And off we go again...

It´s been a slow first couple of weeks, just getting used to living day to day life in Lima. I found a gym to work out at so hopefully my Judo won´t be too terrible by the time I get back. Other than that nothing spectacular in Lima...however....I am not in Lima right now and it´s pretty amazing!!! After an early morning taxi ride and an hour in a plane followed by three hours of confusion I made it successfully to Cusco, the base point to go to Machu Picchu!! It is so beautiful up here it´s amazing! I was beginning to forget what the sun looked like. After sleeping all day Tuesday I went out dancing with one of the girls I´m staying with and her friends. The group makes up my own personal little guide group to the area and have just bent over backwards to help me get to all the places I want to go to. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful life is in all it´s intrinsic simplicity. Going on a bus tour of Valle Sagrado I met up with two brothers from Holland and a lady from New Jersey. They have become temporary companions on what would have been an independent journey. Carolyn bought three of us lunch and then dinner, making her my new favorite person in the world of people. She is also letting me stay with her in Aguas Calientes, where I am now. It´s the stopping point on the trip up to the hidden city. I am humbled by my total inability to return the favor and struck by my own needs met by a stranger. I never thought feeling full would feel so good. It had been awhile since I had actually been truly honestly full. The guys will be joining me in Machu Picchu tomorrow and we´ll return to Cusco in time for Inti Raymi, with inside connections to the city hopefully we can all enjoy the festival without the $80 ticket charge. Then Sunday we will say goodbye to Carolyn, hopefully not before, and as John and Dereck are going to Puno at the same time as I am we´ll probably stick together for a couple more days before parting ways. Such a cool example of the adventures and opportunities that travel has opened up for me. The ephemeral state of these friendships makes them that much more memorable, and I hope to keep contact. I have really had the most amazing time and I haven´t even been to Machu Picchu yet!!!! Times like this I want to live forever.