My last month in Peru was spent traveling. First, I went back to the coast for one last plate of cevíche at my favorite restaurant in Huanchaco, Estrella de la Marina. From there I went to up to Huaraz and Yungay – the Cordillera Blanca and location of Huascarán. At 22,204 ft, it is the second highest peak in South America. (This valley is a must see if/when you visit.) Also nearby is Chavín de Huantar – a temple structure built by a feline-god worshiping cult around 800 BC. Certainly some of my favorite artwork I’ve seen here.
From there, I hopped on a bus to Lima to meet my parents. We flew to Iquitos, and spent three days, 50 miles down the Amazon River. The sights and sounds of the primary jungle can’t even be described, but here are some of my favorite pics:
After that we traveled up into the Andes to Cuzco. It’s certainly the most touristy and expensive city in Peru, but its beauty is worth the price. It’s also home to Cuzqueña – my new favorite beer in the world. At nearly 1200 ft, Cuzco was the main Incan capital. During the colder months, back in the day, the royalty and their entourage would travel from there to their winter home -- Machu Picchu. Like the Amazon, words fall way short of conveying how truly spectacular it really is. Here’s a visual aid:
I’ll definitely return to Machu Picchu some day. However, next time I hope to make the journey via the 4-day and 14,000ft Inca Trail. Also worth mentioning is the beautiful little town of Pisac, located in the Sacred Valley. It’s a great place to hike, shop, relax, or play volleyball with the local kids.
We flew back to The States together, after a final couple days in Lima. It was sure nice to be back home. Home – sitting back on a comfy couch, California burrito in hand, watching the news or a movie (in English). Home – where I have amazing friends whom I can actually have profound conversations with (also in English). Home – where I have the best and most handsomest dog in the world (… and he has a pretty good English vocabulary too).
Of course, being back in the ol’ US of A was a bit of a shock. The first thing that really struck me was how incredibly fat we are. Peru has it’s share of “gordos”, but for Christ’s sake people …we’re downright embarrassing. And you can’t imagine the contrast between dealing with Peruvians long-term and then suddenly being, face to face with some spiteful whore, harassing me from behind Miami Airport’s American Airlines counter at 5 AM. That was a shocker. (I don’t think I’d dropped the f-word at anybody directly since my last commute up the 805. …Certainly never twice.) My first instinct was to turn and run back to the next plane south. (And however possible, grab a decent hamburger, a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and a block of Tillamook White Cheddar.) …But again, once back in SD, with family and friends, it was nice to be home.
Well, that could have been the end of my “Great Escape”, but you all know me -- I’m sometimes a wee bit tardy. It took me a while, but I managed to get a good fill of burgers, Jack Daniel’s, and I even went to the town of Tillamook. Then I packed up all my essentials; put it in the back of a Toyota Tundra; drove to San Francisco; and put it all on a boat bound for Lima. Finally, I got back on that plane and headed south.
This is why:
As my time in Yantaló was nearing its end, I was looking for jobs back home via Internet. Obviously, the timing probably couldn’t have been worse to be entering the job market. All options seemed to lead to some air-conditioned veal-fattening pen. To the contrary, the number of options that I had here in the jungle was increasing with every day. …And not one involved a commute, a time clock, or “business casual”. It was clear, that for me, the “The Land of Opportunity” had changed hemispheres.
So, with a little luck (and what possibly could be considered insider trading in the US), I grabbed up a nice chunk of land, just before it was announced publicly that the location of the hospital would be moving right next-door. An unobstructed, 360º view, with the Andes to the west and the Rio Mayo to the east? …Adjacent to what will be the first sustainable hospital in South America? …That I get to help build. And my only real cost, other than the ridiculously cheap land, is a self-imposed obligation to help improve the health and education of some people that have been nothing short of wonderful to me.
My plan is to build eco-friendly (but still comfy) bungalows for the visiting doctors to rent while they are here working. The nearest hotel is about 30 minutes away. And that’s on a good day -- when there’s actually a taxi available and the roads aren’t washed out between here and Moyobamba. I think most would prefer the 200-meter walk from my place.
On the remainder of the land I’m gonna grow cacao – that’s “chocolate” for the Castillano-impaired. My hope is to hook up with some chocolate boutique back in the US. (I think marketing 100% Amazonian cacao, with 25-50% of the proceeds going to the hospital here, has potential. Especially when organic and “Fair Trade” certified.) Sure, the US economy may be crap for a while, but people will always buy chocolate. …Especially if they’re contributing to a worthy cause at the same time.
So yeah, …I guess I’m technically gonna be an ex-pat construction contractor and laborer; a hotel-owner/operator; as well as a chocolate farmer. …Oh, and an English teacher too. Random, huh? That cliché interview question: “Where do see yourself in 5 years?” …Who’d a thunk it? But, I look at it like this: Where else can I live cheaply yet comfortably; work at home in a beautiful location; with no neighbors; be able to have a real positive impact on my community; reduce my carbon footprint to almost nothing; and still buy (or admittedly rip) music on-line? Except for the lack of a taco shop down the street and a couple of Pioneer CDJ1000’s, it’s pretty much my idea of paradise.
Unfortunately my initial steps toward paradise kicked off at a snail’s pace. After what seemed a lifetime of customs bureaucracy, I finally received my box of belongings and my truck. However, four months later and I'm still waiting for the license plates. Hence the truck is inoperable in Lima.
Lima. Ugh. Where do I begin? Lima is crazy. It’s like Tijuana with 9 million people. (For reals – that’s how many people live there.) And 90% of ‘em act like tweekers -- racing around in circles, taking one step forward for every two steps back. It gives the initial impression that time is important, but ultimately the Latin American stereotypes prevail. There are some incredibly beautiful parts to Lima, but the majority of the populace lives in real poverty and ignorance. Fortunately, I am lucky to have met some amazing people 
there, who helped keep me sane for the three months I suffered in bureaucratic hell. I waited. Heard lame excuses. And waited. Got more excuses. And waited some more. …And finally, like after my inaugural night in Lima back in ‘08 (when I left hung-over and food-poisoned), I headed for the jungle feeling like damaged goods. The score now: Lima 2, Gringo 1. But there WILL be rematch. ...I have to go back for the truck after all.
But finally, now a whole year after my last blog, I’m back -- in the air warm, with a Cusqueña at hand and the familiar choir of animals and insects. They’re all providing a familiar comfort as I refine my plan to reach my aforementioned “paradise”.
Despite having been here a short time, I’ve managed to be pretty productive. I’ve got myself a studio in Moyo now (for a whopping $50/mo), and have a room in Yantaló ($10/mo) – where I store my tools and work stuff. I located all my property lines (easier said than done here), and started to clear the land where my cacao trees will be. I’d hoped to do all the work solo, but due to time-constraints (plus 40 yrs of wear-and-tear), I’ve got a crew of about 10 guys, who ferociously hack away at the brush with machetes from 5AM to noon. I just measure out their individually assigned plots the afternoon before. It’s amazing how fast those little guys work. My only advantage in this arena is height, so consequently I get to trim or remove the trees left in their wake. Overall, the work is fun, but both mentally and physically taxing. It feels great after being stagnant for so long (in both Lima and CA). It’s even better when you look up and see things like this:
I may have gotten off to a rough start this time around, but finally I’m reminded what it was all for. It is so exciting to be back. There’s certainly lots of work to be done. However, I’m really looking forward to what lies ahead.
Hablamos pronto.
Abrazos.
