Live and learn...and via Villazón never return

I am finally back in Puno, Peru! This weekend I have been able to relax, recollect and reorganize myself in preparation for the first long stay in one of my communities in the province of Chucuito. When I returned on Friday afternoon, my friends Kike and Gerson surprised me with a very fancy welcome back lunch...it's nice having friends who know how to cook!

Let's just say that I learned a lot on my trip through Bolivia. The primary lesson was that I am not going to do that again. The bus ride was rather unpleasant: 20 hours in seats that hardly reclined on a bumpy dirt road and without a bathroom. After three hours one Argentine went nutzo after asking when we were stopping to use the restroom. In Villazón we had been promised a stop over to eat and use the bathroom three hours into the trip. When the driver said it would be another three hours, well, let's just say the Argentine did not take it very well. And thank GOD she flipped out. The bus promptly pulled over on the side of the road (in the middle of nowhere) and, aided only by the full moon, ALL the girls went to the left side of the bus and all the guys to the right side. Once we did reach "rest stops"everyone on board agreed it would be better to fast than chance eating. So, over the trip, I had 4 pieces of bread and a bottle of water.

Luckily, I met some very nice Argentines who shared their mate with me. In exhange, I played tour agent, offering ideas for excursions, housing, and food in La Paz, Cuzco, and Puno. Seriously, I should start charging for my services!

We FINALLY arrived to La Paz. I grabbed a cab to the hotel where a group of American Univeristy students were staying with the University Chaplain Joe Eldridge. I met up with them for dinner, explaining a bit about my project in Puno and answering questions they had about the region. The group had just arrived and was still recovering from the altitude adjustment, but seemed to be pretty excited about the activities that awaited them during the week. They are a lucky bunch. I, too, traveled with Joe Eldridge two years ago in La Paz. It was one of the most exciting and memorable trips of my life and definitely set me up for where I am now.

After an expectedly chaotic border crossing on market day in Desaguaderos, I returned to my Peruvian family and friends in Puno. While it was nice to get away, I must say that I am thrilled to be back here again!