and la chingra sets off again

Tomorrow's the big day when I board a plane for Lima once more. This trip is not to see Machu Picchu or Lake Titicaca (done!) This time, it's all about the beaches and seeing new cities and the Amazon.

Oh yeah, and the food.

Unfortunately I am not returning to Peru in the ideal state I wanted to. Exercise fell by the wayside and I'm a little jigglier. I haven't picked up my Spanish book in months and will only review whatever I can before I fall asleep. And I can't remember whether or not I needed an outlet adapter for South America.

But everything will turn out for the best, right? After all, that Peruvian food has a most wondrous and magical property: in Peru, the more you eat, the slimmer you get.

After much heaving and squishing, I was able to stuff almost everything in my Patagonia super-duffle. Why so much trouble? Because my dear friend Gambrinus sent two boxes of clothes to bring to her family. This was all on top of the small (and I mean small) gifts I had prepared for the kids there as well as the gear I'll need to travel chingra-style. Now that the hard part is over, I can fully appreciate how much crap this bag can hold. I am seriously impressed.

ready to burst!
This might be one of those times
when I return with lighter luggage!

As a tip for fellow travelers, when you stay in someone's home, it's nice to spend some of that money you saved on a hotel room for a little something for your host. I love bringing picture books of San Francisco because photos are appreciated in any language. I also like to share some San Francisco food specialties... it's not easy packing cans of Boudin's clam chowder, or getting fresh crab from Fisherman's Wharf past customs but Ghiradelli chocolate was well-received last time, so why not again!

I left my heart...

Tastes vary but most Latin Americans I know can't get enough of caramel flavors. Pack accordingly!

Another note about traveling in Latin America... it's common to not have daily access to the Internet. My e-mail use will be intermittent at best, which is fine since I will be out sun-worshiping and jungle-exploring. So adios until I return to the States!