Mthatha, South Africa trip

I'm in Kigali airport right now...in Rwanda. Waiting for the flight to Mumbai. I've learnt a lot this past week. About South Africa. About Africa. In general.

It was a different sorta trip. I was teaching health IT to doctors. It was a lot of fun for me. After a point, it was just like how we do workshops and training in the office. If your pipe is clear and you connect, it flows. From somewhere.

Anyways. Sikhum...dropped me today morning to the airport. On the way, a cow had just been hit by a vehicle. On the highway. There were already people. He said one to cut with a knife...others to take the meat. Quick.

At the end of the training, many docs said, "you've made a big difference to my life" or "changed my life" or "demystified technology"...and so on. One of them, Busi...she said, many are saying that you changed their life...we must give you a sheep. Sikhum...said since he's vegetarian, we must give him cabbages.

Later at night at dinner at Ebony (it's the restaurant with snakes on the logo). Both Ziya...and Sikhum...explained the significance of the sheep. That it's common in their culture to give someone sheep in honor. Ziya...said during her first graduation, someone gifted her a live chicken. And she was very touched by it. She gave it to her cousin to safeguard. I asked how would someone take a sheep? They said by tying its legs etc.

My views on animals have constantly evolved this past year and more. Ever since that Sapiens book.

It's an integral part of a lot of people.

Umtata...the older name of Mthatha is a medicinal plant. I wanted to know more about it. But didn't. Ziya said people go on treks along the coast. Wild coast it says...because none of it is developed. It's as it is...

Mthatha is surrounded by mountains. Morning drive to the airport was beautiful. Clouds. Resting gently amidst mountains.

I'm quite tired...the journey's been long. My back is sore.

WSU was cool. The infrastructure and buildings are all in place. The hospital is also next door. Though I didn't go in. People were very cool. Pat the pulmonologist with 40 years experience...he's the only one around. Khulil...the only interventional cardiologist around. And yet they were easy, relaxed, learning and happy.

Pat gave a vote of thanks in the end. This after closing comments.

I learnt there are 3 Nelson Mandela museums. I didn't go to any. Even his house.

I learnt about South African politics quite a bit. This Dec everyone is watershed event for ANC. It's just so odd...country after country...people go crazy with this power thing. Forgetting what they are here for. I was reading in the Economist that Ugandan leader also doesn't want to let go - he's 73. It's repetitive in Africa particularly. I also learnt of the Gupta brothers who are apparently missing now. So much corruption. People have therefore the attitude that either they need to take from the government or someone else will. Where will the respect for a government be?

The are so many languages. People intermingling. Mthatha is Xhosa people. Apparently they are intellectual. Xulus are more warriors. Sikhum...told me about his dad...he spoke 9 languages including Greek. SA takes on languages from Botswana (Tswana...his wife spoke Tswana) and Sesotho (from Lesotho)...these country lines are actually arbitrary. Europeans made it. The tribes are all divided.

I sense a stronger unification of Africa. People are mixing more freely. Working more freely together. There's pride.

Actually it's all very cool. When I compare business travels here vs the western world...it's different here. Both of challenges. That's all polished. Here it seems more closer to the ground. Earth.

Rwanda seems to be doing well. Called the land of a thousand hills. Might come back for the primates.

Another thing I learnt more on-the-ground...was about the apartheid. WSU is a black university. A few others...like wits...were originally white. There's a great struggle to uplift the locals. And it takes generations and generations. People make stupid decisions. Those wrong ideologies have impact for hundred+ years.

I met and spoke to many others. Like Nina from Guatemala. She seeded that idea of buying a tent. Going to Namibia. A desert. Just simply staying. She said as much...you will feel invincible. It's just you and the earth. Everyone lives. Animals. You. Earth. We spoke on the flight from Kigali to Joburg.

And there was another lady...don't know her name...she was Xulu...I managed to ask her about her hair. She had red streaks. She was going to Kigali for training in finance. The co was Rwandan...and she told me all about hair, her daughter's hair is smooth so you can't braid easily...that some people leave braids on for 10 years...to maintain you have to go to the salon...when her daughter was born and she was breastfeeding...the nurse was shocked and mistakenly thought it was someone else's baby she was feeding...because of the smooth hair vs harder African hair...funny :)

People have generally been very nice and warm. Mz...talked about Cuba. He trained as a doc there for 6 years. That place.

Rwanda will grow...small country but you can get the sense that they are trying. I ate samosa and a chapati-roll in the airport. Food hasn't been that much of a problem. During training the chef made something with soya for me. It was tasty. At Ebony restaurant that veggie wrap was delicious.

Chalo...later then...

[mint published this - https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/38Do5EvmgCjw1gvuE7sZRL/Bringing-home-a-sheep-from-Mthatha.html]

Kalsubai trek: Day trip to the highest point in Maharashtra

Here's all you want to read about it - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalsubai. It's 1,646m or 5,400 ft.

I'm in Udaipur now. Actually I should be writing about today. It's day 2. But this is pending...

