LIMA

We're here. Last night was pretty fun. Everybody told us that Lima's dangerous, but it seems just like the other cities we've been to: just gotta keep my cool and not do something stupid like walk into an unlit, grimy alley. It's actually quite nice. There are cool new plants everywhere and everything is very clean. Too bad I'll only be here a total of 37 hours. Nothing amaaaaazing to report. Our dinner of chicken and fries was sinfully delicious. We went out last night and met some cool folks at a nightclub/bar. We realized later that it was a gay bar in disguise, but nobody hit on us so we didn't know. Absolutely EVERYthing closes at night here and one is forced to rely on street vendors for late-night food and drinks. Our hostal is nothing special but costs more than twice as much as the Tauro hostal in Pisco where we were for the last week. Actually, it doesn't even have hot water and the other one had super hot water. We're not terribly happy with it, but after looking online for an hour last night, I couldn't find even one lead about a cheaper one. Meh, oh well. Big cities don't always win over small ones. This place has FAR superior internet shops than the others we've encountered in Perú, though. Last night I actually got to chat in real-time with my mom and some others online. Plus there are new video games on all the machines here and the cafes are always full of young guys killing eachother on web-based battlefields. Last night to treat ourselves, Andy and I got cups of real coffee. It's been at least two months since I drank a cup of non-dehydrated coffee. I am by no means a coffee kind of person, but it felt reeeeeally good to drink some quality brew.
My stomach is practically eating itself I'm so hungry. Gotta wait only one more hour until lunchtime. Maybe Chinese today. You can tell from the grave and important nature of what I'm saying that there's really not much going on right now. Just the last day in Limbo before I leave this Homeric quest for self-indulgence. Last night while chatting, Andy and I reflected on how weird it is to think that I'll be back in the U.S. within 38 hours. It was three months ago that I thought to myself, "weird, in less than 38 hours I'll be in Brazil." Now the tables have turned and the trip is over. It's a "whoa" from South America this time.
This post is going nowhere. Unfortunately, it will be one of the last. However, when I have down-time in Indiana while visiting my cousin Conrad in a few days, I'll post the meditative reflection on my long experience here for y'all. But for now, I need to distract myself by other means so I stop thinking about the delicious bowl of wonton soup and plate of noodles that awaits me in an hour. Mmmmm.
More to come, at least one more. Be patient, wish me luck in figuring out the massive Lima airport today and in either pulling an all-nighter or waking up on time to catch my 5:50 a.m. flight tomorrow. Either coffee or Benadryl, haven't yet decided :). Just kidding.

Later, guys and dolls.
B