Recap of the weekend due to bad internet connection

2-13-10
I did manage to wake up in time for my cab at 6:30. I got to the airport with some time to spare despite new regulations. I slept pretty much my whole flight to Lima. It is weird to have left Cusco. I was thre for 3.5 weeks. It was an amazing place and made great friends. In Lima, I ran with an Australian couple to our various gates. Got through passport check and made it to my gate with time to spare again. On the flight, I read 100 pages of my book, watched the Proposal, which was better than expected, and listened to music. I got through passport check again with no problem. Was worried my bag didn´t make it but it did eventually show up. I have come back to Argentina 29 days after leaving. So much has changed within me.

I headed to the hotel. There I relaxed and was reunited with my stuff. I relaxed and was going to out to dinner with my friend Dana but she wasn´t feeling all that great. I talked to a girl from my study abroad program who I am friends with on facebook. She told me about a Pub crawl happening in the area of my hotel. I figured this was a good way to meet people I would be spending the semester with so I went. At the meeting spot, I had another small world experience. I ran into Nick Penfold, someone who I was in carpool with in Los Angeles. It was really werid. I met the girl who extended the invite and some of her friends. We chatted. I am liking a lot of the people who I have met. I had another small world experience later on, when I met a girl who went to my school in London a few years before me so we knew the some similar peeps. I met people from all different place state side. I am excited now to start my program. Eventually, I walked back to my hotel and went to bed.

2-14-10
I woke up around 11 (amazing). I hung out, chatted with Abbey for a bit. Then went out to meet with my friend Dana from Guilford. We walked around, grabbed lunch, chit chated about various things. It was a lot of fun. We walked through the gardens. It was pleasant minus the bug bites. Eventually, we parted ways. I walked back to my hotel where I discovered my computer is not being my friend right now. I am currently scanning it for viruses. First my camera gets messed up (going to a store tomorrow, wish me luck), then this. I am cursed.UGH. Then the internet pooped out in the hotel. Went to a resturant where I got dinner and downloaded an anti virus thing. I talked to Abbey but then the internet pooped out again. So I am writing this on the lobby comp.

Plan for the rest of the night, edit photos on my comp if it lets me, watch tv and sleep. Tomorrow I am going into a hostel (with hopefully decent wifi), go the camera store (to have my baby repaired I hope, PLEASE!) then relaxing.

What to do for a month in South America

1-13-10/Day 3 (continued)
After I left the Starbucks, I went back to my hotel to hang out. I read and finished my book, leaving me with a few books to read though I am thinking of borrowing a book from my hotel. I watched some tv and then went out for a quick dinner. After I relaxed for a while, before hanging out in the lobby with some of the night staff and their friends. I got to practice my Spanish, which I have not lost much of which is nice. After a few hours of hanging, and chatting, I went to bed.

1-14-10/Day 4
I woke up this morning around 9ish but still wifi (still not working, no real surprise there). I very briefly talked to Abbey but she had an emergency to take of so she had to go. I then booked a flight from Lima to Cusco, due to its relatively cheap price and it is much safer. I realized that if I stay in Cusco for five days, which is what I am thinking, that still gives me roughly a month of unplanned activities. I really am unsure about what to do with this time. I am thinking Bolivia but I am going to plan it, if I go, either in Chile or Peru to make sure it is safe in La Paz. I don´t want to go if it is too risky, obviously. I miss my life in the US, but I will not let it comsume me. I guess I just wish I had a travel buddy. It would make this a lot easier but I will meet people like I have already and then when my program starts it will be fun too.

I went to figure out what happened with my phone. When I got to Movistar, they couldn´t figure it out at first but they eventually did. They told me to wait 30 minutes so I grabbed a quick lunch and went to the bank. When I returned, my phone was working. Me and the ladies at Movistar were very happy about this. They even gave me ten extra pesos on my phone for which I gave them a hight five each and many graciases. I then headed back to my hotel. I then headed back to Starbucks to use their wifi. There I checked and sent out emails, uploaded photos my facebook, wrote a possible article for the Guilfordian, talked to some friends and booked a hostel in Cusco, apparently very near the center but also close to the airport. I am now planned till the afternoon of the 25th. No idea what to do from then on. I want to go back to Buenos Aires for a little bit and I might go to Patagonia with a friend but besides that, I have no plans. So if you got suggestions, let me know. I headed back and started to pack but I took a break to post this.

Agenda for the next few days
Santiago tomorrow for the night, Lima: Saturday-20th, Cusco: 20th-25th. So don´t expect a blog entry every day, but occasionally and same with photos. I might do mini things to show I am alive and well but don´t expect a lot

Check my photos on my flickr, www.flickr.com/jsinclair88. You will see the Argentina labeled album. Remember, any is for sale and enjoy

"Nothing is permanent, not even death."

I woke this morning and wrote my blog of the previous day's adventures. Today was full of packing, stressing, planning and relaxing. After breakfast, I read for a bit, because I am trying to finish this before I leave. Then I slowly put together a cd for a friend, with another one to make. Then I pulled out clothing I want to take with me on my travels, for both my time in various countries and once I am settled. Then I tried to book some flights and hostel. Between spending an afternoon and night in Santiago, Chile and flying into Lima, Peru the next day or getting into Lima at midnight, I chose the former for safety. So the current plan is I arrive in Buenos Aires the 12th and there till the 15th. I fly to Santiago on the 15th and stay in a hostel for the night. I then will have to get up early on the 16th and fly to Lima and will be there till the 19th. By then I will head to Cusco. Now to figure out how to get there. But I have a place to stay up to then so YAY! It did take some stress from the credit card company but I have it figured it out now.

After I packed some more, though there a few minor things I should get before. I then printed some pictures to put in a photo album to take with me. It so soon, I can't believe it. After this, we went out to see the last Heath Ledger movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Being a Terry Gilliam movie, it was extremely trippy but I did enjoy it. I didn't know what to expect but it was pretty damn good. Tom Waits is quite good at being the Devil, and some notable actors step in a very sweet way. After we grabbed sushi at one of those places that has the conveyor belts. It was good and real cheap. Then came home, watched The Soup and then some of SNL but it sucked. So then I read and went to bed.