[after few more days...am in Jodhpur now and we are leaving later today]

What can I say about Kalsubai. It was the weekend. I felt it was becoming commercialized. As soon as Kamlesh (my driver) and I reached the base village of Baari...one man with an umbrella approached us. Asking if he could guide and come along. I said yes. His name was Khundu. His grandfather also guided people up Mt Kalsubai (he told me this later). We also ran into his father.

It must've taken 3 hours+ to reach the summit and 2 hours or less to trek down. It's quite rocky. It was also raining continuously. As a monsoon trek the weather was perfect!

Khundu was an Adivasi. He said his brother studied B.Ed but to get a govt job so much bribe has to be given (like Rs.4L) that he found it pointless. Then as a teacher all he'd get is Rs.3K salary per month and that would be pointless too. So he left everything and stayed at home. Helping with khethi. Khundu hasn't studied. But they make enough money with these weekend tourists. People ask them to cook etc. Mumbai people want them to cook country chicken in the chhoola etc. and pay based on khushi se. He was dissatisfied when I gave him his guide fees of Rs.500 and more.

We ate poha that his wife made. I found their living circumstances were very unhygienic. Last night vessels lying dirty outside. I found hair in the poha :) It wasn't that they didn't have money - money wasn't the problem. It's just that they are habituated to unclean habits.

There was no bathroom and I had to go for the big job. So on the way I wanted to stop somewhere in the fields and do my deed. He said, "sandaas saath mein karenge!" I was a bit surprised. Well, we did it together anyways. Far away of course. But I gave him sanitizer so he can clean himself before eating (which he kept munching on Ruffles wafers...obsessed with it!).

There were many, many trekkers. Mostly young people in their early 20s. Towards the summit it was a queue system. One standing behind the other. People kept saying, "yahan se zinda jaana hai" etc.

:
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[Machu Picchu]: Movies I watched on flights

I spent a lot of time on flights. To Paris, NJ, to detroit, to Lima, to Cusco, to Lima, to Atlanta, to NJ, to Paris and back.

Sometimes I binge on movies. Like on the return flight.

Here's what I saw.

1) Cow Factory - a very good documentary made in France. Couldn't find it anywhere online - the DVD or otherwise.
2) Gold - Matthew McConaughey movie about finding gold in Indonesia.
3) Camino a La Paz - Roderigo de la Sarna (he acted in Motorcycle diaries). I really liked this movie. Starts in Argentina, ends in Bolivia. A Muslim man wants to go to Mecca. Sebastian unexpectedly becomes his driver. A great road movie. Very different.
4) Perfetti Sconoscuitti - An Italian movie where 7 friends come up with a game where they have to share all their text messages, emails, calls, Whatsapp messages during a long dinner.
5) Vida Sexual de la Plantas - An intense Chilean movie - literally called sex life of plants. But it deals with conflicting, confusion human emotions when a woman's boyfriend falls while climbing a rock and suffers brain damage. Her desire for him disappears but the need to have a child remains.
6) Lost City of Z - I desperately wanted to see this movie after reading about it in New Yorker. About an explorer (true story) in the Amazon jungles.
7) Passengers - I didn't like it so much, despite being a space movie and I could see some space, stars and stuff. 

[Machu Picchu]: Final words

Hmmmm...I'm glad I went. I'm back home now. I missed home too in between, in Cusco.

I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was also testing my body after the whole BP meds tapering to zero and my knees etc. Body did quite well.

I also met and spoke to many different people. Including that girl on gap year from Hamburg I met in Lima airport. She told me about workaway.com, a volunteering website. She worked at Inca Wasi. ("The children, all they had was the clothes and their back. They were so happy. Why do we need so much?).

What do I feel now. Just happy. Thankful. A yearning to explore Bolivia, Colombia, Brasil surrounding the Amazon basin...let's see.

The world is a big place. The universe is bigger. Peru closed some loop for me and opened something inside. I can't clearly say what. There are many worlds. Each unto its own. I felt less disturbed to be back into the world. I was taken away far, yes. Externally and internally. But that somehow made me feel more connected to the rest. People who've read the ayahuasca account have been asking me are you any different. Has it changed you etc. No, it doesn't. Means, I'm the same of course. But you begin to view things differently or through a different lens. I feel much more connected to the whole, to people and to every situation. A lot more. When that Uber car hit the other car, I was getting late, I only felt love for the driver. Not irritation. But more natural acceptance. I've been noticing such things. I keep wondering if all this will last. Will I get back into the din of the world? I don't know.

For now, I feel a certain completeness. I might've return to Peru. I kept wanting to go to Nazca lines. It's crazy too that one (lines on the ground that can only be seen from far above - insect, humming bird, monkey - what were they trying to communicate?). There's so much of love that the country has to offer. I received a lot of kindness generally. The deeper you go everywhere, the same it is. People are the same. When you know more outside, somehow you know more inside too. I leave some part of me. I learn some part of me. This one left a deep impression.

[Machu Picchu]: Thoughts post Ayahuasca experience

Conversations with Mother Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca is basically a medicinal plant with purgative and hallucinogen properties. It refers to two plants - Ayahuasca and Chacruna. The Shaman uses stones to grind them and boil them for hours. It becomes a thick brown liquid.

