Peru's News for Youse to Peruse: A Bus and a Bag o' Bile

I was sweltering in my traveling clothes - jeans and teeshirt - as we waited to board our bus Monday night. Levi and Josue had accompanied us on the motorcycle to see us off. The bus had air conditioning, which was nice. But it shut off later ( "Charapas" just can't seem to adjust to cooler temps!) We were served a dinner of fried chicken, ubiquitous rice, a wee bit of salad, and jello, with Inca Kola. There was a movie, Rebound ("Mi Segunda Vez") which I liked because it showed an older woman and younger man - only the age difference was more than mine with Levi - even better! I dozed on and off, because the seats WERE comfortable. I made use of the bathroom once - staggering as though I was drunk (train is the easiest among the 3 methods of travel: plane, bus, train) But the altitude eventually had an effect on me. When day broke, at one point a man had boarded selling something called manjar blanca or something like it - something sweet - I didn't want any, but suddenly I DID want a bag, because my stomach and head conspired to make me want to empty the contents of the former. I asked if he had one, and no sooner did he give it to me than I yarked - producing only bile, and not much, but enough apparently for the stomach to rebel against the effects of high altitude. This happened a couple of times. When around 10 the bus stopped at a restaurant, ( passengers had a 5 sol meal allowance) neither Victor nor I had any appetite (though I WAS very thirsty, having sweated so much and lost other body fluids). We bought water, yogurt, gum, and motion-sickness pills with our allowance. The pill helped so eventually I could open my eyes and watch the second movie on the way - the previous was dubbed in Spanish, and this was in English with Spanish subtitles (though sadly for those who didn't know English, the screen did not accommodate all the subtitles!) - This was Backup Plan. I like romantic comedies, so I enjoyed both features. Well, we arrived at the station in Lima around 1:30, and Victor got us a cab to Nilsa's place. It is indeed a humble dwelling, and Nilsa and her husband Juan spoiled me by letting me have the BED, though I was willing to take the sofa.We had lunch around two - cebiche and soup - which hit the spot after not having eaten since around 9 the previous night! Later, I had myself a sponge bath to get the sweat off me and changed into sweatpants and turtleneck. The temperature is in the upper 60's, lower 70's during the day - comfortable.
Their older daughter Jhoana lives downstairs; she has a 3 year old son. At first I was of the mistaken impression that Gabriel was Nilsa's tot. Her son, Juan Carlos,helps to watch the toddler during the day, going to school at night. Victor and I made similar observations on Nilsa's rearing of little Gabriel, that she let him get away with too much - and today after breakfast, I learned that Jhoana was actually his mother, and Victor and I began to give her some iinstruction on Biblical child-rearing, not to be afraid to discipline him, for his own good. Well...Last night I invited the family to a polleria that took cards - the nene was all right till it came time to pay, then he was out of his seat and running back and forth, a real hazard...and Juan told me, "This time, I will treat YOU - before you leave, you can treat us!" I wasn't about to argue with the proposition! I slept well during the night, and breakfasted on the yogurt we had gotten, and a whole wheat roll Victor bought at the local bakery - and even a cup of coffee (instant, but hey...) Then came our childrearing lessons, and now I am at a local internet for a couple of hours. The dueña asked if I was a foreigner, and I replied in the affirmative, and gave her a little rundown of how and why I'm here. Victor was preparing the lunch during our lecture, and by the time I finish here, it'll be lunch time.