Pots, Pitchers and Bowls

Today I visited Museo Larco, the largest collection of pre-Columbian pottery in the world. I can't imagine it is a highly contested race, but this place is no doubt the winner. Much of the museum was set up like a library. Shelves from floor to 15 foot ceiling are packed with bowls, pitchers pots of all shapes and sizes. It appears that no piece of pottery was made without a picture or carving. Each giant shelf would have small marking explaining its hundreds of works, pots in the shape of crabs, bowls in the shape of cats, bowls in the shape of jaguars eating toads. A surprisingly popular genre.
My personal favorite piece was Woman Murdering Vampire. Judging from the breadth of this genre the pre-Columbian people were plagued by creatures of the night.
The artistry of the pieces was really amazing and the museum was definitely worth the visit.

Rules of the Road

Today, during a couple of harrowing cab rides through the city, I began to familiarize myself with the rules of driving in Lima.
It is perfectly acceptable to occupy as many as three lanes at once. A larger vehicle or a gentle nudge with a fender often makes the final lane choice for you.

Traffic signals are a mere suggestions. Right of way is generally determined by speed and the artful use of the horn. Four ways stops may navigated by increasing your speed and laying on the horn.

A street built for three cars abreast may allow six or seven if you get really, really close.

Every Taxi driver must honk and yell at every other taxi driver. I'm not sure if this is done in anger or if it is a form of greeting. Possibly a mixture of both.

Putting your taxi in reverse on the highway is fine as long as you honk the horn and flash your lights. I'm not sure what the flashing lights accomplish. This only warns the people from who you are rapidly moving away. Maybe it is to let them know they should turn around and admire the inevitable, and spectacular wreck.

I'm Here!

It was a long uncomfortable flight, middle seat, but I made the trip with no real difficulty. One interesting note, the Lima airport is under the impression the best way to empty baggage off a plane is to use every luggage carousel in the baggage claim area indiscriminately.
I will now have a beer and go to sleep.

I'm Off

I'm leaving for the airport tomorrow morning around 11 AM. At 11 PM, a mere twelve hours later, I arrive in Lima. A represenative from the Flying Dog Backpacker Hostel will hopefully be waiting to take me to the Miraflores district of Lima. I'll be staying a couple of days by myself before I hook up with my group from GAP Adventures.

Why Now, Why Peru?

On September 29th I will be setting out for a month long trek through Peru. I've had several people ask me why I decided to take such a long trip by myself, and why specifically did I choose Peru. There are quite a few reasons, the first one being that my current employment status leaves me with ample free time. My girlfriend, Kimberly, while adventurous and a seasoned world traveler, has no desire to sleep outside or hike up a mountain. Plus she is far to busy being 'employed' to leave the country for a month.

The second reason is that I have always wanted to go do some serious hiking in and exotic locale. One of the few physical activities, for which I have ever shown any promise, happens to be walking uphill with a lot of weight piled on my back. I'm not fast enough to run cross-country, or strong enough to enter the World's Strong Man, so hiking is my only option.

Several years ago while on a trip with Kimberly to Switzerland, I was able to do a couple of hikes in the Alps near the border with Italy. It was the most beautiful country I have ever seen. This experience wetted my appetite for a longer, higher hike. While watching the movie The Motorcycle Diaries, about a young Che Geuvara's trip across South America, I saw beautiful footage of the Andean ascent to Machu Pichu. After seeing these beautiful scenes I knew I wanted to go there. I consulted my grandmother, who after decades of constant travel is a walking Frommer's guide, and I was ready to go.

Now two years later, I finally have the free time and the cheap ticket that will allow me to see the Andes.