What happens is it opens up your energies to a higher state of consciousness. A certain universal energy that gives you access to all knowledge. You essentially receive responses - not through a voice but as experience.

The Peruvians refer to the plant as Mother Ayahuasca - rightly so.

For example, I may ask you how it feels when the sun shines on your face. You may not be able to describe it. But you know through direct experience how it feels when the sun shines. You just simply know. Similarly, you receive responses with Mother Ayahuasca.

Shaman Ismael and Sophie assisted. Limis (a 58 year old singer from Latvia) was along with me. The Shaman also consumes Ayahuasca with you so that he can be connected.

This ancient Andean concoction triggers emotions, memories where disturbing experiences are stored. Blocks are removed. May be certain neural pathways get rewired. It makes you confront those fears that have been pushed away under the rug. Small and big. Then it purges those and makes you view everything differently. Therefore cleanses you.

The process is extremely difficult. Requires fasting for 24 hours and abstaining from alcohol, chocolate etc. for weeks. You will need commitment from the heart and trust to surrender to a higher consciousness.

*
It took more than an hour before I could feel anything. The Shaman began singing. These are ancient sounds that create many vibrations in the body and mind.

When I first heard that he would be singing, I found it odd wondering about the purpose. But the sounds are very powerful. Vibrating your organs, your body. It also helps in purging the toxins out. 

Taking it out.

There are two pathways where it comes out. By vomiting. By diarrheal excretions.

In the beginning, I felt nauseous and the urge to vomit but not much would come out. Then when it began, it just came out. Every time I puked, I could feel it taking out something. Some block. When a disturbing thought or memory surfaced, I would puke. It took out that block inside.

The physical, emotional, chemical, psychological phenomena became one. Why do we think it’s any different?

After the initial vomiting, I had a deeply psychedelic experience. Your heart and energies open up to a vast universal energy. It’s almost like there’s a connection that gets established to wide and open consciousness - the whole - the entire thing.

It gives you access to all knowledge. You receive answers to any question you have. From the smallest of the smallest to the largest of the largest. When you receive, you receive it experientially. Imagine you open a window from your room to an open field. You can see everything there is. You can choose to look at specific things - like say a certain flower or the entire thing. All questions and all answers exist in the open field.

During that period I asked many questions to Mother Ayahuasca.

I asked if there was life beyond earth. The answer I received was that life exists everywhere. And it’s all interconnected and woven intricately. That’s why everything is important. Every small thing (every memory, episode, interaction, person, plant, animal) has a place. What we do affects the whole. What happens in the whole affects us.

I asked about the purpose of life. The answer I received was to give comfort and take care of others. Make the lives of others’ easier. To not hesitate from speaking the larger truth. To share with others and to wake them up. To purify and purify, clean and clean society.

I asked about the company and its growth. The answer I received was...that it’s already growing and to allow it to grow. To keep doing. To not limit our doing to only certain areas but expand in all areas. To create things and means that comforts people (not conveniences but comfort like solace). The pointlessness of money. Whatever you take, the earth takes back anyways in form or the other. To use the company as a tool to take care of others.

I asked why we do what we do (the things that aren’t conducive). The answer I received was... because we forget. We forget our true nature. Who we are. How we are connected. With everything. Every small thing.

I also received experiential insight into how disease forms. I saw a yellowish bile (or felt it) in a dark tunnel. It might’ve been while vomiting out. When something held back comes out. The thing is we don't let things come out. Our emotions, our memories, our negative experiences, our guilt...we are unable to let them go. These accumulate over time. At all points of time, our body carries both good and bad. Toxins reside all the time. Not all is excreted. The body doesn’t differentiate between physical and psychological - it’s all the same for it. Both states are interchangeable. A bad thought is the same as bad food or drugs or the air we breath or something we drink - undistinguishable — either the body uses something, excretes what it doesn’t need or simply stores. So it stores. 
Whatever our mind holds back inside (including deep rooted memories) - it holds without letting it go. When these are harmful (something that causes a negative feeling versus a pleasant feeling), they sometimes manifest physically. Cancers or tumors. Pains. Could be any kind of physical discomfort. When the body ages or weakens in strength, the disease takes over.

This vision became so clear that I kept saying of course, of course and it’s obvious. The ancients lived in harmony with nature. Thousands and thousands of generations lived normally and quite simply. The body whether it’s a human or plant or animal lives its time and naturally gives away, becomes part of earth (Pachamama). Our remains are utilized for the growth of others via plants and animals. That’s the natural process. It’s how it’s always been.

When the chemical balance is altered (outside or within) that’s when the problems begin. It could be infectious diseases that come in close proximity to animals. Livestock has already been altered by farmers for hundreds of years. Therefore our food. In the present times, it’s chronic disease - that might very well be our body’s inability to deal with a changing chemical balance. Greater stress.

In medicine and our research, our focus is mainly outward-in. We are focusing on the outward. We focus on specializations. We obsess about information. But it’s pointless. The source is somewhere else. Deeper. That goes unaddressed. Inside-out. These thoughts came to me.

An old Inca or Quechua man kept coming in my vision. A man with dark brown skin, somewhat thin, old, with native features. His presence offered comfort through the process. That he just stayed or was there. I might have even wanted to be like him. To just be.

