In Cusco

We hung around Iquitos for several more days, with some friends. The produce is so, so horrible there--just really bad quality. Like it´s been sitting in a fridge for a month about to rot when you buy it in the grocery store. So I started eating some whole grains, like whole grain crackers and gruels and that kind of thing. I´m not really a grain person, but I couldn´t stand it anymore. I´m really glad I read this book awhile ago on vegetarian cooking in Spanish. I learned words for hazelnut and flax and barley and amaranth and and that sort of thing, it really helped me know what I was eating. Studying finally pays off in the real world.

Before we left, we got the scoop on the street kids. I guess most of them are not forced into it like you´d think. They want to do it, and often their parents want them to do it as well. They want to be free, and parents know kids can get more money from gringos than they can. The parents are ignorant about education as well (not that you have to go to school to be educated--often the opposite is true--but there´s no future in street hustling). So maybe giving the kids food and money just encourages this. It´s hard to say no though. Even though they do have a home and parents to go to.
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So early today we flew from Iquitos to Lima, and from Lima to Cuzco. It is gorgeous---about 2 miles up (need to acclimated) above sea level, tons of delicious restaurants (including pure vegetarian), much quieter, tons of beautiful crafts (including clothing), beautiful hiking (I am so excited, there was no opportunity for exercise in Iquitos. I must have walked only a mile a day--drove me nuts). Night is so cold, but the daytime has strong sun that makes up for the weather in the 60s. I love it.

Off to study my Spanish grammar!