The Real World: Lima

I arrived back in Lima to the surprising calm following the disintegration of a love triangle among my housemates while I was away. We celebrated by having all-you-can-eat sushi (note to self: quality not quantity) and checking out the local jazz house, which had a Brailian Choros band...not exactly jazz, but enjoyable all the same.

Was woken up the next day by what sounded like an angry call from the Fulbright Peru office about my visa and high-tailed all the way across the city to meet the Peruvian Fulbright representatives. Turns out, what sounds like anger on the phone is really just the need for speed since local phone calls are absurdly expensive. Scared me though. They are going to 'fix' my visa so I don't have to renew it every three months by taking short trips to Bolivia, Brazil or Argentina....drat, I mean, great. I also learned of several events over the next months that require my attendance and therefore additional trips back to Lima, including a meeting at the embassy about the 'dangers' of Peru. I tried to tell them not to worry since I had plenty of pepper spray, but attendance at the meeting is non-neogitable.

While at the Fulbright office, I met the other Fulbright-Hays student in Peru who is here carrying out a historical analysis on how the violence of the 1980s and early 1990s has affected the evolution of leftist political parties. We spent the day discussing our research and are both excited to have a sounding board in-country. I am talking her into visiting the highlands and she has offered a couch for when I come into town.

Although I was unable to settle on a fieldsite while in Huaraz last week, I am currently focused on preparing for the Cuzco - Machu Picchu - Arequipa circuit that will begin on Thursday. Stay tuned for pictures and stories from the trail...