"I get knocked down, but I get up again
you're never gonna keep me down."
Three attempts in, finally sitting in a taxi chatting in broken Spanish with the driver when a song I actually recognized come in through the radio. Chumbawamba's Tub Thumping. I found myself smiling and surprisingly, disproportionately happy at the sound of this old, cheesy, high school-era song. It was that moment I realized my whingy cranky moods had lifted. My last week in Peru has been chock full of mistakes and bits of bad luck/poor planning. I apologize to those of you who've had to listen and console me so much. I don't enjoy being a debbie downer, but sometimes I just can't help it. My last week in Peru had its fair share of mishaps and bouts of poor planning, that all started with Penis Man. After that situation, I got to leave Cuzco for a bit and I was off to the jungle.
The jungle was great, but that's for another post. After making it home from the jungle, surviving the 12 hour precarious drive, I think I was taking things a bit for granted. A new housemate asked me to take some money with me to the office to change into soles for her. I was already going there, so I was happy to help out. She handed me a $100 bill and we were off. When we arrived at the office, I went to grab the bill to change. And it was gone. (1) Somewhere in the 20 minute walk with hundreds of other people on the street, I managed to lose $100. Don't know how, scoured the streets on the way home to see if by the grace of god the wind blew it in a direction that people didn't see. No dice. I had to go to my bank account and pull out my LAST $100 to give back to my housemate. It was rather depressing and embarrassing. I could hear the response I would get "Kassi, you shoulda been more responsible." It stings still, just because I had been so careful with my budget. It was tight but I had it all planned out perfectly. Losing that $100 hurt. A lot.
(2) Later that night, as I was packing and getting ready to take my night bus to Arequipa, I double checked my ticket only to realize I had booked it for the 13th and not the 12th. Oops. My roommates were happy that I was able to stay another night and go to the volunteer party. I was more than happy to hang out with them, but not so happy to pay for another night's accommodation. Our house was $20/night....very steep by Cuzco standards. Without much other choice, I dressed up and went to the party with my housemates. While gearing up for one last night out in Cuzco, for real this time, I started feeling really weak and my stomach was cramping a bit. My stomach had been a bit upset for a few weeks, but the previous few days had become more difficult to manage. I decided it was best to go home and get some rest. In the morning, (3) I broke down and called the doctor. I was trying to hold off, assuming it would fix itself when I got home. But on the off chance it didn't clear up, going to the doctor in the states would be not only expensive but probably a pain. Turns out, I had a parasite. I think I had a parasite since we went to Macchu Picchu, but the antibiotics I took for a sinus infection killed the good bacteria in my intestine which allowed the parasite to run rampant in me. The doctor gave me a prescription for ant-parasite medication. Anti-parasite is apparently expensive, (4) costing me all the money I made by selling my Peruvian cell phone and my sleeping bag. Cuzco started to seem like a black money hole.
Thankfully I was on my way out. If I had stayed in Cuzco, who knows what would have happened. I did manage to get on my overnight bus thankfully, and it should have been an omen. It was so nice. It felt like luxury after the bus ride back from the jungle. I fell asleep before we even left the bus station. Once in Arequipa, I took a taxi to my hostel (which I was overcharged for obviously). I tried to find a two or one day tour of Colca Canyon. I quickly learned that I would not be able to afford the two day trip. Instead I signed up for a one day trip. Unfortunately, a few hours later I realized I couldn't afford that either and cancelled the trip. I was a bit depressed and whiney last night, I had been looking forward to the Colca Canyon since I got to Peru. However, I met two Canadian girls who did the one day tour and hated it. They said it was the worst tour they'd done in South America. Seems like the first turn in my bad luck!
