Finally here!

Yeaaaaaaaaah! Made it!

I left last Thursday. Took a small puddle jumper from San Diego to LAX and then a direct flight to Lima. It was 8 hours. Thank goodness there's only a two hour time difference between San Diego and Lima (good old longitude).

I found my roommate Mari on a website for foreigners and I honestly could not have asked for a better person. She is a lawyer that works for a non-governmental organization that is trying to bring attention to poverty up in the Andes. She works with a lot of universities and graduate students. She has been SOOOO sweet. She lives in Miraflores with her sister Gabi.

She arranged a taxi for me right as I got off the plane. I walked out of customs and there was no one there. I decided to wait a few minutes and then he arrived.

It was about a half hour ride home and I spoke with Segundo, the cab driver. Segundo was pleased to find out I spoke Spanish. I asked him how Peruvians were to foreigners and he said, "To you, they'll be nice. To other Peruvians, that's a different story."

I asked Segundo if he was "el segundo" in his family. No, apparently he is the fourth child. Something about they let his Grandpa name him and that's what he came up with.

Mari was waiting for me as I got there (we're talking like 1 am in the morning). She quickly showed me my room and I was able to go to sleep.

Right now we've got Mari, her sister Gabi, and an intern that's working with Mari's organization named Carly, who is from Canada.

The place has been a revolving door. Carly arrived on Tuesday and she's staying in Mari's room right now while Mari is staying in Gabis room with her sister. It's kind of like one big slumber party. Carly got here Tuesday, I got here Thurday, Gaby left Saturday to go to Piura where her family is from because her dad is having surgery. Carly and Mari leave Wednesday for Cusco and Gabi is supposed to come back a few days after that.

Friday Gabi showed me around the city a little bit and then we went to a restaurant for lunch where Mari and Carly we're doing some business chit chat. Later that night Mari had a doctor's appointment. Can you believe this? It was at 7:20 on a Friday night. There is NO WAY that would ever happen in the United States.

Carly told me in general Peruvians tend to not eat dinner. We were starving, so Carly showed me where one of the closest grocery stores was and I was able to get a few items. She said she was participating in a free walking tour on Saturday and invited me to come along. Why not? Tally-ho!