many people say they were carved by humans, others say they are just eroded by the elements. The place is famous for strange happenings, ufo sightings and whatnot. Needless to say I didnt see anything, but it was a great time, and we met absolutely no one during the two days we were there. Tourist free fun!
Today we got back to Paulos house at 6, had another great dinner served by his wonderful, very generous family, and now I am typing this, on my last night in Peru. I feel kind of tired to still go out, and so does David, who goes back to England on Thursday.
After some table soccer and then checking out the Plaza the Armas at night, we got into a bar, and then another one. The cocktails were bit more expensive here than in Urubamba, but still more than half as cheap as in Belgium. We had a wonderful conversation about faith, fate, love, missions and whatnot. One thing I remember - and wrote on a beer card - was her answer to my question if she wasnt afraid that having children would make her have less time to fulfill her mission in life. It was a Paulo Coelho quote, from the Alchemist: Love will never get in the way of fulfilling your "leyenda personal", or else it is not love. The bar closed at 2am, and as we got back on the street we felt like dancing, so we payed 10 soles entrance to what Joanna said was the best disco in Arequipa. It was a nice place, and I felt I was already in Brazil. On the music of a live 10 man band, I did another attempt at salsa, guided by Johanna who howed me a couple of move.
I felt that, my bus to Lima leaving at 7am, it wasnt worth going to leep anymore, and to the rhythm of South America my gringo feet (I dont know what is worse to dance: sandals or hiking boots) danced the night away. As this closed too at 4am, we had another cocktail int he first bar, and chatted about how Joanna wanted to leave Peru. In Arequipa she found it difficult to find a non machist boyfrind, as most didn{t want her to work out of the house (Joanna teaches computer programming at the university of Arequipa).
At 5.30 it was time to go home and pack the rest of my stuff. The night less than great, however, when I realised I had left my camera in the taxi. I heard that Joanna has called all the taxi companies and hasnt given up yet, but I have not much hope. In any case I have decided no to let this loss of a material object affect my for even one minute. In the bus terminal we hugged goodbye, and Joanna kept waving till the bus set off, even though I dont think she could see me, because of the reflection on the window. Te amo mucho, Johanna.
After an almost sleepless night on the bus from Cusco to Arequipa and the sleepless night in Arequipa, I had another very brief, 3 hour night in Lima. The 14 hour bus ride - this time by day - wasnt as bad as expected, but I arrived at Paulos place in Lima only at 23h, ate dinner by 01.30 and then got to bed, only to get up at 4.30 am, to get the taxi and then four hour bussing to Marca Wasi, together with Paulo and David.
It was fitting to end my Peru adventure with a trek with the guys I had begun it. No more girls, just a male thing, with the necessary farting humor in the tent, and with the things that the guys talk about: (censored). After the busride, we had to climb for two hours to reach the Marca Wasi plateau, a strange place, full of weird shaped rocks. You see faces everywhere, faces of which many people say they were carved by humans, others say they are just eroded by the elements. The place is famous for strange happenings, ufo sightings and whatnot. Needless to say I didnt see anything, but it was a great time, and we met absolutely no one during the two days we were there. Tourist free fun!
Today we got back to Paulos house at 6, had another great dinner served by his wonderful, very generous family, and now I am typing this, on my last night in Peru. I feel kind of tired to still go out, and so does David, who goes back to England on Thursday.
7.11.05
In the meantime I am wearing a new pair of glasses. Actually I only saw half of Machu Picchu - literally - cause the frame suddenly broke, in a badly timed timed case of metal fatigue, when I was vititing the ruins. So we got a new frame in Arequipa. Heather told me round frames, like I was wearing, went out of style like 10 years ago. Heather is American though and we Europeans dont think much of yankees where style is concerned, but since I myself am not known either for my taste in fashion, I decided to trust her and Johannas opinion and bought a square frame, for the ridiculously low price of 10 euros, cutting of my old lenses included.
One other fine example of Peruvian bureaucracy: in the bus terminal after paying half a sol for using the bathroom, I got... a receit. I shit you not.
One other fine example of Peruvian bureaucracy: in the bus terminal after paying half a sol for using the bathroom, I got... a receit. I shit you not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)