aidanfindlater.com

Lost and found

Aidan Findlater — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:29:03 +0000

I found my other USB key. In my pants. While I was washing them.

New travel plans

Aidan Findlater — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:35:34 +0000

I booked a flight from Cusco to La Paz for next Sunday (July 5th), so I’m skipping the Arequipa leg of the journey altogether. What does that mean? No volcano (sorry, Emma!) and no world’s-second-deepest-canyon. On the other hand, it’s a week of lazing around Cusco, which is never a bad thing.

Travel plans

Aidan Findlater — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:12:45 +0000

Originally, I was planning to head to Arequipa next week to walk through the world’s second-deepest canyon and climb a volcano. Unfortunately, protests have closed down pretty much all of the bus routes in and out of Cusco. Plans must be changed.

A bad sign

Aidan Findlater — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:11:41 +0000

It worries me that the large regional hospital in Cusco faces the funeral parlours and casket makers.

On a related note, I’m also worried when taxi drivers make the sign of the cross while driving. (”Oh Lord, please let my tiny cab squeak by the large bus without being crushed.”)

Nothing but class

Aidan Findlater — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:48:21 +0000

The scene: two middle aged men sitting on a bench in the park. Two provocatively-dressed girls walk by (yes, girls, as in high school or so).

Creeper 1: ¡Hola!, ¿cuanto cuesta? [Hi, how much do you cost?]
Creeper 2: ¡Jajajaja! [Hahahaha!]

The girls walk by, ignoring them. Creeper one takes out cell phone and starts taking pictures as they walk along.

Creepers 1 and 2: ¡Jajajaja! [Hahahaha!]

The men of Peru are all class.

Update from Cusco

Aidan Findlater — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:40:26 +0000

Updates, updates, let’s see…

Last weekend we visited Machu Picchu, the famed Inca ruins. It was nice.

My volunteer placement started last week in the laboratory of a local clinic. Our most common analysis is to check urine and feces for parasites, but it also does as many other tests as one can do with a centrifuge, a microscope, and a couple of chemicals. This past week I’ve only worked the morning shift, which I hope to change soon. Everything so far is going quite well.

This morning, I sat in a cafe balcony overlooking the Plaza de Armas (main square) and started to flesh out my post-placement travel itinerary. It’s looking less likely that I’ll be able to see and do everything I had hoped to. We’ll see how things go.

As I’m writing this, there are a group of young Cusquenians practicing traditional dance here, in preparation for Cusco’s big Inti Raymi celebration. It looks like I’m here for the right month.

Peruvian driving

Aidan Findlater — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:29:14 +0000

Lane markers are just a suggestion, and stop signs need speed bumps to make sure people actually slow down. Driving itself is a negotiation between drivers: who cares more about their car? It’s like a slow-motion game of chicken, where a car can cross a busy street by simply driving out across traffic and assuming that other cars would rather stop than hit them. Pedestrians are, of course, the lowest form of life on the street and J-walking is an art form.

Needless to say, driving in Peru is much more exciting than in Canada.

Peruvian food

Aidan Findlater — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:01:24 +0000

Today, I ate ceviche, a traditional Peruvian dish of seafood, including raw fish, marinated in lemon juice. Next on my to-eat list is one of the world’s cutest delicacies, guinea pig.

Lima adventures, continued

Aidan Findlater — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:12:55 +0000

Last night, our amazing guide took us to a park in Lima. The park was filled with fountain after fountain of light- and waterworks, including a whole light/sound/water show in one fountain. (Pictures on Flickr.)

It also let me play with my new Canon SX200 IS in the wild. If only the photographer was as good as his camera…

In other news, Spanish classes are going well. I know it’s hardcore nerd, but the podcasts I was using definitely paid off. ‘Coffee Break Spanish’, if anyone’s interested.

And I finally have an idea of where I’ll be using my Spanish, with details of my new placement being settled. I’ll be in Cuzco working in a holistic medical clinic. It sounds pretty big and busy, and I expect that it’ll be a great experience. They even have an in-house lab, which I may be working in.

Yesterday afternoon, we walked down to the ocean-side mall, sat in a cafe, and drank coffee while watching the waves roll in. It’s good to relax.

First week in Peru

Aidan Findlater — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:14:37 +0000

Ten days, actually, and I’ve already lost my camera. On the other hand, I’ve learnt some Spanish, been paragliding, learnt more Spanish, been sandboarding, and still can’t do more in Spanish than try to haggle with a taxi driver. Emphasis on the “try to.” I’ve also been salsa dancing (not my forte), walked and walked around Miraflores (an upscale area of Lima), and seen some traditional Peruvian dance.

Best quote so far: the dune buggy driver saying, “Okay, bye bye now,” just before driving us down a near-vertical dune.

Also, we rode in what I call “Gringo Class” on the bus/coach–the three sol (about one US dollar) “Executive Class” that gives you nothing more than a red seat cover. It’s something they sell to foreigners who don’t understand what’s going on. We made sure to not do that on the way back.

The trip is going quite well so far.