Monday, November 05, 2007
San Pedro
We´re in a hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica, and we`re watching the new version of the Omen. There´s a big black pit bull dog, Lisa expreses her fear of dogs. That´s not news to me.
Me: I saw a Taco Bell today.
Lisa: I used to eat at Taco Bell all the time when I was in the states.
Me: Is it good?
Lisa: No it´s shit!
It´s quite a good film but nothing that different to merit a remake. Why does Hollywood do that sort of thing? Why not do a remake of Matrix reloaded, it needs it!
........................................................................................
I´m standing in a field with Chachani as a back drop and there´s a alpaca and a black pit bull charging straight for me. I see Lisa on the run, out of the corner of my eye. Both alpaca and pit bull run straight past me. Lisa comments on how brave I was for standing my ground. Well I would take the credit if I could, but it was more a case of:
"What the ......!"
Fros the shaman, if you can call him that, so I´ll call him Fros from now on, calls off his dog and the alpaca backs off.
Fros asks if we´re ready to go down to the river. Everyones ready and we go down to the river. Fros starts the cleansing ceramony at last the day is looking like it might have some promise. How wrong, could we be.
We had the San Pedro and tried to chill and feel nature take its course. Unfortunetly Fros and the dog had other ideas. The dog persisted in attacking our bags and things. Fros kept saying are you feeling anything yet. Not the sort of think you would expect nor want. Lisa did ask the same question to which I replied. "I feel cold and shivery!" That may have had something to do with the cold.
......................................................................................
We arrived at Puma Tours Arequipa, on Calle San Francisco, our Shaman turned up, Fros. Remarkably looking like any "Juan" of the street. He was with a Chinese girl called Ye, who seemed a bit puzzled by every thing. For good reason, as well. We later found out that the reason she seemed a bit puzzled by everything, was, she really didn´t have any idea what she was doing there. She was just someone he found in the street.
We went to the Shaman´s house, not something we were told about. There we met his family and dog a big black pit bull. Lisa was looking distressed!
The dog started getting excited as it know´s it´s going out. Its jumping around is scaring Lisa. Not something we need. I asked if it was coming with us and he said, yes, he said that there were some not nice people where we were going and we needed it for protection. Not something we wanted to hear on both counts. I start to think, ok we´re going to be taking a trippy cactus drink and there´s Lisa who is scared of dogs, not a good combination.
We arrive at the mirador where you can see El Misti and Chachani, a great location. We get out of the taxi and the dog imidiatly gets the attention of the local alpaca. The alpaca walks straight over to face off with the dog. For those who don´t know what an alpaca is, it´s a cuddley woodely, cartoony version of a llama. So there´s the bizzare site of an alpaca and a black pit bull facing off. Even more bizzare in that the pit bull looked more scared than the alpaca!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
We go back to the room and by now I´m really not feeling to good. The pain in my stomach has moved and now feels like the green goo what I drank is on the move southwards. With hours of cramps all moving down wards, waiting for hours like an expectant mother or father ready to give birth to that little runt Pedro. Eventually Pedro is flushed back to Pachamama where he came bit by bit. While in the toilet the tiles are moving like they are meeting. Quick naps between, trips to the toilet I dream of black volcanos and the lava giving birth to black dogs.
.....................................................................
We´re just coming up on something and the fire is just getting going and Fros and Ye want to go. It turns out that Ye has a 8:00pm bus to nasca. Beautiful! We start to head off. I stop for a Gypsy`s and the dog is behind me staring at me, I really not liking this, and it was no quick neither, a piss a real Austin Powers one. I look behind again and he´s still there. After I finish the dog rushes over has a quick sniff at my handy work and cocks his leg and squirts out a quick one and walks off in front of me. While we were coming up we had a dusty walk back in the dark down seemingly endless calles all with dogs on the roofs are in the street having a go at Fros´ dog.
...............................................................................................................................................................
Footnote.....
The best advise to anyone thinking of taking any trip with Puma Tours Operator, Arequipa, on Calle San Francisco, is don´t. I´m sure a San Pedro experience can be good, this one was just a piss take. I´m sure the rest of their trips are as bad.