It also occurred to me that our notions of lion being the king of the jungle and such are flawed. The lion or any other animal doesn’t think of itself as a king or leader. It simply lives. Neither do other animals think of the lion as such. These are our stories that we extend beyond ourselves.

Sophie kept tapping my back with a large blackish feather of a condor. When she mentioned about it in the beginning before the process began, I didn’t think much of it.

During the process when she kept doing it, it offered comfort and help the passing of the vomit - it helped it come out.

I had the vision of a condor. With large black wings. I became the condor. That vision somehow gave me strength. A overarching theme of taking responsibility for all kept occurring. To take care of everyone.

I asked about meat. The response I received was that it’s important to know where food is coming from, how it comes.

At one point, the hallucinations seemed to have taken over. Just kept going somewhere. I realized I kept on rubbing my head and shoulders against the wall. At that point, I heard the Shaman say via Sophie to make me breathe three times. I did. It brought me back.

He said, “Pra-vin” (like the Peruvians call me - the v sounds like w sounds like b).

“Hmm...Hmmm,” he said. It’s a very typical Quechuan way of saying. I had first noticed Jois (our trek guide) saying it. It means many things. Like here we are now...or so that’s that or we both understand where we are or we’ve understood each other.

That you can only understand after you spend some time here. “Hmm...hmmm,” I repeated.
He laughed. I laughed.

“Viva Peru!” He said. Yes indeed. “Viva Peru!” I repeated.

He didn’t exactly say it but I could get it. That I had to come all the way here to cleanse. And how.
By then the process had become clear. I was purging via vomit or by going to toilet.

And everything that surfaced had to be purged. Taken out. Earlier Sophie had instructed us to be on all fours while vomiting into the bucket that was left next to us. Like a dog. It helps.

So there I was on all fours. The bucket looked like a dark abyss. I would vomit into it. I would even say, “Arre come out!” I also started speaking in Telugu.

I heard Sophie laughing softly.

In the toilet, I would thank what exited. For leaving me. I kept saying good, good, good.
After I was done with the toilet, Sophie would wait with a towel outside. Every single time I got scared of her. She looked like a ghost in the darkness. I could never see her features. I knew it was her but still was terrified of going closer. How the mind plays games.

Later during the process the Shaman said that there was great energy amongst Limis (the Latvian singer who was also there in the room with me) and me. It was actually a kind of 3-way energy. He said Limis was my brother.

Limis said, you look like me. Next morning we held hands while leaving. He was in bodily pain. So that was that. Hmm...hmmm. 

Resources: NCBI Study: The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization, Scientific American: Ayahuasca Psychedelic Tested for Depression, Quartz: The ayahuasca ceremony is going under the scientific-method microscope, Peru Shamans (where I went).

[Machu Picchu]: Day 5 of Salkantay trek (Machu Picchu)

(Aguas Calientas - Machu Picchu - train to Ollantaytambo)

I woke up at 4.45am. 5.30am or so was departure by bus. I remember standing in line with Andrea. Somehow the topic shifted to why we travel. It was about her. But I remember sharing. It was engaging and throughout the bus journey. For her it was discovery and trying to find herself amidst the noise. Dr. M read that as midlife crisis kicking in early. :)

The hotel was fine, functional. I took nice long bath. Mosquitos had bitten the hell out of feet. Red big spots. I bought red, alpaca wool socks outside it. I forgot my card in the ATM, the bank security guard approached me and gave it. Outside.

Early morning itself there was a line to the bus. Water at the shop was expensive - S/.4.

I was happy we were going. Took a pic of my tix. There at Machu Picchu - it was like a busy, busy tourist site. Early morning still. At any given time, apparently there are a 1,000+ people. But it's very well organized, maintained. Toilets are outside and paid ones.

I wonder what my first impressions were. It's nice, pleasant. I took pics. I was indeed impressed with what humans do. It's up there. And so wide. There's a certain technical nature to the construction. While there's broader symmetry, they aren't obsessed about it at the granular level. A lot of it seemed like living quarters. Like a mini-city. Temple. Religious areas. Living areas. I took one video for B from there (it was because of him, I was there!). It's very beautiful.

But I was so glad we didn't come here first. I was glad for choosing Salkantay and not one of the Inca trails. I was much more open and accepting of the crowds and the touristy-nature (was quite open by then) because we already came from the mountains deep.

At around 10am, Andrea went to hike Waynapicchu. We went for the Sun gate. We lost Mads somewhere in that transition but ran into him later. Jhois seemed pre-occupied generally since the past day.

The hike up to and down from Sun Gate was what I most enjoyed. It was just fun. I was taking pics, videos. Generally frolicking. On top, sat with Sarah and lazed. Gazed at everything. Actually I did this many times on the way up. There's a security guard right on top at the sun gate. He keeps whistling whenever you sit with your legs touching the terrace/steps. You are supposed to keep it up - like you can sit crosslegged.

On the way down, I met one Slovakian. He was singing a folk song. I asked him which language. Then he said he would sing for me too. I took a video of it. Fun! Then he said, $20 jokingly. He told me India special, India special. He's traveled to Varanasi, the ghats (he indicated with his hands, going up! Then I understood he was referring to Manikarnika Ghat...hmmm I've been there few years back).

