Hotel España

Lima is massive. It's not so histle and bustle, but there's people and shops everywhere as you may expect. Sam and I are happy ot wander today, day 2 here, thanks to having the GPS Ben hooked us up with! Today consisted of getting at bus ticket to a town called Ica in the morning, and we will catch a quick bus to a town called Huacachina...Sand boarding on the dunes!! 3 soles per hour, a fair deal indeed.
There was a second historic civilization of sorts Sam and I were able to explore less than a week back. The people were known as Chiva, but the place amongst the desert is called Chan Chan. The previously 4 meter high mud-brick walls are now maybe 2 meters or less, thanks to rain and the unforgiving wind. The people who lived here for maybe 700 years were also more or less destroyed by the Incas, by 1100AC...what terrors they were! I enjoyed the remaining carvings, only images, because these people also did not have written language. Main images were representatives of the 3 main important aspects in life: land, sea, and water. The sea was fished daily, so near by, and pelicans were adored whilst soaring in the sky. Another image often seen was an animal, said to be an old squirrell by Peruvians, though American Archeologists believe it to be a sea otter. not the same.
This area of Huanchan (beach-surf town) and Trujillo (larger city on the other side of Chan Chan) was quite comical to travel between. It begins with not understanding the repetative phrases the bus-driver-assistant is constantly shouting, but the best part is the bus not actually ever coming to a full stop. Unless you're an older lady or a young lady carrying a baby (always wrapped in a colorful blanket, tied to their back). The bus price is approximated, and Sam and I eventually figured it to be 1.50sole each for one way.
As I sit here, I'm reminded of the other ridiculous transport relation we have not avoided. Constant beeping, beeping for movement, beeping for attention, beeping for thank you's, beeping for who else knows what. Do not move a finger, or the taxi will stop.
My favorite bus trip yet by far was from Huanchaco to Lima here, 10 hours. There was such an immense range of visuals here, beginning with the white capped mountains, to middle-eastern-esk rolling desert, to brown-grassed prarie land, back into agriculture-ridden green-scape. The bonus was 2 movies in English, which has never happened before. This bus was indeed luxury, a meal included, but never are the films in English! Avatar was the latter :)
I'm beginning to process 2 theorys of living here, progression and continued renovation of land...ie burning nature; and also preservation, which is a much newer concept, and also a greater theory to Westerners. I see the local (rural) trying and trying to catch up and do (primarily agriculture) things make their lives seemingly better, but I see simplicity actally trumping it all in the end. Nuturingf nature away from green? I hardly see it as progression. This is my heignsight and reflection of the Westernized living.

In other news, Sam I finally found new food, beyon chicken and hot chips. Chivas! Chinese food, though the spanish menu still greatly challenges me. I learned chauva yesterday, implying stir-fry. Everyday is something new, and 30,000 things to learn. Wishing I had a photographic memory...