If you remember, I had set my alarm for 6:45 the night I got back from my trek. This wasn't merely a sadistic way to further torture my body. I had decided that it would be silly to sit around Cusco for 2 days, just waiting for my flight home. Instead, I was determined to see Lake Titicaca or bust!
I succeeded in waking up and getting myself checked out of the hostel and down to the Terminal Terrestre (bus station) in plenty of time for the 8am service to Puno. The counter girl at the San Luis bus line office tried to sell me a 50 sol ticket, with her friend egging her on to try to get me to pay 60. I answered, in Spanish, that I knew the price was 25 and I wouldn't pay any more. Something about me must have impressed her, 'cause she gave me the best seat in the bus, number 4. Peruvian buses are double decker, and on the top level, the very front of the bus has not only a window, but a floor to ceiling windscreen allowing fabulous views of the passing scenery and people. I had the right hand window seat, which was the perfect spot from which to observe the bit of Peru between Cusco and Puno.
Unfortunately, I was not to be as fortunate in my seatmate. I did not have the foresight to buy 2 seats in order to avoid this sort of situation. Instead, I got a Peruvian man who fully occupied not just his own seat, but a good 25% of mine as well, with him leaning into me so that our bodies were in full contact. Well, I thought for about 30 seconds, comparing the benefits of being a nice, soft, feminine girl, allowing myself to be made uncomfortable in order to spare a man's feelings; versus being assertive, claiming my internal feminazi and telling the guy where to get off. I decided that I would much rather offend a strange man I'd never see again than suffer in silence for the next 6 hours. I turned, glared, and when he asked if it bothered me that he was touching me, I said, "YES". Then, over the course of the next 8 hours (Peruvian bus times are fluid), I continued to guard my seat and fight off encroaching arms, legs, and butt cheeks. Victory was mine.
Arriving in Puno, I shared a cab to the city center with Emilia and Sinikka, who had taken the same bus, and that was the last I saw of them. They went to the swanky Royal Arms, and I was dropped near Hostal Monterrey. There, I bargained for the possession of a lovely private room overlooking the courtyard, with two twin beds (thus 2 sets of bedding for the freezing nights), an ensuite bathroom with hot water (I checked), and a television. All this for the price of 35 soles or about $11 US. Later, I figured out that I'd been given the bargain price for this room due to its great views. In other words, the great view that the proprietor hoped I'd provide. This became apparent when I looked down to the courtyard while closing the drapes and saw three disappointed male faces looking back at me.
I was checked in by 4:30pm and headed off in search of a LAN Peru airline office. I needed to try to change my tickets. After my one experience with Peruvian buses, I was determined that I would not be taking a night bus back to Cusco in order to catch my flight to Lima. Did I mention that there was no toilet on the bus? Instead, we stopped twice to use the facilities. The facilities were fields. The womens section was behind a little 3 foot tall stone wall in full view of the road. Also, I'd assumed that the bus would be stopping occasionally for gas, or at other places where it'd be possible to buy food. Luckily, I had a big bottle of water, chips and a sandwich with me, 'cause that was all I got for the trip. We did not stop.
Anyway, I found the LAN Peru office and met the best airline personnel ever. This wonderful woman found a way to switch my flight from Cusco to Juliaca (the closest city with an airport), for no additional charge. She spent 2 hours, during which I went and had dinner, on the phone and the computer working this miracle. She was my travel angel and I will always be grateful. After the miracle, I spent some time at the internet cafe and then went off to bed. It was very cold and I was very tired, even though it was only 9 o'clock and I'd been sitting in a bus all day. Well, I was tired until I switched on that handy TV.
Television! It was wonderful. I saw a weird movie called Magnolia, in which Tom Cruise is a sex guru. Then, at 12, just as I was ready to go to sleep, I flipped a channel and found La Femme Nikita!!! It was my birthday present from the universe. Yup, July 7, 2007 (my 30th b-day) started with an episode of La Femme Nikita that I'd never seen. I'd forgotten how much I used to love that show. Happy Birthday to me, Feliz cumpleanos a mi.
