So Bryn, Pete and I went out for a final lunch at the restaurant we had frequented every day in Cusco, a place called 'Jack's' and had a leisurely walk back, catching a few final 'llama lols' and getting the same massage offers by the same women standing outside the same shops we'd had all week. I paid my hostel tab, which was 700 pesos, which probably worked out at 30% accommodation and 70% baby Guinesses (would you say one baby Guiness and two baby 'Guini'?) packed-up the bag for the penultimate time, happily leaving the lotita trainers which I bought in Salta, in the locker.
Saying goodbye to Kerri was really strange. It didn't feel right and didn't feel real. It was emotional but I experienced a delayed reaction and it didn't hit me until I was on my way to Lima. As the bus journey was 22 hours long and I was going alone, I decided to go with the best company, Cruz del Sur, and wasn't dissapointed. We had personal movie screens, power sockets, pillows, blankets, Wifi and a really comfortable seat. I say 'we', I was actually alone and it was like a break-up! having spent all day everyday with someone for the last 4 months and then suddenly they were gone! I watched 'The perks of being a wallflower' (the film in which Hermione from Harry Potter has cut all her hair off and lost the wand) and it set me off crying like a baby but I had to hide it from the other passengers because I didn't want anyone to ask if I was ok, in Spanish, and have to be all like 'yeah, sob' and them put a hand on my shoulder and then spend the next 20 hours embarrassed. No, I preferred to hold the free blanket up to shield the side of my face while the other side cried out the window at the absolutely breathtaking epic-but-shit-scary scenery. We were driving along a very narrow road, cut out the side of the mountain with a sheer drop onto rocks and jungle below and so high up that the clouds were sweating on us.The Wifi miraculously worked so Kendrick and I were in contact.
They fed us coach food, which although was shit, was long awaited and gladly received as I was starving because I didn't eat anything before the journey (poor organization) and had only brought a mere TWO APPLES, thinking they would be enough for 22 hours, unprepared to be burning loads of energy squirting out tears. So when we stopped who knows where at a random service station, I bought some comforting homely chocolate milk and chocolate raisins :)
In Bolivia I bought a load of souvenirs for family and friends and so my bag was heavy as fuck again.When we finally docked in Lima at the coach station I was a tired, grumpy, hungry, dirty weakling and also very wary of robbers and false taxis, as I had heard stories about Lima and upon meeting my good friend Liam's Peruvian housemate a couple of years ago, had been told not to arrive in Lima without a native or else I would be severely ripped off. Shit the bed.
So I eyed up the taxi rank with contempt and suspicion and showed them my scrappy handwritten address whilst trying to fake a confident, 'don't-fuck-with-me' demeanor. The taxi man nodded and led me to an unmarked car. AN UNMARKED CAR. What could I say? 'excuse me, is this actually a taxi? or are you going to kidnap me?' not really. I got in and there was also no seatbelt and I had no idea how much money it would cost or how long it was going to take as I didn't do my research - Ken would have had all this copied out of the guidebook, so just hoped for the best and was kindly dropped off safely at my hostel, what seemed like an eternity later (probably 10 minutes). Upon arrival at the very nice hostel where I had booked myself a private double room because I deserved it because I was a precious princess that had been through hell (first world problems) I had to wait 2 hours until my room was ready. When you can do durations like 22 and 28 hour journeys, an extra 2 hours is nothing.
I had the BEST shower ever and collapsed on my amazing double bed, in my private room, alone. I had visions of making the most of the day and checking out the nearby beach, possibly even going surfing, followed by getting a massage and a haircut close by. Oh we can dream. In reality I couldn't be fucked to get off the bed until about 5pm when hunger had got the better of me. I went out and found a Sushi restaurant. 'Ermm una mesaaa para uno por favor' and enjoyed some amazing sushi and a Pisco sour, which got me extremely drunk for just one drink, causing me to develop 'the fear' and return immediately to the safety of my hotel room.
In the morning, I ventured into the nearby shopping area to seek cheap beauty treatments, in the hope of returning home a glowing, radiant, relaxed travelled beautiful singing mermaid, not the bitten, burnt, dishevelled, tired alternative. I managed to get myself a very interesting massage and some new eyebrows as a result of my still-lacking Spanish haha! I had a quick wander down to the beach which had some surfers in the water and some of the sand looked black from the distance I was at - but still spectacular. I instantly resolved to tell Kerri of this place for her impending visit to Lima. Maybe she could give surfing another go...
Freshly plucked and relaxed, the fat guy who had been hanging around reception turned out to be my transfer driver and we set off into the rush hour traffic to the airport. Stuck at lights, a street urchin emerged at the window of the car in front of us selling ice creams and water and then to our car, where my driver snapped up an ice lolly. He offered me a lick, to which I kindly refused, and we made it to the airport on time with the power of the ice-cold refreshment behind the wheel.
Lima has only one terminal so I was really chill about the whole departure gates thing and casually cruised over to the correct area. It was only after mooching in the shops for ages when I realised that it was the time the clerk had told me to be at my gate and I still hadn't even seen customs. Customs took AGES! Beads of sweat fell from my furrowed brow as the anticipation of missing the flight heightened. Hand luggage scan done, I went to passport control. She checked my passport and then instructed me to join the other queue at the other kiosk. Worried, I went over and she inspected my passport for ages. I've fucked it, I've only bloody gone and not got my entry stamp done properly I was thinking but after what seemed like forever in an instant, I was through, on the plane and En route to London.
Aboard the tiny plane in a window seat sat next to an Italian couple I was a Tarantula in an eggcup. All my limbs were too big and didn't fit in any comfortable way. TEST. Every time the plane rattled a bit, the woman from the Italian couple would flinch and make a scared whine and cuddle her boyfriend. PUSSSSSIO!
I stuck on 'GRAVITY', a movie about a spacecraft that fucks up and smashes to pieces in space where loads of people die and others get stranded in space. Highly insensitive of me but amusing to say the least. Just doing her a favour anyway, SHE NEEDS TO FACE HER FEAR!
12 hours later, we landed in Paris and it was cold and there were police and it was Euros and I was able to construct my tired face into the face of Chanel thanks to the delicious departure lounge and emerged smelling exquisite with bagfuls of duty free.
The one hour flight to London went super fast and I simply drank wine, like a chic Parisiene/Proper English bird/Travelling wastegirl, and wondered what England would be saying, who would be at the airport awaiting my return? I pictured old friends, holding signs, family, the boy I had been talking to everyday....
...and OH what a stark reality. Heathrow terminal 5 arrivals was a sea of dark-clothed, sour-faced impatient-looking people, face after face remained unrecognisable. There was nobody there for me. England took my fairy-tale adventure, screwed it up into a ball and threw it at my face whilst saying 'Get real kid'. It's funny how the return to London matched the initial departure to New York - unexpected, emotional and very unsettling....
...and to be unsettled is to be open to adventure :)
Brazil - you have my heart
California - you have my soul
