Home Again, Home Again

I left Huaraz for Lima, to spend the last couple days shopping for souvenirs, enjoying for the last time Peru's delicious Ceviche, and hanging out on the hammock at the backpacker's family house. What a wonderful few days, spent lying in the sun, strolling the Malecon, or tucking in at the Rincón Chami. I walked from Miraflores to Barranco on Sunday, a peaceful stroll to outdoor food markets where I ate Ají de Gallina, one of my favorite Peruvian dishes, for the last time. It was a lovely walk, all along the cliffsides overlooking beaches. It gave me the opportunity to think back on my trip, draw some conclusions about what it's like to be by yourself and how much I've grown (I'm wary of writing that melodramatic travelogue about how much I've changed, but suffice it to say that this trip did change me in some way- it had to, or else I would've really hated my experience).

Anyway, I'm back in SA now with a much better understanding of ancient Andean art and architecture, and with some alterations in my understanding of modern Latin America. I hadn't given much thought to the Andes before, but from now on I think I'll have to think about the Andes when I think about South America- turns out they dominate a whole lot more of the continent than I previously realized. I guess thats the kind of thing that you could learn from an Atlas, but it's more surprising than that, because I'm having to accommodate this huge region into what I already thought was more or less a pretty sophisticated understanding of Latin America. Hmmm. I guess you never know what you think you know. 

Um, anyway. San Antonio. Right now I'm at the McNay, doing my internship, so naturally I have plenty of time to write my blog. I guess I'm getting pretty excited about going back to school. A few things that make this especially exciting: 1. I got a Zipcar account, so more mobility = more FUN. 2. New job at the African Art department of the YUAG. More non-western art = more FUN.  3. English seminar on Coetzee. More Disgrace = more FUN.  4. Friends' summer stories are FUN too. 5. BF. More tapatío = more FUN.

Also, Monica Garcia (a close friend from High School) and I have officially committed to spend New Years in Mexico, DF!!! I know, I've been there 3 times since college started, but I can't help but feel excited anyway! I love the capital so much and busing it there is bound to make for an incredible holiday. What's more, we have also committed to spending three kings' day in Mexico, though by that point we hope to be in one of the provincial towns, possibly Xalapa, which I've heard is one of the most beautiful small cities in the country. Oh I'm so excited!!! And if anyone wants to join up for some good old holiday-time fun in Mexico, they're free to join us! All in all, we're thinking of doing from December 26 - January 7 (or 8), starting in Oaxaca and ending in Xalapa, with (like I said) New Years in Mexico DF, and we're going on the cheap- 13 dollars or less / night for lodging, $10 or less/day for food, and $100 for sightseeing, plus the cost of transportation (all buses). 

Anyway, that's about it for now. San Antonio is on track to have the hottest summer in history, with temperatures reaching 110 degrees for 40 days in a row now. Good thing we have all that civic charm to make up for hellish temperatures.