Day 57

Sorry I'm lame and didn't take a picture this day. But this is a picture from a Combi ride in Barranca. (Jay -- you would never be able to take public transportation here. It's built for tiny Peruvian people.) This is my only picture on a bus/combi because I'm afraid of being robbed if I show everyone I'm carrying a camera. On the way home from class, I was actually talking with my Canadian friend about how I needed to write something on the public transportation, so here's a little free verse about my daily bus ride.

Cooster ride…
Blisters on my palms and fingers from holding on to the metal bars with the driver’s fidgety gear shifting.
Butt cheek to butt cheek is the one personal contact I will never be comfortable with.
Every Cooster has its own decorations.
Sometimes the Virgin Mary or Saints, sometimes Looney Tunes stickers.
My favorite – two bobble-head dogs.
A taste of home when listening to music I recognize – Beach Boys, Lenny Kravitz, Queen
Want to cry when I get spit in the face
It’s stuffy in summer, and even worse since I’m at armpit level
“No eye contact, no eye contact.”
I only know the crucial words – where I’m going and “baja” when I get there.
I almost fell out of the bus -- the door wouldn’t close.
Seats are duct-taped and sink when you sit.
I’ve seen the engine through a hole in the floor.
My backpack on my stomach so I don’t get robbed, but I’ve almost hit people in the face with it.
I realize how torpe I really am. I also know the word “perdon.”
I get the usual gringa stares, so I keep my sunglasses on.
No such thing as bus etiquette.
Every day is an adventure in Peru.


I actually heard both Lenny Kravitz and Queen today. Such a good music day on the bus (but please don't think I'm a Lenny Kravitz fan). I went home, had an unsuccessful nap attempt, and then met Meredith for a pedicure in Miraflores. She was going to a wedding and she got a mani/pedi, but I just went for the pedicure. I felt bad though because between my lost toenail, my blister, and my toenail fungus, my feet are a mess. I gave her a good tip. Meredith and I actually did do work, though -- we've been going over a book called "Cross-Cultural Servanthood" by Duane Elmer, and it's awesome because I am able to see some of the things he's talking about just from my experiences here. And it's also cool to hear how Meredith has dealt with some cross-cultural experiences in her almost 10 years here. Then I met Nadia, Claudia and Cynthia at Eden's house for "comida Arabe" (homemade hummus, pita bread, etc.) Nadia flat out said it was weird (but good) -- I think the most adventurous they get in their food is Chifa, which isn't even totally Chinese food. And then we talked for about 3 hours (mostly Spanish) -- it was so fun and encouraging because I felt I could understand almost everything, even if I couldn't participate much in the discussion.