hey jess, what´d you do yesterday?
oh, n2m ya know. just hiked around some inca ruins in the morning then went horseback riding around the andes in the afternoon.
i´m still not clear if the horses were legit meant for riding or if some hombre just decided to make some money off some gringos, but their brochure was better translated than the menu in aquas calientes that advertised ‘padded stuff of german nicklel´. that, plus my horse riding experience which includes (soley) birthday parties at carol´s country farm and last summer a pony trail ride at camp where i spent most of the time chatting up the guide, i felt confident galloping over rocky terrain on a possibly wild horse. took a break at some more ruins, got a great tour from our guide and ate our healthy provided snack of oreos and a chocolate bar.
i´m staying with alli´s peruvian family, and they are so kind and wonderful. every time i come in looking lost, forlorn, sweaty and generally american, their 12 year old son offers me tea. i drink more tea here than i ever have in my life. it is intense. last night the parents were both working late so the boys asked me and alli to help make rice. terrible mistake. we absolutely botched a pot of rice then decided to make grilled cheese. the only cheese we could find at the market was similar to kraft singles cheese product and we hid it from the mom, embarassed to be using such a thing. they were bewildered by the creation and we kept repeating that it was a favorite of kids (and 23 year olds) in the states. their 10 year old loved it, and the parents politely nibbled at it before cleaning the pan and making a proper dinner.
i think my dad is a little worried that i am going to fall in love with a peruvian and never return. probably because i threaten to do this every time i enter a country. not yet, but i still have two more days.
and then five days in dc, possibly ny, five days in sugar land, ten days in austin, then four in bonnaroooo.
shout out to my cousin teresa and future cousin in law mark for graduating college. hollaaa
hm i had more updating to do, but i am also currently on a conference call re: my summer employment and eating my second chocolate bar, i´m a little distracted.
still to come:
- Why I Am Officially One of the Coolest People You Know: The Story of Salkantay
- Tipping: Bad for Cows, Necessary for Humans
- CER = 24
and while you wait, you can get a feel for how my hike probably went based on the only other long trek i ever attempted here. and thanks uncle jerry for the advice on linking 
