Beginning of my 4th Month

Now, I start my 4th Month/14th week in the beautiful country of Peru, this is officially the longest duration of time that I have been away from home.  However, I don't feel very homesick at all, in fact I feel quite comfortable sitting here in my hostel surrounded by strangers.  It's funny when people ask my where I'm from and I tell them "Bloomington, Indiana", a place they have invariably never heard about.  Sometimes I myself wonder if that's where I truly came from.  Though the fact is that I was born and raised there and owe my roots and all my great friends to such, at times it feels like perhaps I belong to wider, much more international address.  It feels more and more as though I am not just a resident of Bloomington, Indiana, nor one of Peru, but rather a person belonging to this entire planet we call Earth and all the incredible places it has to offer.  I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way, I have met many in my travels that think similarly.  Perhaps I am too young to feel a sense of permanent establishment (although it is nice to come back to my parent's home time to time), but something feels really amazing about opening yourself up to the world and feeling accepted anywhere you go.  This worldview appears to me to be very important in dispelling the fear and alienation many people have towards others beyond their own borders, and brings us to the realization that we really are quite close and connected to one another on this relatively tiny planet moving through the eternal vastness of the universe.  Sometimes, as I gaze up at the pure night sky, uninterrupted by light pollution or clouds, I get the feeling that other life forms living on vastly distant planets are in fact not so far away as we think, and perhaps they are looking back at us as well.

This past week, I spent again climbing at Hatun Machay.  Like I have said before, the place is quite amazing with a seemingly unlimited supply of climbing and partners do so with.  Recently, I was climbing with Andreas, an Argentinean guy who actually works as a guide for the Andean Kingdom.  We spent some solid time climbing, and testing out new routes that had been bolted by the owner of Andean Kingdom, also named Andreas (the distinction is that that former is "flaco" or skinny, and the latter is "gordo" or not so skinny).  We got quite a bit in, not even taking a rest day, however the weather was a bit of a limiting factor.  Unlike the week before, this past week was filled with a few snowy days and lack of sun.  This can make a huge difference at that altitude, when climbing in the sun means no need for jackets and the ability to adequately feel your finger tips.  Nevertheless, I still had a great time climbing at Hatun Machay, chilling, cooking, and socializing at the refuge, and sleeping in my tent.  The place has a lot of energy and is quite a recharging getaway from the city life.

Since the Andean Kingdom is run by Argentineans, the workers are Argentineans, and many of the patrons were Argentinean as well, is goes without saying that I spent a lot of time with Argentineans, making some new friends a long the way.  They are a fun group with a good attitude, and are very Gringo by there Peruvian comparison.  One difficulty I did have, however, was keeping up with there Argentinean Spanish.  I've noticed that each country has there own version of Spanish, with unique accents, pronunciations, and words partial to that country.  Fortunately, Peruvians speak quite clearly and accurately in comparison to Castilian Spanish originating from Spain, but Chilean Spanish is the opposite and Argentinean Spanish is different on its own terms.  It's really kept me on my toes both speaking and listening, and has kept the challenge of speaking Spanish alive, which I appreciate.  It's not often you get to meet and experience so many different cultures and groups in one place!

Anyway, I got back from Hatun Machay on Saturday and have been waiting for the return or Duncan and Vai ever since.  Not really sure what's taking them so long, but perhaps the spotty weather has delayed there ascent attempts in the Ishinca Valley.  In the meantime I've just been relaxing and filling my belly with all the good food that the city has to offer.  I do love being in the mountains, but you just can't find papa rellena stands or purchase salchipapas, not can you buy delicious, cheap ice cream.  I believe I will give them a few more days for their return, and then make my next move.  Until then, there are fried potatoes awaiting me, and I must see to them!

Chao!