In one area, one lady - she was chubby and round - she wore one long dress, white with flowers. She kept rotating and swaying her dress - her husband was taking pics. This was somewhere on Machu Picchu. People do the most interesting things. Have the most interesting desires.

Sarah wanted me to do Macarena with her. I refused, too shy to do it there. But Dr. M did. I took the video. She had wanted to do it for many years. ("Okay, we're good!") Then she wanted Dr. M and I to do free-style. I sang yeh dosti (why that song!) and he hummed along. It was fun. When I look at that video now - it's so crazy really - it's this really wonder of the world types heritage site and I'm there singing loudly. It's interesting. I wonder what happened to the shyness.

[Machu Picchu history]
Hiram Bingham, an American explorer, was the one to make Machu Picchu so public. He wrote a book called the lost city. As I understood from Larco museum, it's surprising that the thing we know so much about Peru is about the Inca civilization and Machu Picchu - whereas the whole thing lasted only a 100 years. Humanity in Peru has existed for tens of thousands of years. There's evidence from even 70,000 years ago. We are talking of a really old primitive place. But yet we know mainly Machu Picchu. Satyajit Ray also chose to highlight it in Agantuk. But the world's knowledge is only from 1911. (I later saw a movie, Lost City of Z in NJ - Percy's discoveries coincide around the same timeline - I was thinking it also coincides with the Jalianwalabagh tragedy when India was dealing with its own problems pre-independence).

Other people's dreams become yours. So may be it wasn't B's dream. But may be we all have to thank Hiram Bingham. He made us dream.

Jhois said, he was the first Westerner (or whatever he word he used) to discover it. But the local people, Quechua people knew of it all along. They just didn't think of it to be a big deal. When Hiram Bingham traveled, explored, the local people (may be a farmer) showed him this. He was surprised by the scale of what he discovered, wrote about it, it became popular etc. The West seems to think (this is so deeply ingrained it's crazy) that what they discover marks the first time. I see this pervasive in the Indian context too - for e.g. in math. There's was much before Pythagorus - apparently he borrowed his ideas from Arabia who learnt about zero and other concepts from India. But modern history credits only Western astronomers, scientists etc. - may be D is right. By rooting out language, culture, we make people forget their past. Then we replace what we already know.

That's basically what Spanish conquerers did. They didn't think, oh let's learn about the Quechua people and what they have to offer to the world. They thought let's just wipe them out completely. Same in India. Mughal invasions are similar. Somehow religion plays a key role everywhere. Conquerers feel if they wipe out religious beliefs, people change, they become themselves. Quechua will become Spanish if their temples are replaced by churches. Humans are weird really. Anyway, everything keeps changing.

Jhois said perhaps Machu Picchu could've been just a retreat. Cusco had the industries. It was widely connected by roads to other places. The Spanish never found it so it remains - they didn't plunder or destroy it or change it into a Spanish town. Cusco looks like a semi-European city. With 11 churches. There's a huge Basilica. The Quechua people abandoned it just a 100 years later - coinciding it with the Spanish conquest. Most of the skeletons that were found could've been those of servants. So may be they were simply looking after it. While the Inca rulers functioned from their main cities. They may not have even called it Machu Picchu.

Perhaps it's overly popular. There might be other, more complex, more detailed archeological sites. But they aren't popular. And we live in a world of popular. There's still a lot of discovery going on. Who knows what we don't know. What secrets the jungles hide, the mountains hide.

All aside, it's still a spectacular site. What the Incas did was amazing.

[Back to the trek]
With that the trek was over. Just like that. We might've walked about 80km. All kinds of terrains. What can I say...it was very nice. It bound me to Peru.

[Machu Picchu]: Day 4 of Salkantay trek (reaching Aguas Calientas)

(Llactapata Mirador - Hydroelectric waterfalls, Mandor Hiram Binghams Farm - Aguas Calientas Hotel, 14km, 2,000m altitude)

It was long day. Cloudy morning. We reached Aguas Calientas by 3pm or so.

Internet makes people occupied. (Sarah Facetimed that night, Andrea had issues with her money bag, Facetimed dog...). People were also busy with phones during dinner or before. Can't remember now.

I didn't think much of the day or path leading up to Aguas Calientas. It was next to the train track, all after lunch. It just kept going and going. Outside it said many diverse species of birds etc. But all I saw were people and people and people. I kept saying, I'm scared to return etc. I see people! :) My usual issues with adjusting back.

People were mostly from South America I think. Some with very interesting, beautiful faces, features. It was interesting that way.

Dr. M and I even stopped at a coffee shop and had coffee!

Went shopping with Andrea in the evening. She was racing up and down. I liked to loiter and stroll! :)

I got stuff from a lady who had two children. Something. I just stayed. She patiently got one dress for size. Bought most things from that one shop. Andrea was looking for a bag.

Earlier, Sarah told me how her grandpa moved from Wisconsin to Alaska. She lives in Anchorage. German-Swedish descent. How her family organizes reunions every 2 or 4 years (I forget now). Where everyone wears a label etc. She finished studying at nursing school. In Alaska, PAs are docs, she said.

