Gringo Sightings

Knock Knock. "Katia? Sue equipaje ha llegado"

A miracle happened: my luggage finally arrived this morning! The receptionist at my hostel and the United delivery dude clearly did not share my excitement, and probably thought I was crazy for busting out my happy dance right then and there. The guy handed over a form that I needed to sign. I was too excited to figure out where to sign, so I put a big fatty squiggle on literally half the form. And I wonder why people don't like gringos...

I set out into Miraflores again today, with a Ms. Frizzle attitude about my Spanish. I bought some bread and a carrot for lunch - for a grand total of less than dollar. I scoped out some new hostels, avoiding the places with the already drunk Australians. I ended up booking 2 nights at a place called Red Psycho Llama - how can you go wrong with that? After all, the hostel I stayed at in Australia was called the Asylum. Hmmmm...I hope this doesn't suggest anything about my character.

Mondays are clearly different than Sundays in Miraflores. Not only were the crowds way less intense, but there were dozens of gringo sightings! I met a couple from Portland, Oregon while waiting in line at the coffee shop. We bonded over our exquisite Portland café palates and the familiar layer of clouds covering Lima today. Go figure.

I sat in Parque Kennedy again to enjoy my coffee and more people watching adventures. There are two that I want to share with you:

1) an obviously american tourist couple in their 60s walked by. They wore matching stupid safari hats with passports dangling around their necks. The lady was trying to take pictures while she was walking, nearly plowing over some toddlers on the sidewalk. The man had a guidebook out, and spun around in circles trying to orient his map appropriately. Once the lady finally stopped looking through the screen of her camera, she noticed one of the cats that inhabited the park. "ROBERT! LOOK! A KITTY CAT!" And then the couple proceeded to meow at the cat and make kissy noises. I tried so hard not to laugh. At least I wasn't the most obvious gringo for once?

2) A boy around the age of 6 was extremely intrigued by a sleeping cat on the sidewalk. My friends, I introduce to you the most tolerant cat in the whole world. The boy poked the cat and all it did was roll on its back and stick all 4 legs in the air. Unamused, the boy proceeded to kick the cat in the head (lightly, mind you). The cat just kinda twisted around, with its legs still in the air, into one of the most uncomfortable looking positions of all time. Nevertheless, it remained borderline asleep. Finally, the boy grabbed the cat's tail and dragged it across the sidewalk until the boy's mother started to yell at him. The cat continued its nap in its new location. That was until about 10 minutes later when a local dog walker came through...I don't think I've ever seen a cat move so fast in my life. 

It's now time for an adventure to San Isrido. Time to learn how to hail a taxi!