Barranco and Ruins

     This morning we walked to Barranco, a town just south of Lima and about an hour walk from where we are staying.  While we were there, we went to a small cafe.
     On the the menu there was a lùcuma milkshake.  This was brownish yellowish, and at first seemed to be cherry because, despite the color, it had a similar taste.  The lùcuma, known in English as the eggfruit because its texture is similar to the yolk of a hard-boiled egg, is a round fruit native to the Andean valleys of Peru.
    We also had a very good brownie and frozen lemonade before walking back.
     This evening we went to a restaurant that overlooked some Incan ruins.  Unfortunately, we could not see as much of them as we sould have liked, but it was amazing to see this ancient architecture in the middle of the city.

Dispatch from Hostal el Patio

     We're only fourteen degrees south of the equator, but the weather feels like an Olympian summer day--mid-sixties and overcast.
     We spent a lot of today walking around the city.  Surprisingly we didn't get lost, but we made quite a few unnecessary loops and detours.  First thing after we set out, we went to a bank and got out some soles.  We then wandered around the city for a while, looking for the South American Exploreres Club--they were fairly useless in directing us even to a place to eat, but we got to see a small portion of the city as we wandered. 
     This evening one of the nearby parks had a night-market, and there were vendors out and crowds of people and a surprising number of cats lounging in the flower beds.  Everybody seems to stay up and go out late in Lima.
     Crossing the street is an ordeal, because in the few places where there is a traffic light the crush of people weaving togther is bewildering, and when there isn't a crosslight the best thing to do is to find a small break in traffic and then walk briskly right behind the car that is at the front of the break.  Car horns honk with regularity, and seemingly at nothing.
     In an hour or two we are going to head out for dinner, and maybe to listen to some music. 
     Happy day of the dead!

Lima!

     We landed in Lima around 8.00 Oly time (10.00 here).
      It took while to get through customs, but once we got out in the city it was so different!  Walk signs glow green and show an animated figure in motion, people lean out of buses, pedestrians with small children in tow crowd the streets at 11.30 at night, dogs roam the streets, fire dancers perform in intersections while the light is red.
     Today was a really long day of travelling, so I will keep this short but post more tomorrow.

Day 1

     We had an uneventful flight to LA.  We had seats in the first bulk head, so there was extra leg room, but we were split up.  It was a pretty short flight, though, and the ride to the hotel afterwards was short.
     My uncle (father's brother) picked us up and we went out to dinner with my aunt.  Her husband joined us at my uncle's later, and we spent some time there.  It was nice to have a low-key afternoon, because tomorrow we are going to be doing a LOT of  travelling.  
     To take the shuttle to the airport we have to wake up at 4.15, then we have a flight to San Francisco, a connection to Houston, and then our flight to Lima.  We should be arriving in Lima about 10.00 Olympia time.
     Happy Halloween.

Last-Minute Cleaning

     We have had so many things to do to get the house ready to go.  The fridge and pantry are all cleaned out, the rabbits and washer and dryer got a thorough cleaning, and the cupboards in the bathroom were cleaned out for the first time since we moved in.  A few of the items in the cupboard had expired on 2003.  
     Today Lillie got a bath so that she is nice and clean when she leaves, but it is going to be so hard to say goodbye to her.  She knows that we are leaving, but she doesn't know when or why, and she is going to feel abandoned.  I may have said that before--it is a big concern.
   I can now stop counting the days before we leave, and start counting the hours.

Wet dog pics:

Getting Close!!

I can't believe how quickly our trip is coming up!  

There are so many last times that I'll be doing things.  I think that Lillie knows that we're leaving, because she has been really needy lately and following us around.  A few times she has even tried to climb in the car before we drive off.  For a while after we leave she is going to be nervous; I just hope that she'll be able to settle quickly into a new rhythm of life. 

We had mystery bread last night--made from some kind of flour that was in our pantry.  It tasted very good, but we still don't know what it was made from (except that it wasn't whole wheat or barley). 

I got my braces off on Monday, and my retainer yesterday, and am still adjusting to talking without brackets and with stuff on the roof of my mouth.  Making the 'ss' sound is particularly hard.

Right now we are mostly wrapping things up before we leave--my mother is really really close to being done with work, and my parents are getting the last of their shots today.  We still need to book our Hong Kong reservations, but we are getting close and will have that done this weekend.  

SE Asia (Possible) Itinerary

     So far, just working with guide books for the most part, we have mapped a possible meandering route during the Southeast Asia leg: 

- Arrive in Hanoi, spend a few days there, and then do a short loop through the northwest highlands & Sapa. 
- Go to Halong Bay, then south by train to Hue and Hoi An. 
- Visit Dalat and the Central Highlands, then south to the Mekong Delta (possibly by-passing or minimizing time in Ho Chi Minh city). 
- Cross into Cambodia at Prek Chak, and then look for quiet beaches around Sihanoukville and the nearby islands. 
- Go on to Phnom Penh. 
- Go to Battambang and Siem Reap. 
- Go to Kratie, and then the Northeast -- Mondulkiri and Ban Lung? 
- Cross into Laos at Trapeang Kriel. 
- Visit the "Four Thousand Islands" area, then north to Vientiane and Luang Prabang. 
- Cross into Northern Thailand, and from there we still have to research our options before our departure from Bangkok.

     We have been busy clearing out drawers cupboards, and compiling all the gear we'll need to take.  We've been trying to eat everything in the fridge and pantry, which has resulted in some unique ingredients in meals and lots and lots of pickles.  All the baking utensils are getting a thorough cleaning, and we are actually throwing away some of the jars that have been piling up!  
     Meanwhile, we did a test pack on one of the backpacks.  It turned out a little bulky, but everything fit with room to spare.  We will probably pack the other two tomorrow, to make  sure that everything fits.  
     Lillie went for a couple of sleepovers last week with the family that's going to look after her while she's gone.  The verdict (we hope) is that she's going to be happy staying with Olivia's family, but she on both occasions was excited to get home.