Their details;
Puma Tours Operator
Calle San Francisco 204
Arequipa
Me: I saw a Taco Bell today.
Lisa: I used to eat at Taco Bell all the time when I was in the states.
Me: Is it good?
Lisa: No it´s shit!
It´s quite a good film but nothing that different to merit a remake. Why does Hollywood do that sort of thing? Why not do a remake of Matrix reloaded, it needs it!
........................................................................................
I´m standing in a field with Chachani as a back drop and there´s a alpaca and a black pit bull charging straight for me. I see Lisa on the run, out of the corner of my eye. Both alpaca and pit bull run straight past me. Lisa comments on how brave I was for standing my ground. Well I would take the credit if I could, but it was more a case of:
"What the ......!"
Fros the shaman, if you can call him that, so I´ll call him Fros from now on, calls off his dog and the alpaca backs off.
Fros asks if we´re ready to go down to the river. Everyones ready and we go down to the river. Fros starts the cleansing ceramony at last the day is looking like it might have some promise. How wrong, could we be.
We had the San Pedro and tried to chill and feel nature take its course. Unfortunetly Fros and the dog had other ideas. The dog persisted in attacking our bags and things. Fros kept saying are you feeling anything yet. Not the sort of think you would expect nor want. Lisa did ask the same question to which I replied. "I feel cold and shivery!" That may have had something to do with the cold.
......................................................................................
We arrived at Puma Tours Arequipa, on Calle San Francisco, our Shaman turned up, Fros. Remarkably looking like any "Juan" of the street. He was with a Chinese girl called Ye, who seemed a bit puzzled by every thing. For good reason, as well. We later found out that the reason she seemed a bit puzzled by everything, was, she really didn´t have any idea what she was doing there. She was just someone he found in the street.
We went to the Shaman´s house, not something we were told about. There we met his family and dog a big black pit bull. Lisa was looking distressed!
The dog started getting excited as it know´s it´s going out. Its jumping around is scaring Lisa. Not something we need. I asked if it was coming with us and he said, yes, he said that there were some not nice people where we were going and we needed it for protection. Not something we wanted to hear on both counts. I start to think, ok we´re going to be taking a trippy cactus drink and there´s Lisa who is scared of dogs, not a good combination.
We arrive at the mirador where you can see El Misti and Chachani, a great location. We get out of the taxi and the dog imidiatly gets the attention of the local alpaca. The alpaca walks straight over to face off with the dog. For those who don´t know what an alpaca is, it´s a cuddley woodely, cartoony version of a llama. So there´s the bizzare site of an alpaca and a black pit bull facing off. Even more bizzare in that the pit bull looked more scared than the alpaca!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
We go back to the room and by now I´m really not feeling to good. The pain in my stomach has moved and now feels like the green goo what I drank is on the move southwards. With hours of cramps all moving down wards, waiting for hours like an expectant mother or father ready to give birth to that little runt Pedro. Eventually Pedro is flushed back to Pachamama where he came bit by bit. While in the toilet the tiles are moving like they are meeting. Quick naps between, trips to the toilet I dream of black volcanos and the lava giving birth to black dogs.
.....................................................................
We´re just coming up on something and the fire is just getting going and Fros and Ye want to go. It turns out that Ye has a 8:00pm bus to nasca. Beautiful! We start to head off. I stop for a Gypsy`s and the dog is behind me staring at me, I really not liking this, and it was no quick neither, a piss a real Austin Powers one. I look behind again and he´s still there. After I finish the dog rushes over has a quick sniff at my handy work and cocks his leg and squirts out a quick one and walks off in front of me. While we were coming up we had a dusty walk back in the dark down seemingly endless calles all with dogs on the roofs are in the street having a go at Fros´ dog.
...............................................................................................................................................................
Footnote.....
The best advise to anyone thinking of taking any trip with Puma Tours Operator, Arequipa, on Calle San Francisco, is don´t. I´m sure a San Pedro experience can be good, this one was just a piss take. I´m sure the rest of their trips are as bad.
Their details;
Puma Tours Operator
Calle San Francisco 204
Arequipa
