March 1st, Some thoughts on Peru

These are just random things I want to remember or mention. NEVER miss the opportunity to grab extra napkins, sections of TP here as most of the time you will find none where you land. The hostels are fine. But places we´ve stopped on the tours, restaurants, often aren´t well equipped. The worst was yesterday when we stopped for a few minutes at the highest point to take pictures of the glaciers, you go and then a guy follows you in and throws a bucket of water in so it will flush!! I passed on that! Then I desperately had to use the little emergency one on the bus (several people had used it) where you shut the door, can´t stand up, and THERE´S NO LIGHT! That was fun but necessary!!  :) Peruvian people seem really poor! Much more so than in Ecuador. It reminds me of China in some small towns, or Mexico where every tourist stop has SOOO many tables and hawkers selling the same stuff. And it´s uncomfortable to even look because they seem so desperate to sell you something!  Yesterday I heard that lovely Peruvian flute ploaying and stopped to look. I thought Doug might really enjoy learning to play it and maybe it would fit in with their chanting somehow. Anyway, I asked the guy how much, he said 50 soles, professional. Then I looked at the cheaper looking one with the llama on it and asked him to play it. I could heaqr the difference. I walked away. Then he kept coming down, 45, 40. I had offered 30 and he finally followed me to the bus and took 30. Oh, he tried to sell it to me for 30 without the woven case, but I said no, thanks. So I was happy with my purchase! Have bought 2 CDs from musicians playing in restaurants where we were. There was a lovely buffet yesterday on the way here, and they played Guantanamera. I could just picture Rob ert playihng and singing it! Anyway, when he came around, I bought it and had Betty take our picture together! He was charming! There were little girls out by several llamas and we also posed with them. The older girl with the bucket for soles wouldn´t smile and seemedf annoyed that people took to the littler ones who were just having fun. Gotta go to breakfast!!