Por fin....estoy en PERU!

What an amazing day! I really didn't sleep last night getting ready for my flight and cleaning my place, which really isn't too unbelievable if you know me. I am always packing last minute, as almost in disbelief that I am traveling until I step off the plane in a new place and take a look around. So I did a 2 1/2 hour flight to Fort Lauderdale today. Was plenty early for my flight, to my surprise. Then, around 5:30 after a few hours of layover, I stepped on a plane to Lima, Peru, which was about a 5 1/2 hour flight. I have been keeping my eyes open and mind open, letting synchronicities come my way. I was almost in tears getting on the plane looking at that monitor that said "Lima"....as you see below as the first picture, so excited to finally be in this place I have been wanting to go to for so long :)

It wasn't long before I felt compelled to introduce myself to the gentleman you see  in the second picture, Dr. Roberto Beltran, a dentist by trade who runs La Universidad Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. There, people going into medicine, nursing, and dentistry all study. Whoa. Let me just talk about this encounter for a second. He's an professor emeritus who "sees a lot of importance in using traditional medicine".....yeah. Coincidence? He works a lot in the communities surrounding Lima, where just as many people live right in the periphery in shocking poverty as do in the center of the city, which isn't super well off from my first impressions either. Lots of need here. Pretty amazing.

Anyway, we talked for hours, he recommended a book by Dr. Fernando Cabieses about traditional medicine that is well known here. He also talked about how he sends his dental students off to northern Peru for 6 months to help treat patients and experience true poverty for an extended period of time. "They can't come home" he says, "...even if they want to!" All of this with a smile on his face.

I asked him what he was doing coming from Fort Lauderdale. He said, " I have a sad story for you. My son, who was a physician in Florida, just died doing some biking stunt the middle of July. So while I normally have fun there during that time because that's around my birthday, it was filled with sadness this time". Tears started welling up in his eyes. I could tell nothing I could do except respect his experience would be appropriate at that time. Good thoughts and vibes for Mr. Beltran. We sat together in silence for a while, eventually exchanged contact information, and I plan on setting up a time to work with med students at this college in the communities perhaps, or just to hang around and see how their approach to medicine is different. Maybe I will do a few days properly in Lima before taking off from Peru all together. There is so much to see after going through a map with him and so much history to read up on.

One of the most intriguing things he mentioned was Nasca, where, from above in a helicopter or flying in, you can see the equivalent of Peruvian crop circles made from a very long time ago in the shape of things like monkeys...what the heck?!

Awesome!!

I really have not had a trip ever go so smoothly. I can speak the language, communicate well with people (much easier than the Dominican Republic!!), I rented a cell phone (from the US, dial 00-11-51-987-560-967) and it's free for me to receive calls if you need to get a hold of me anytime. I should have my phone with me always. So that got done in 5 minutes, and then I exchanged my money commission-free and got right through customs..literally. I pressed a randomized button that will send you forward or send you to a search line for customs, and I couldn't help but laugh when I got the green arrow.

Then a taxi driver was waiting at the airport as promised by the hostel and was very friendly and informative. Some people I had talked with on the plane looking to go the same area of Lima hopped in my cab and we all shared my cab (and costs!). Worked out so well. We even stopped for traditional plantain chips and Inca Kola, which was florescent yellow and tasted like bubble gum. Let's just say I am glad I tried it once. My cab driver seemed to like his too. I talked to him for a while and found out he is paid by the week, not by his number of pickups. He works for many hostels and picks up visitors from the airport. He had been working for 14 days straight, which was normal for him, and his next pickup was 3:20 am to bring someone to the airport. He has a wife and 2 young kids (less than 2 years old).

My first impression having driven a bit around Lima so far is Costa Rica meets LA. Very strange combo. I've never seen anything quite like it.

And here I am, drinking a Pilsen Callao, enjoying life as I figure out which way to get to Cusco. I had issues buying my airplane ticket today to Cusco (very secure website I guess), so I am going to try to buy them again right now and if that doesn't work, I might take that as a sign to take a bus. May be quite the adventure!

I am so lucky.

I will keep you updated as I undoubtedly have some more amazing experiences!!

¡Buenas noches de Peru!