Evening at dinner I had pisco sour again (not required). By this dinner, everyone's minds were already dissipated. We were in the city-like, touristy atmosphere again. Andrea had said, it's okay to be like tourists ("Why not be a tourist sometimes?"). I want to take pics and do that stuff. True. It's fine too.

At one point, I was continuously walking on those side wooden things of the rail track. It became a bridge. I just kept going. Then after about a fourth complete, I realized I was in the middle of this trail track with nothing but water underneath. I had balance alright but then one slip in the middle and I could go down. That's when fear crept in. I saw there was actually a walk-way on the side of the bridge that I hadn't even seen. Then I walked back. It was interesting to see how fear shapes our behavior. Until I had fear, I just simply walked. Then I became ultra careful and it was more difficult.

I think it might've been this day. Dr. M had a really tough time in the descent. The path was slushy with rain. Feet sinking in all the time. He was annoyed saying why is it so. He was also worried about not falling or hurting himself and that he had so much work on monday and patients. The stress caused him to sweat. I tried my best to distract him. I was happy I was able to take his bag, share how to do, be useful, and my body was wonderful - no pains, it just was so comfortable. Also descending - the way to do it - like cycling - the mind had become one with it. It became more natural.

We tipped the porters and chef etc. in the evening. This thing of tipping kept surfacing in conversations. That was that anyways.

[Machu Picchu]: Becoming one with life on the Llactapata trail (Day 3)

I'll write as it is. Had written it in my drawing book. Backwards.

April 17, 2017. afternoon. Machu Picchu.

Hmmmm...I'm sitting in front of M-P as I had called it. Some Spanish music in the background (Sarah's playing). They are lying down. I'm sitting on grass. Just drew. Lunch was very tasty. Nature all around. A bee buzzes every now and then. It was hot - now slightly cooler.

I want to say. The walk here - the penultimate part was intense. I couldn't believe I was so close. Like seeing the mountains from amidst the trees, bushes sometimes like just a glimpse. It was a jungle. Only quiet jungle sounds - crickets, wind or breeze, bees buzzing...It was lush green. With ferns. With moss. All over trees. I hugged a smallish tree. My heart area touched the trunk. My cheeks touched.

It wasn't very different from hugging another human being. I can't exactly tell why. It was life. It brought about the same feeling within. It was curly-soft-green. The trunk, the tree felt real. Like a person, living thing. I can't even call anything a thing. And then it happened...

I might've hugged again...it happened. I removed my shoes and socks at one point. The earth felt cool. Intense. Drew me into it. My feet would sink in the mud. The mud clasped my feet. Softly. It was then I think it happened. I became completely one. With everything. I lost a sense of space and time. Even an ant carrying a green little food - I just became one. I paused and took deep breathes.

Saw my body - observed within. It was so clear. Every part. Slight back I would feel. But that was different - more physical, visceral. I merged.

A flood of memories came. Most intense ones. I cried. I cried and cried. It just felt so clean. So empty. There was really no me. I just became one. Most intense life experiences, memories, people flashed by. And then I'd kept going. The soil - cool earth holding me, my feet. How do I even describe that? I had no questions. Just an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness.

Thankfulness to whom, to what. I don't know. Means I know but it's not of the world's realm. It's almost like when something blends into water - not like salt or sugar but more like glass. What if you dip a piece of see-through clear glass into water that's flowing. Are you the glass? Are you the water? It is different. But also one. When you see it. The memories, the life, the viscera remind you of the distinction between the glass and water. And then again, in between those moments it becomes one. It's all the same.

There's a one-ness. At one point, I weeped a lot. There was something I had done - something subtle where I hurt Nature. The smallest of things that our memory carries as these burdens of life. You become so, so soft. How could I think of anything or anyone in Nature as any different from me. The people who love me, whom I love. Who've come along, been there with me. Once when I closed my eyes. I went back. Nana, mummy, grandparents - amma, bava. Bava's parents. My brother. My son. My loves. The loss. Everything became one - in a flood. May be, this is what you finally experience before the body sees its soul, the soul leaves the body. Almost every single person - everything. Not just one person. But the whole - many, many, many things that build up a single moment.

Nothing matters. The earthly things seen on another realm. I thought what Ayahuasca might mean. How it might've felt for an Andean to walk on this same soil. Who am I? What is life? Is there time? Does it matter? Am I different from the ant? Isn't there life in the soil that I walk on? That's carrying me. What is there to love? Or not love? How can I have a distinct emotion when I'm already part of it? I became very, very soft.

Why do most intense experiences memories stand out? When A was born? The spots of blood on his scrotum. That's what I had seen first. The lung (?). The depth. When S was young. The early, early days - the feeling of it. The parents who came before me - who brought me here. The gift they gave me of life.

The ancient Andeans believed procreation was central to how life happens. The heaven. The earth. The dead. When you love, when you merge - the heaven merges with the earth through rain. Therefore sex becomes the means to connect. To give a continuum across time, across space. That's what creates life across all creation. That's why it's one of the most intense experiences. That's why it gives the bliss, the pain. It causes wars. It's connected to desire.

