Lisa Can Leave Happy

Kate here:
This entry will be a mix of things that we forgot to write about in previous posts, but I'll start with today for those who have limited time.
As Gary said, Cuzco is beautiful after all the cloud cover and pollution of Lima. Mountains, blue skies, llamas... who could ask for more? Poto, if you're reading this (and I'll fall over if you are) I could see within my first 10 minutes why you loved Cuzco so much.
But let us back track to Lima. We discovered yesterday that our flight was to leave earlier than expected and the first order of business was to find a shop that sold alpaca yarn. After much wandering we found an indoor market that had yarn for sale. 12 skeins of an alpaca, cotton and wool blend for the bargain price of 80 soles. That translates roughly to $25, maybe a little less. Quite a deal, but not alpaca yarn. On the way back we happened across an alpaca boutique with some AMAZING baby alpaca yarn for about $4-5 dollars. For you textile nuts out there, it was more than quite the deal. As we left the store, with the yarn in Lisa's hot little hands she stated, "I can leave happy now!" Not that we're leaving...
Back track to our first attempt to leave Lima, on Thursday. While in the check in line at the airport we saw signing. A little nosing through the crowd made it clear that it was ASL. A few minutes later we were chatting with Jack and Judith L. of Freemont, CA. Those of you back at HMS should ask Buddy and Karen if they know them. As it happens, J&J were on our flight to Cuzco.
Be Careful What You Wish For...
As I finally found a comfy position in my seat on Lan Peru flight 023 to Cuzco I thought, "it would be nice to have a slightly longer flight so thatI can doze off." But the whole flight is an hour, so it was not to be. The snack trolley rolled down the aisle as the in-flight display monitor showed 27 minutes until landing. The little crunchy bread sticks that were given as a snack along side the mini-muffins were quite tasty. Muffins stowed ad water swallowed (yes Jeremy, I've been drinking water) the captain began to announce that there was bad news. Due to bad conditions in Cuzco we would have to turn around and head back to Lima. Or at least that's what I gleaned of the message with my rusty Spanish. Darn weather! Then in English a similar message with one major difference, ¨due to riot conditions." How often do I tell my students that missing one word in a sentence can completely change its meaning?
Some Observations:
Clear Channel appears to own every billboard in Peru.
In Peru Pizza Hut and KFC are always side by side.
In Peru Radio Shack sells luggage locks. Note: at the Lima airport Lisa's locks, although TSA approved, were taken from her luggage along with one of my caribeeners (sp?).
If you don´t want to wait in a check-in line at the airport, just ask for help and you get to jump to the front of the line!
If a dog is on a leash (ie, has an owner vs a person it just hangs out with), it will be wearing a doggie coat.
Lisa here: Back to Cusco. The fact that as we were driving over here from the airport we saw multiple llamas and alpacas along the way has me ecstatic. Ever since I met and fell in love with my first alpaca, Carlotta, at an alpaca farm in Hartland Vt one sunny February day in 2004 when the temperature was about 10 below 0, I have looked forward to the day when I could see them in the wild. When I was in Ecuador a couple of years ago, I saw some, but nothing like here. Now my goal is to wander the city photographing all the alpacas and llamas I can find. After that it will be on to vicuñas, and that will be a real treat since there are no vicuñas in the states. If anyone wants a history of the camelid family, maybe my husband can find one of the sites on line with a good synopsis of their evolution.

I think we´re going to sign off now. Hasta luego amigos.