Peru: Day Two - Part Two

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost two months since the last time I blogged! Holy smokes.

So back to Peru! After Chaclacayo, we hopped on a bus to Chosica. This is where I really had to chance to see the houses. We took a moto-taxi up a very steep dirt road.

- Oh moto taxis! So fantastic. Think of a rickshaw, but a motorcycle instead of a bicycle, and surrounded by metal like a car. I loved them. This isn't a great picture, but it was the best I managed to get. They move so fast! And this is a pretty good example of traffic there.

So anyway, we went up this steep hill to visit some of Bergs' friends, and I noticed that A) houses were stacked up on top of each other, and B) the houses are built clear up the mountain. In some places, there weren't roads or staircases to get up to the houses up on the hill. Another thing I noticed in Chosica is that there are dogs everywhere! Just wandering the streets. The weird thing was that they all looked so tame. They didn't look gross, and they just laid around on the sidewalk. It was so odd.

While talking to the first family, I heard a bunch of screeches, yells, and other alarming noises coming from the other room. I thought that maybe there was an unhappy child hanging out in the background, but eventually one of the family members went into the room and brought back...a parrot.

Some of you may know that I get a little nervous around birds. I don't like it when they get too close, in case they're planning on poking out my eyes or nipping at my ankles. *Shudder* I tried to keep my cool, but the bird was just hanging out and suddenly flew towards the window, which was right behind me! My reflexes kicked in, and I squealed and ducked. Bergs and the family thought it was hilarious, of course, and the kid holding the parrot kept getting it riled up to see my reaction. It was sort of unpleasant.

The family, though, was lovely and so friendly. Everyone we visited gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek, even though they didn't know me and I wasn't even able to speak to them. It was so amazing to feel so much love from perfect strangers.

While visiting this family, I experienced something new for the very first time: the lack of a toilet seat. It was a little disconcerting, but I was determined to roll with anything that Peru sent my way. Later, when I asked Bergs about it, she told me that in Peru, if you are not poor, you have a toilet. If you are rich, you have a toilet seat.

Turns out day two will have to have three parts. The next one has lots of pictures, I promise!

Thanks for reading.