I wrote this during our night at the Lima airport…
The Lima airport kind of reminds me of a mall food court complete with McDonalds and Papa John’s (oh ooosa, I wish I knew how to quit you) and groups of rowdy teenagers, amorous lovers, and elderly groups of onlookers. Two white backpackers sip Cusqueña and play cards. A man naps on his backpack. A Peruvian mother searches frantically through her suitcase for something to calm her screaming child. A young woman taps away on her laptop that she probably shouldn’t be displaying in a Lima airport when she’s not yet through security. Oh wait, that young woman is me.
And so is our waiting game. Yenny and I arrived at 11:30 pm to Lima and our flight doesn’t leave for Piura until 6:30 am. For these seven hours, Jorge Chavez International Airport is our home (Side note about the airport: Jorge Chavez died in a plane crash. Will Rogers died in a plane crash. OKC + Lima = soul mates because who in their right mind would name an airport after someone who died in a plane crash?!) Besides people watching and reading Eat Pray Love (I’m now in the Pray part, but I much preferred the Eat), there’s not a whole lot to do. So alone with my thoughts I reflect on my previous experiences in Peru, specifically this very airport.
I remember last summer waiting in the Lima airport and spending well over $75 on souvenirs because evidently I couldn’t find time to buy any presents over the course of nine weeks. Overpriced Shot glasses and t-shirts it is! I remember blowing up air mattresses to attempt to sleep in the airport while Mr. Reel and Father Ross watched our luggage. I remember sitting huddled in a corner shaking because I was so sick on our way to Cusco last summer. I remember calling our tour guide on the pay phone with the CK group when I was 19 because I was the only one who spoke Spanish and opening with “Hola” only to be completely lost after that. I remember hearing flight announcements every 15 minutes and the sounds of construction as they remodeled the airport (they did a fantastic job). I remember sampling some kind of liquor in the duty free shop in high school and thinking I was a complete badass. I remember snacking on chifles and Inca Kola as we sat waiting to go home, worried that our flight was overbooked. I remember pushing the red/green light to have your baggage checked and getting the red light three years in a row.
And from now on I’ll remember Yenny’s and my breakfast of champions at the Lima airport at 3:30 am:
Jenny ordered first and the lady gave her two forks. Imagine her surprise when I ordered my own. Yeah, we don't mess around.
But all of the waiting and not sleeping was well worth it because our arrival was an absolute joyous occasion...
Roses :)
Yenny's always lookin awfully cute while I'm attacking people.
How do we manage to look so cute after a sleepless night? That shrug says, "beats me." :)
Dafne - youngest of my family. Beyond precious.
Yenny and Leidy
So when I say that I live at a church in Piura, I don't actually mean we sleep on pews. Because that would be both weird and uncomfortable. We actually stay in a complex connected to the church with real live beds, bathrooms, and a kitchen. See for yourself in this virtual tour...
Our "sitting area." Check out that computer - always the faithful blogger
Is Yenny trying to seduce me? I'm not sure, but it's working. With even the slightest movement our bunk beds shake uncontrollably (I can make your bed rock...) and threaten to come crashing down on us
Our bathroom. I enjoy obvious captions.
Dining room
Other rooms and patio
Computer room. Those are pictures of the parish staff listing their age and name, and interestingly if they're single or married. Good to know.
The actual church (where we don't sleep).
View of Piura from the bell tower. Very scenic.
Stay tuned for the next post where I'll describe two near death experiences that have already occurred during our first two days (Boo and Dad - don't worry, it wasn't that bad. I'm exaggerating. For all other readers - yes, it was that bad. You're gonna want to read this, comment, follow my blog, and tell your friends).
Lori!!!! I loved reading your blog after Peru, and now I'm super pumped you're starting up again for your and Yenny's trip. Keep up the posts, I'll be sure to read them. :)
ReplyDelete-Caroline
So this is how its going down, I’m gonna call you out on your two near death experiences shameless plug before you reveal them. So I’m looking at these pictures and one stands out in particular, the third one down, subtitled “Roses” “smiley face” emoticon. So I hate to be captain obvious, but you are posing for a picture in the middle of the road. Such an amateur tourist move its not even funny. The photographer is easily standing in the fast lane scared for his or her life right now but this picture has to go down. But I’ve been there before I’m not judging, a night of no sleep, the middle of the road looks exactly the side of the road and vice versa. So death experience no. one an out of control bus is barreling down the road, and there are like kids in the back fighting so the bus driver is looking back yelling at the kids with his or her eyes off the road and then he or she sees this bright light, and its no ordinary light, it’s the greatest smile in the world brightening up that city that they turn around, see an American tourist posing for a pic, slam on the brakes, and stop before its too late. Damn, it must be nice to have a million dollar smile. Alright, onto observation number two, same picture, moments before I think, its hard to judge exact chronological order but this what happens roughly its hard to say but I can make a good guess. So here it goes, alright so you eat this large yellow rice and chicken meal, its late, you’re feeling lethargic, just stumbling around, and you trip over something. Turns out it was a baby llama, south American man’s best friend, and its name is Boomer, and its owner just happens to be a couple feet away from a bienvenidas lori y jenny sign and he is not happy at all he just saw this. I’ll let you tell the rest of the story but DAYUM, that guy is not in a happy mood at all. Game Set Match, just leaked your next post like a boss. Also, I’m reading, and I find myself going on this sweet virtual tour, and the bathroom comes up. I’m no Rick Steves, but I know the number reference for any world traveler is the website “Where do I put the paper, a handy guide to the world’s toilets.” Conveniently there is a Peru entry which reads (I know you’ve read this but I’m putting it down for the amateurs that follow your blog): You'll normally find a little bin by the toilet, use that for the paper. The system can't cope with it and you really don't want to flood the place.” I’m not sure the picture/caption combo addresses this claim adequately so I am proposing this before the master. And so, that is also my alternate prediction for your death encounter #2. But if you want to waste a few good hours, you should hit up that website and read about the real things you need to know before world traveling. So, “otra vez”, that’s chump talk where I come from. So two posts in one night, how can that be done, well, I may or may not of come home tonight, saw some lokos in the fridge, and decided, damn, right now is a good time to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean triology.
ReplyDeleteYour second biggest reader,
Ramon