Viajando como loca!

Buenos días! So very little time to write, but wanted to throw in a quick update as I am not sure when I will next be on the computer.

I am currently in Cusco, but only for a par de horas before hopping aboard a 17 hour bus to Tacna, Peru to then take a taxi two hours to cross the border into Aric, Chile where I will figure out the next step. Most likely a little bit of time in this town and then 12 hours further South to San pedro de Atacama to breathe, let my legs remember what it feels like to walk, and enjoy some of the scenery before making the last leg of my journey some 12 hours into Northwest Argentina where I will meet up with my sister next Tuesday - I am SO excited to explore Argentina again and all the more wiht my sister - woohoo!

Anyway, for a whirlwind of an update, last Thursday, I decided it was time to head away from Cusco for a bit and check out Lake Titcaca and a series of islands off the coast of Puno that tourists can visit. After an extremely cold night bus ride, I joined a tour, met some wonderful Frenchman, as well as a fellow americano. We visited an indigenous community that lives atop a floating island - literally, the island sits above reeds that float in the water and has to be replenished every 30 days! - spent the night with a local family on the island of Amantaní where they live a totally sustainable existence off of the potatoes, corn, and veggies they grow, climbed to 4000 meters to the highest point on the highest lake in the world, and then danced the night away in the traditional dresses that our families gave us to wear. The next day, we visited the island of Taquile where the men wear hats to indicate their social status. Colorful hat=married. White with a few colors worn with the point in the back of the head = Ocupado or not interested in dating right now. Same hat but worn to the side = available. Seems to me the guy can decided depending on his mood if he is available or not. As for women. The non-married ones wear a cape with colorful pom poms that they hold in there hand and swing aroudn wehn they are available. I kind of like the idea...

And then after a long boat ride from these fairly isolated islands back to the mainland, I ate dinner witha Chilean couple I met who happen to live near the beach town I visited at the beginning of my journey, then hopped aboard yet another incredibly cold - adn this time incredibly crowded - bus back to Cusco. Then after recuperating from my bus ride, I headed to Pisac to meet up with my friend, Jose, to bushwhack our way through the forest along the river valley and climb on hands and feet up the some pretty freakin´ amazing ruins high high above this tiny tourist town. Last night, I went to a completely non-touristy town to eat some pollo a la brasa, spend the evening looking for a place to go out for drink past 8 PM, and sleep in a pretty darn cute hostel for $2 ($2.66 once I paid to take a hot shower - sorry, while I can rough it in many ways, but I absolutely draw the line at cold showers. CAnt do it. It´s cold enough here already...).

And NOW, I am back in Cusco to pick up my things I left in the hostel, change clothes - I am carrying around a certain "Ive-worn-these-same-clothes-for-three-days" odor - eat one last time at my favorite vegetarian restaurant and then climb aboard bus numero uno (1 or 4?!) to begin the next leg of my journey. Wish me luck y espero que no haya tanto frío!!! Until the next town, country, update...VIVA!