Today I booked a hostel in Ica and my bus from Ica to Lima. Both for really good prices (and I was able to put it on my credit card). I was taking a risk with my bus to Ica that leaves tonight. Online it says they have seats for $59 soles, but all the agencies here were saying that they were $81 soles. Apparently the 59 soles is a promotion. I tried to order it online but you have to order tickets online at least two days in advance. I tried finding a place that could access the promotion, but no luck. My original plan was to go to the terminal a bit early and just buy the ticket tonight for 59 soles. However, with my recent bout of bad luck and poor planning, I was a bit nervous. I decided the best thing to do was go to the terminal today, but I didn't want to pay nearly 20 soles for the round trip. I had to bite the bullet. I was able to get a taxi to the terminal for 4 soles! I bought my ticket (on my credit card!) and then used my superior Spanish negotiating skills to get a taxi to take me back for 4.50 soles!! Sweet. It was in the taxi, as I was chatting away in Spanish about how I don't have any money left on my trip that Tub Thumping came on the radio. Seemed only appropriate. I managed to get all my bus and nights paid for and organized after feeling like quite the failure this week.
You're never gonna keep me down.
(2) Later that night, as I was packing and getting ready to take my night bus to Arequipa, I double checked my ticket only to realize I had booked it for the 13th and not the 12th. Oops. My roommates were happy that I was able to stay another night and go to the volunteer party. I was more than happy to hang out with them, but not so happy to pay for another night's accommodation. Our house was $20/night....very steep by Cuzco standards. Without much other choice, I dressed up and went to the party with my housemates. While gearing up for one last night out in Cuzco, for real this time, I started feeling really weak and my stomach was cramping a bit. My stomach had been a bit upset for a few weeks, but the previous few days had become more difficult to manage. I decided it was best to go home and get some rest. In the morning, (3) I broke down and called the doctor. I was trying to hold off, assuming it would fix itself when I got home. But on the off chance it didn't clear up, going to the doctor in the states would be not only expensive but probably a pain. Turns out, I had a parasite. I think I had a parasite since we went to Macchu Picchu, but the antibiotics I took for a sinus infection killed the good bacteria in my intestine which allowed the parasite to run rampant in me. The doctor gave me a prescription for ant-parasite medication. Anti-parasite is apparently expensive, (4) costing me all the money I made by selling my Peruvian cell phone and my sleeping bag. Cuzco started to seem like a black money hole.
Thankfully I was on my way out. If I had stayed in Cuzco, who knows what would have happened. I did manage to get on my overnight bus thankfully, and it should have been an omen. It was so nice. It felt like luxury after the bus ride back from the jungle. I fell asleep before we even left the bus station. Once in Arequipa, I took a taxi to my hostel (which I was overcharged for obviously). I tried to find a two or one day tour of Colca Canyon. I quickly learned that I would not be able to afford the two day trip. Instead I signed up for a one day trip. Unfortunately, a few hours later I realized I couldn't afford that either and cancelled the trip. I was a bit depressed and whiney last night, I had been looking forward to the Colca Canyon since I got to Peru. However, I met two Canadian girls who did the one day tour and hated it. They said it was the worst tour they'd done in South America. Seems like the first turn in my bad luck!
Today I booked a hostel in Ica and my bus from Ica to Lima. Both for really good prices (and I was able to put it on my credit card). I was taking a risk with my bus to Ica that leaves tonight. Online it says they have seats for $59 soles, but all the agencies here were saying that they were $81 soles. Apparently the 59 soles is a promotion. I tried to order it online but you have to order tickets online at least two days in advance. I tried finding a place that could access the promotion, but no luck. My original plan was to go to the terminal a bit early and just buy the ticket tonight for 59 soles. However, with my recent bout of bad luck and poor planning, I was a bit nervous. I decided the best thing to do was go to the terminal today, but I didn't want to pay nearly 20 soles for the round trip. I had to bite the bullet. I was able to get a taxi to the terminal for 4 soles! I bought my ticket (on my credit card!) and then used my superior Spanish negotiating skills to get a taxi to take me back for 4.50 soles!! Sweet. It was in the taxi, as I was chatting away in Spanish about how I don't have any money left on my trip that Tub Thumping came on the radio. Seemed only appropriate. I managed to get all my bus and nights paid for and organized after feeling like quite the failure this week.
You're never gonna keep me down.
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