Views of the City

Despite being in Peru two entire months, Jeff Warren seems to be fairly unsettled: his room has nothing on the walls and only a few personal effects attempt to fill his closet. His big purchase, an ornate upright piano from the 1920s, deserves to be in an opulent palace's den instead of his minimalist bedroom. My arrival has stirred something with him, and together we have taken the first steps towards accepting this city and this apartment as our home. We bought shelves, bought me a bed, and - most importantly - a water filter for our tap. Lima's drinking water has both E. Coli and arsenic and is not safe for pretty much anyone. Apparently, lots of people here drink it anyway, get sick, and continue on with life....hopefully.

My room itself is fairly small, and has taken on a distinct dorm-room quality with a mish-mash of furniture types, colors, and attempts at organization. Since we live on the sixth floor, and most buildings in the area are only three stories, our apartment enjoys beautiful views south towards the skyscrapers on Ave. Pardo and north towards San Isidro. My view is dominated by the Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Incan temple complex about two blocks northwest of our apartment. If I squint, which is fairly often, I can see archeologists digging at the top of the ridge early in the morning.

Today, the first buds of spring began to bloom. I may declare September 2nd El Dia de la Marmota. Since the sun never shines here until November, instead of watching a woodchuck we'll just eat a cuy.