Lee Mah

Facts for Today

*I have (finally) left Cusco.
Looked forward to departure for days, then caught myself in the cab yesterday wishing I could stay. Must fly from the cobblestones, cocaine and- tourists. Must fly from the tourists. Such an exciting city, in some ways. Another few weeks and I might have been hooked.

*I have a cold. (Actually I may just be run down.)

My mind is working very slowly, one thought at a time (hence format). I went to bed early, woke up late, and am still tired. In the lounge they were watching You've Got Mail, and I have to convince myself not to just lie all day in front of the television. Must go out, and earn the right to lie in front of the television. This does not sound like me.

*Arrived yesterday in Lima.
Lima. I have heard nothing but bad things about this city since coming to Peru. Started off my time here by getting lost outside the airport, searching for cheaper taxis. A man in a nice car tells me "This is not a safe place." Enjoyed the half an hour cab ride immensly- lots to look at, lots of variety. I get to the hostel. Put down my stuff. Go out again (my new-city routine, must go out as soon as I arrive). Wander for 40 minutes or so. Don't know where I'm going. Don't know how I get back.

*I am back in The Point Hostel. (Turns out it is a chain.)
The room I am in is called Lee Mah (not Lima, Lee Mah) and there is a story posted outside the door about a Japenese navigator who settled here when it was just a small port. I cannot deceide if this is bogus or not. That's the trouble with these hostels. It is hard to know what to take seriously.

*I have an intense conversation in the dorm with a cross-legged, long-haired American man with an Irish accent, who has lived the last 14 years in Bangkok. We talk about politics and peace and the danger of caring too much. He is the second person I have met on this trip who really knows how to listen. This makes me want to cry. If I had seen him on the street I might think he was crazy, but these is nothing crazy about his words, his thoughts. We all have our masks.

*I have received several emails. (This cheers me up considerably).

Thanks to those of you who have written me.

*Internet here costs 1.50 soles per hour. (Rather than 1 in Cusco)
Of course if you went to the cafes in the plaza it could be 2-2.5 in Cusco. Ah Cusco...

*The sky here is very gray, almost glowing, and the air is humid.

*I want to take pictures (in case you're wondering this is a new hobby of mine), as there are some wonderful scenes here, but have been told to think twice before taking out my camera in public. I can't deceide how much of people's warnings are just regular "don't be stupid and don't sue us", or if this city is actually dangerous. There is a sign up in the hostel saying "If you want to go for a walk on the beach leave all your valuables here and accept you might get mugged." I try not to worry about it; I have not come this far to become a timid traveller.

*I must go now, walk a little more. There is a surprisingly comfortable bed waiting for me in the dorm.

N.