The things you learn about the locals

[lonelybrit]

So, Quillabamba, city of eternal summer, pleasant if not particularly interesting. Apparently.

Hah.

Well, first off, it is a lovely town. Hot, green, dry but humid. On clear days you can look up, look down this green valley, and see these dazzling huge snow-capped mountains at the end. Really, quite lovely.

The hotels aren't much to write home about. We stayed in two rather fun ones. One had a courtyard full of parrots who raised hell at the crack of dawn and woke everyone up. The other had a cock-pit at the end of the garden - complete with fresh blood splashes on the walls - as well as a small zoo and a tame tiny deer that wanders up to your table at breakfast to steal your bread.

Flushing toilets were reserved for the very swish restaurants, i.e. ones with paint on the walls.

But there were, on average, at least two internet cafes on every street. Seriously, it was surreal. And these places were packed 24/7. On the whole it was the young people who went here. They would come and play games, or chat and listen to music.

Or, as we found out, look at online porn. The thing is, these 'private' booths aren't actually that private. The result being that my friend had to sit next to some guy looking at close-up pictures of female ejaculation. She came away very distressed.

I sat next to a guy who was looking at photos of an oiled, muscular man who was wearing nothing bar a white jock strap and a sizable pair of white fluffy angel wings. It would have made quite a nice icon actually. I came away very amused.

Anyway, porn and the internet aside, it turns out the people of Quillabamba love to party. Seriously. We're talking plazas packed with people, live music, processions, parades, fireworks... until two in the morning.

Every night.

For a week.

We had turned up for the anniversary of the town's 49th year as an offical city/town. And every day there was something happening. There were children processing past the local celbrities (i.e. police chief and Miss Cafe et al.), what we called 'Andean Hookers' with their short skirts and thigh high leather boots, Incas who bowed to the stage and then danced in their gold costumes, live 'modern' folk music, panpipes complete with strobe lights and a thumping bass that made the glass shake in the windows. It really was something. It started at 1pm in the afternoon, and kept going till dawn. Hats off to these folks, they put us English party creatures to shame.

The town also sells rum and limes incredibly cheap. Which was good. We got very used to our nightly Cube Libres and games of Scrabble.

We also visted the local waterfalls. Just beautiful. Seven basins carved into the rock by this stream of water. Also very good for keeping off the evil evil midges who eat you alive unless you soak yourself in Deet. We rode back from the waterfalls on top of a local open-top truck. Sat on top of these sacks of maize with the wind in our faces, a fantastic view of the valley, and actually quite comfortable and sure in the knowledge that if the truck did go over the precipice (we'd seen two examples of that kind of accident in just 10 days) we would have time to leap clear from our lofty perch. Happy days.

Anyway, after that it was one day in Cusco while we waited for flights back to Lima. Cusco just has to be seen to be believed. Breathing thin air is an experience, and not an altogether nice one. If you do go there, drink Matte de Cocoa, and you will feel better. But don't run, eat too heavily, or generally do too much until you've adjusted.

But the city is beautiful. It's wierd to realise you're walking down the same streets as the Incas, you look at the bases of the buildings and streets and you can see these old perfectly fitted stones with snakes carved into them. Just amazing. Nice to see this city becoming the second capital once again. Well, kind of anyway.

And now we're back in Lima. I'll be heading off on Monday to spend a week with the family in Cruz de Montcrupe. That should be an experience, though I am looking forward to seeing my sister again. She is just the sweetest thing.


And completely off tangent, other than this is about a friend who used to live in Lima...

Once upon a time there was a man. He met another man and a relationship started. It would have been a serious one, everyone knew that, except these two went and had a fight. A big fight, and the other walked out. Heart was broken, pride won over, and life went on.

Anyway, this man goes on with his life. Though everyone knows that the one who got away was the one who really meant something to him.

Cue fourteen years later. The One Who Got Away sends a card with the message: You were right. I was wrong.

The result? Fourteen years later, they both drop everything and before you know it, they're back together. They're still together. One of them has just moved country so they can stay together. I think this will be it for them. Despite that short gap.

I don't know, I just found that tale the sweetest thing, almost made me uncynical for five minutes :)

Comments

[theferretgirl.livejournal.com]

Looks like you're having one hell of a time there. And Awwww, on the last part.

[cerisaye.livejournal.com]

Grrrrreat icon there FG. Phew.

[theferretgirl.livejournal.com]

How about this one? ;-)

I think there should be icons made out of THESE *nodnod*

[cerisaye.livejournal.com]

*Fans self*

I love Steve Walker's stuff, ever since I found one of his works on a book cover and went to check out his website. In my dreams of course I've got one (or more) hanging on my wall. Sigh. But I'd settle for an icon.

[lonelybrit]

Oh oh oh.

Now those are seriously pretty... *gazes*

[cerisaye.livejournal.com]

Wow. Sounds like a great trip. Rather makes my recent stay in Devon seem awfully tame. As for the true life romance, I agree with you about feeling a lovely warm glow that just sometimes love conquers all.

Hi, BTW, it's been a while.

*g*

[lonelybrit]

*hugs* Hello to you too! And yes, it's oddly comforting that love really can still do that to people :)

[ok2nv-theoracle.livejournal.com]

You mean, like this?



Or like this?



Or like this?



;Þ

[lonelybrit]

Hehehehe... Yeah, similar to those, but you have forgotten the oil! ;)

[lonelybrit]

Ain't it nice to know that love stories might just have an origin in RL sometimes? =)

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Awww, that story is so wonderful!

And thank you for sharing details about your trip; I've always been interested in going there, so it's especially cool to hear about your experiences. :)

[lonelybrit]

Thank you :) It is a fascinating country. On the one hand there is so much to nitpick and gripe about, but on the other, it's just an amazing place.