Strangeness at the Supermercado

Wasted space if you ask us!

In Cusco, you can find an entire aisle of any given item but only a few different brands to choose from. We’re not really sure why, but at least it takes the pressure off of having to make a decision!

Cusco, Peru

While attempting to plan ahead, which everyone knows we are oh-so good at, we penciled in two days in Cusco on our hand-drawn calendar. We didn´t have much in mind, but two days before leaving Santa Teresa Ben let his friend Katy (pronounced Kaddy, or so Ben thought) know, so very far in advance, that we would be arriving and invading her home. Katy has her own tour company (Aspiring Adventurtes, check them out) in Cusco and had brought a group, of one, through the zip-line in Santa Teresa three years back, when and where they met. The three of them (Ben, Katy and her client Steve) got along just peachaly, and after several hours of Scrabble and several bottles of wine became pretty solid mates, as the Kiwis and Australians would say. Katy and Steve are both from down under.

So that brings us to Katy´s house in Cusco. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, and instead of leaving on Tuesday as planned, sat around and enjoyed the company, cooking home cooked meals, a couch, movies, one wicked-late bar night (sun was up when we stumbled out) complete with some tasty Victor the Felafel King felafels, and everything else that we missed from home. Katy also has an absolutely adorable two-year old girl named Nina, who we thoroughly enjoyed playing around the house with. Unfortunately the weather was shit, but that made her home all the more cozy. sdsdfsdf sdfsdf. Seriously Katy, thanks again for everything, and we better see AND host you and Nina in a few years!

We ventured outside of Cusco to eat Chicharrón with our friend Nina.

It was a random unplanned and strangely simple but awesomely enjoyed week in Cusco.

Santa Teresa, Peru

Ahhh, to be back in Santa Teresa. Ben’s home far away from home. The raw nature, the friendly locals, the laid-back atmosphere, the best avocados in the world, and the worst little flying shits (mosquitoes) you’ll ever come in contact with. They look like innocent little gnats, but these little fellows are not only brutally annoying and persistent, but their bites make you bleed and leave a mark that will last for weeks; as we can still see on Ali’s lip. Regardless, it felt great to be back, and we could not have arrived at a better time had we actually planned it (like that ever happens). The town’s anniversary was three days later and the week of festivities had just began. We spent the first two nights in a hostel with our new friend Axel, who’s from LA and was waiting at the station with us, and got the chance to watch motocross races, cock-fights (not as fun as they sound, or don’t sound), “running of the bulls”, in addition to loads of other anniversary events.

The roosters patiently wait their turn to duke it out with their competitors.

A little girl politely asks Ali to take her photo during the festival.

Obviously we had to be as close to the action as possible.

Ben’s Peruvian family, minus Yovannah, was all in town that week as well. Ben didn’t even realize his good friend Christian would be there as he was working in Cusco at the time, but of course he ran into him on the street on our second day. It was like going to a 5-year high school reunion running into so many old friends and acquaintances. We spent a night at Cola de Mono with Gian Marco and his wife Alejandra, a night at Christian’s house with his family, and plenty of days walking around with Ben’s god-children Diego and Israel. Israel is one of the most loving kids you’ll ever meet, and was instantly hooked on having Ben (and Ali) back.

Ben, Yuli and Israel down the street from their home.

Israel shows Ben the photo of them 3 years prior that he keeps in his room.

Ben reunites with some old friends, as well as his Peruvian godchildren, Diego & Israel.

What was even cooler for Ben was just to be able to show someone as important in his life as Ali the place he had lived for the long nine months three years ago. It’s one thing to try to explain the general way of life there, but it really doesn’t even begin to hint at what it was really like to be there. The seclusion, the lack of amenities, and the difference in culture is just too significant to describe.

Old stomping grounds at Cola de Mono.

Ben´s old house in the jungle looks a litttttle run down.

While the anniversary festivities were awesome to catch, it was Ben’s friends from town that were really able to give us the unique experience. The morning after camping at Cola de Mono, we were able to join a group heading up for a zip-line tour. We weren’t sure we’d be able to go for free, but Gian Marco gave us the ok and we headed up. Luckily for him, when a second group arrived Ben was able to take over the second guide role, allowing “Nacho” to wait back for the next group. We missed breakfast due to our lack of planning that morning, and the zip-line being located a few Km walk from the town, but Christian being the good friend that he is was kind enough a enough to have a fresh fruit-salad with natural honey waiting for us at his family´s ¨Chakra¨ on our way down. And when I say fresh, I mean Christian went and picked pineapple, papaya, and banana, as well as grabbed some honey from his bee hives while we were zip-lining. Later that day we had even more fun riding, as well as driving, motorcycles through the dirt jungle-roads. And without batting an eye, Ali was able to take off on her first try. But was was even more entertaining than watching Ali’s quite impressive speed at learning to drive a motorcycle was watching Christian’s friend take off after her in jeans and cowboy boots worried that something might happen.

Enjoying the view at the top between zip-lines three and four.

Ali learns to drive a motorcycle, and is surprisingly good at it!

A quick pit-stop to enjoy the views outside Santa Teresa.

I’d still say riding motorcycles along those windy scenic roads is one of the coolest things I’ve had the chance to do in Peru, or any other country for that matter. Christian also took us up to his bee hives, and as he was nice enough to let us use the only two bee masks, he received a nice little sting on the neck as we ran back down to their hut. It’s kinda funny eating a nice fresh fruit breakfast covered in local honey while the honey’s owners swarm around the table.

Christian making Ben jealous of his access to fresh honey 24/7.

Christian´s dog, Tommy was a cute distraction from the swarm of bees.

We spent the rest of our time in Santa Teresa just enjoying the company of Yuli, Ben’s other ex-coworker (though she was really more like his mother at the time), her son’s Diego and Israel, and Christian and his friends. It really was great to be back.

It´s not goodbye, it´s until next time!