I succeeded in waking up and getting myself checked out of the hostel and down to the Terminal Terrestre (bus station) in plenty of time for the 8am service to Puno. The counter girl at the San Luis bus line office tried to sell me a 50 sol ticket, with her friend egging her on to try to get me to pay 60. I answered, in Spanish, that I knew the price was 25 and I wouldn't pay any more. Something about me must have impressed her, 'cause she gave me the best seat in the bus, number 4. Peruvian buses are double decker, and on the top level, the very front of the bus has not only a window, but a floor to ceiling windscreen allowing fabulous views of the passing scenery and people. I had the right hand window seat, which was the perfect spot from which to observe the bit of Peru between Cusco and Puno.
Unfortunately, I was not to be as fortunate in my seatmate. I did not have the foresight to buy 2 seats in order to avoid this sort of situation. Instead, I got a Peruvian man who fully occupied not just his own seat, but a good 25% of mine as well, with him leaning into me so that our bodies were in full contact. Well, I thought for about 30 seconds, comparing the benefits of being a nice, soft, feminine girl, allowing myself to be made uncomfortable in order to spare a man's feelings; versus being assertive, claiming my internal feminazi and telling the guy where to get off. I decided that I would much rather offend a strange man I'd never see again than suffer in silence for the next 6 hours. I turned, glared, and when he asked if it bothered me that he was touching me, I said, "YES". Then, over the course of the next 8 hours (Peruvian bus times are fluid), I continued to guard my seat and fight off encroaching arms, legs, and butt cheeks. Victory was mine.
Arriving in Puno, I shared a cab to the city center with Emilia and Sinikka, who had taken the same bus, and that was the last I saw of them. They went to the swanky Royal Arms, and I was dropped near Hostal Monterrey. There, I bargained for the possession of a lovely private room overlooking the courtyard, with two twin beds (thus 2 sets of bedding for the freezing nights), an ensuite bathroom with hot water (I checked), and a television. All this for the price of 35 soles or about $11 US. Later, I figured out that I'd been given the bargain price for this room due to its great views. In other words, the great view that the proprietor hoped I'd provide. This became apparent when I looked down to the courtyard while closing the drapes and saw three disappointed male faces looking back at me.
I was checked in by 4:30pm and headed off in search of a LAN Peru airline office. I needed to try to change my tickets. After my one experience with Peruvian buses, I was determined that I would not be taking a night bus back to Cusco in order to catch my flight to Lima. Did I mention that there was no toilet on the bus? Instead, we stopped twice to use the facilities. The facilities were fields. The womens section was behind a little 3 foot tall stone wall in full view of the road. Also, I'd assumed that the bus would be stopping occasionally for gas, or at other places where it'd be possible to buy food. Luckily, I had a big bottle of water, chips and a sandwich with me, 'cause that was all I got for the trip. We did not stop.
Anyway, I found the LAN Peru office and met the best airline personnel ever. This wonderful woman found a way to switch my flight from Cusco to Juliaca (the closest city with an airport), for no additional charge. She spent 2 hours, during which I went and had dinner, on the phone and the computer working this miracle. She was my travel angel and I will always be grateful. After the miracle, I spent some time at the internet cafe and then went off to bed. It was very cold and I was very tired, even though it was only 9 o'clock and I'd been sitting in a bus all day. Well, I was tired until I switched on that handy TV.
Television! It was wonderful. I saw a weird movie called Magnolia, in which Tom Cruise is a sex guru. Then, at 12, just as I was ready to go to sleep, I flipped a channel and found La Femme Nikita!!! It was my birthday present from the universe. Yup, July 7, 2007 (my 30th b-day) started with an episode of La Femme Nikita that I'd never seen. I'd forgotten how much I used to love that show. Happy Birthday to me, Feliz cumpleanos a mi.
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