Day 1: August 5, 2006

I am back in Canada at long last after an incredible two weeks in Peru. For those of you not fortunate enough to have shared in this amazing experience, I will attempt to recreate some of the events of my trip by publishing my daily journal entries from my trip. My first entry is not terribly deep or exciting, it is just a list of first impressions and events from the trip from Calgary to Houston to Lima.

Houston, Texas

1) Ever since entering Texas airspace, I had the theme song from "Walker, Texas Ranger" running through my head. I then saw a guy wearing a Chuck Norris t-shirt in the Houston airport, which I found rather amusing.
2) I ate a lunch of catfish, hush puppies (like cornbread), and waffle fries at a place called Bubba's Bayou Grill. Our waitress kept saying "y'all"! The restaurant also served wine that was flavored with a hint of tobacco and smoked bacon.

Lima, Peru

1) Took first breath of "fresh" air outside the airport and realized that I was not in Canada anymore. Gotta love the taste of diesel!
2) I never want to drive here! Traffic lanes are relatively narrow, with very few traffic control signs that I could see (few YIELD, STOP, speed limit signs). Drivers instead rely heavily on their horns.
3) Buildings are box-like and stacked, reminding me of Lego creations. Even a McDonald's was 3 stories high!
4) On the trip from the airport to the mission guesthouse, buildings changed in style every couple of blocks. They went from run-down stacked box-like structures to the flashing neons of night clubs/discos/casinos to modern highrise apartments and office buildings to large Spanish style houses all in one trip.
5) My heart broke seeing some of the people begging on the streets. At one stoplight, a young girl approached our bus trying to sell us some old tennis balls to make a little money.
6) It was a strange sight seeing the streets lined with towering palm trees, yet having the Andes Mountains visible in the distance.
7) Upon arrival at the guesthouse, we were warned not to touch the shower-head when using hot water, with the consequence being death. Apparently most houses here are not grounded, and the electric water heater could cause problems in the shower. Toilet paper must also be placed in garbage cans and not flushed, as Lima is a huge city of 11,000,000 people. The consequences of your actions sure are dire here!
8) I got my first sleep in over 36 hours tonight!!!
9) Bands and songs heard on the radio while on the bus: U2, The Police, Bryan Adams, Turning Japanese...
10) Traveled from summer to winter in a single day.

So there you have it, some tidbits of information from my first day in Peru. The rest of my journal entries are to follow at later dates. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support!