few posts, many adventures.

Sorry our postings have been so sparse on this trip. We´ll be heading home over the next few days - overnight bus from Huaraz to Lima tonight; one night in Lima; overnight flight to NY; spend a few hours in NY eating (as if we need more food) and then an evening flight to Bozeman. We´ll post a link to our photos on this blog and perhaps a short review of our adventures. We look forward to telling you personally about our trip when we see you!

Spanish Lessons:

1) La señora was either sick or pregnant or both but what it meant for us was no chicha, and more importantly for me (but less for Zach and Dan) no dinner. We´d been hiking all day in Colca Canyon and I opted for stale bread and peanut butter. They hiked another 30 minutes across a drainage to the next town for a more satisfying dinner (this time, their perspective, not mine). Our comprehension remains sparse but sometimes you don´t need the details.
2) -¿Quiere cerveza grande o pequeña?
-Un grande, para los dos.
Out came two grandes - one for each of the two of them, not one for the two to share. We´ve got to work on that... or maybe not.
3) Servicios Hygenicos (S.S.H.H.) - Toilets in some form -- not necessarily hygenic. Also not sure why the abreviation is double S, double H (any help, Lander?).
4) Menu - a two course meal starting with soup and usually costing about $1. Carta - the menu. Typically more expensive options, also sometimes called extras.
5) Lonchito - afternoon snack. For us usually hot chocolate and cake. or ice cream. or empanadas, or papas fritas... last night it was ponche and picarones (a hot drink of condensed milk, almonds, coconut, spices and fried dough). We are not hurting for calories in Peru.

What keeps me up at night:

The dog fights for one, but that is not the main thing. It is the roosters. In every city, yes, city we have stayed in (apart from Barranco in Lima) people have kept chickens, and roosters, in their yards. But it doesn´t end there; they keep pigs too. In yards the size of our front yard in Bozeman, people raise their own meat. I´ve also seen tomato plants in old oil tubs on roofs, balconies and in windows. Local food. Peru style.