Daniel Kahnmann had said we remember the peak experiences and the end. That's true for all of life. When we pass on, we remember the peaks - the intense moments. And then we know what's happening around. And then we pass on. Actually there's nothing to pass onto. We just merge.

It's not a sad or even a mildly sad emotion. The total other end. It's a flood of completeness. You merge. When you become one. What is there to think or feel?

[there's a drawing of fluid space all around, arrows show up, down, right, left]

How could you feel sad or angry or anything? Guruji always says what's your relationship with yourself? That's your relationship with your Guru. But it's for all. You look at people, at life, all - with a certain thankfulness - it's all there - everything - to bring you to this point. Actually, it's not bring you because that signifies a linear movement of time. But there's no time. How can there be time? In the whole.

How do I put it? Like say there's a space. Yes you can measure the distance between two points in that larger space. You could even more from one point to the other. But how does it matter? You are within the space. How can one point judge the other point? Isn't it all pointless? Ha!

On an earthly level. I thought of B. Why didn't he come? He could've. It's so easy in a certain way. Like that I thought of different things.

When I finally reached the campsite. My shoes tied together over my shoulders. Bag behind. Feet. Me. I simply walked all the way to the very end.

I saw the expanse of the mountains. The range. The Andean range. Then I finally knew I was there with people. I had smiled and waved. But I was still within.

I finally came back. I took pictures. Selfie-even. :-)

Then later. Much later. Middle of lunch, thanks to Joyce I realized I was looking at and walked up to Machu Picchu all along (when I reached the very end). Once I saw the ruins, it just stayed. I saw Wayna Picchu, the ruins or their construction or what the Incas built - along the ridge line. Then to the right of it is Machu Picchu. A mountain amongst many in the sacred Andes.

[Machu Picchu]: Day 3 of Salkantay trek (It's like a new trek, first sight of Machu Picchu)

(La Playa Sahuayaku - Lucmabamba Coffee farm - Inca trail - Llactapata, 12km, 2,700m camp, 400m+)

We started late today but it's ok because it's a short day - a little more than half day or so. Jhois didn't wake up or show up for a long time. It bothered some in the group - used to times, plans etc. :) ("Where's Jhois? It's already so late!").

Haan, the previous night I saw such beautiful constellations. Even the milky way. Just spread out. Spectacular. Why do we stay so far from all this?

The campsite was a coffee farm. Someone gave us demo of how they pluck coffee beans and process them into powder. It was fine. The man was shy and sincere.

I remember seeing a mother combing hair of her young daughter, doing her plait. Pink color sweater on the kid. I remembered Bhutan when I did the same. :)

I also noticed for some odd reason, there was the commode outside the bathroom, including the flush. Means there was one inside. But there was one right outside affixed to the wall - facing all the tents. No, I didn't use it. :)

I shaved looking at me in the mirror! A first for me on treks (I've gone on for days earlier without seeing myself). Ha, ha. This has to be a really weird trek. Are we in the wilderness or semi-wilderness. Is it over?

(But all my reservations would be more than made up later today - I just didn't know it then).

On the way, I realized we were on a second trek. Means, Salkantay finished. Everything here looked different. We were slowly ascending into forest area. It seemed like two treks into one.

I was generally happy. I remember this at the time when Jhois was giving us a history lesson at the beginning of the Llactapata trail head. It's one of the Inka trails. I was fooling around taking video with my camera.

But I had long conversations with Jhois. Before, after. Trying to understand the Quechua people. Here's what I remember.

[About Quechua]
Jhois has a Spanish father and a Quechuan mother. He relates more to the Quechua people. I asked if this were the case with his friends. He said it's mixed. Some people like to associate themselves more with Spanish. (cooler). Some more Quechua (more ancient).

I see this thing everywhere in the world. People are trying to find where they are originally from. Who are they? Who were their ancestors? At a younger age, they want to be more cool. At a later age, they search for meaning. When they learn history (that Spanish conquerers wiped out a lot of what was Quechua, Inca and many many tribes, ethnicities, their knowledge, temples, beliefs, education, customs...the English did the same in India), people try to go back and search for what was before all that happened. Who were they, really?

At one point, Jhois said (this was in Machu Picchu I think) - had the Spanish people found this, they would've erected a Catholic church here too.

Unlike in India, Spanish is quite intermingled into the population. People. Language. Religion. It's more difficult to unroot. Jhois mentioned in Lima - like when Cusco people go to Lima - they become more metro and when they return, they act more Spanish-like. Disassociating themselves with their customs or even sometimes struggling with language. He himself doesn't speak Quechua and is learning. He taught us to say, Solpayki - thank you - in Quechua. I remember him saying the language itself is more descriptive/illustrative, as you see. It's interesting.

I learnt in Lima (at the Museo de Larco and in Cusco museums and elsewhere), the Andeans are generally strongly visual people. They communicate through symbols and signs. It's very, very important. Animals play a strong role spiritually. After my shamanic experience, I learnt a lot more about it. They see life in three worlds:

Uku pacha (lower world) - symbolized by snake, transformation and rebirth
Kay pacha (our world) - symbolized by puma, strength and patience
Hanan pacha (higher world) - symbolized by condor, spiritual

[Back to the trek]
The Llactapata trek was a steady, up climb all the way. We entered a cloud forest. Beautiful. On the way, near the trail head, I remember seeing a table with a sign ("Andean Starbucks Coffee"). (Sarah and Andrea told us later they asked around for Starbucks, haha!).

I mostly trekked up with Dr. M. We stopped in between where he bought Inca cola for everyone. I liked that spot. It was nice. It must've been around 2pm or so. We took pics etc. Peaceful views. Luscious, green, flowers, river below, forest, mountains all around everywhere you see. They even have an orange flag at this point. The chef and porters carried stuff on their back.

At one point, I saw a black/red caterpillar like thing. It was dying. Not yet dead. He had a red under-bottom but black top. Was moving his head slowly, curled up. But flies and other insects were already on, eating him/her, sucking into him. In a hurry. Frantically. Nature doesn't wait. Nature doesn't care. It keeps moving, moving.

I remember hugging one tree (the photo looks weird now!). But something happened. More on this in a bit, may be in the other separate note.

There was a sign called Puncoloc. At this point, I left Dr. M and Jhois. I kept going. I had a deeply surreal, meditative experience on this part of the trial. I felt like removing my shoes. I carried it with the laces tied on my shoulders. Just my feet. The soil. Earth. Pachamama. I've described this separately. Why did I have that experience? I don't know. I hugged two more trees. It didn't feel very different from hugging a person.

An electric blue/white butterfly.

I reached campsite. And I was like oh, now I'm going to see Machu Picchu. All these years. And now I'd have a glimpse. How would it be? I went all the way to the end of the campsite. Crossing horse dung. One thorn too inside. Removed it. I took pics of myself to remember this thing. There were large mountains in the background. Then I decided to come out of myself and join the others. I did that.

Beautiful, beautiful campsite. We had great lunch. During lunch, Jhois said there's Machu Picchu. Huh? I said, where? I think I asked him, so where's Machu Picchu. It was right in front of us. It was the mountains I saw when I went all the way to the end. And then I saw it - the terraces. Waynapicchu on the left - the smaller mountain. Machu Picchu mountain on the right. Once you see it, you always see it. My God! It's like that old woman-young woman drawing. Once you get the perspective, you always get it.

I just so enjoyed. (Andrea said, "This is a new Praveen!" - I think she said later that night).

The lunch was very nice, I remember that. I ate a lot. We finished whatever was there. Must've been 3pm or so.

I spent many hours drawing that afternoon after lunch. Blissful. I remember everything so distinctly. Like Bruce said, when you draw, you remember. It's true. It's just there deep in my memory.

That night's dinner was so much fun. Our group came together. Dr. M was in his funniest best. Mads started teaching us Danish. This is what he said:

rødgrød med fløde

What it sounds like is khol, ghol me flu!! It's one pudding.

Haha :)

Then Sarah shared some joke she heard about Italian not revealing secrets because his hands were tied. Needs hands to talk. :)

Andrea talked about bah - how it's used like La in Singapore at the end of every sentence. Bah.

Dr. M narrated a real joke. Where a nurse wanted to greet an Indian cardiologist. Someone told her to say Behn-chut. And she did. 

So everyone was at it.

Somehow the topic shifted to cows. And I couldn't resist. I told all I know about cow factories. 

I slept very happy. Still with the whole dinner conversations ringing.

There was an English couple. Very scattered. They carried everything. Cooked. Must be in 60s. He said, "Don't take our bags" or something next morning. 

Andrea later told me - that afternoon - she was also sitting for many hours. And was thinking through everything about her life.

It is such a place.

[Machu Picchu]: Day 2 of Salkantay trek (already the descend!)

(Wayrachmachay - Chaullay - Ccollapampa La playa - Sahuayaku, 18km, 2,400m camp, 1,400m -)

Salkantay is an odd, odd trek. Just like it was odd to just simply jumpstart on day 1, it was odd to descend all the way and finish off on Day 2. Just like that. :) But it was one long, long day. That too on the painful bus-road (this was bad on the knees - the mountainous climbs were actually very good).

In the morning, I wrote my stuff. Some local song was playing the background. It was nice peaceful. I meditated and was able to be in my tent. There were hut-like permanent things on these campsites. The tents would be laid inside. More organized I must say. I liked having Milo. When I was writing, I could hear Dr. M and Sarah laughing.

Dr. M was in amazing spirits. Fully recovered, energetic and happy. Great attitude. Was able to put his things behind. I think I gave the knee brace.

Jhois shared one painful experience - his first time as a guide. How his group kept drinking, doing drugs, misbehaved etc. Apparently from Israel (he said this in the end). Oddly, I heard similar stories in Ladakh. I think it must have to do with the compulsory military service. They (very young people) must feel liberated when it's over. That they almost faced death and came out alive. And they just simply want to let go.

The bus road was long. It's actually a muddy road. After a point, it just became meditative - one foot after the other. On and on and on...

We went through two cable cars. Dr. M wondered if it could snap.

(Sarah kept saying, "Oh snap!" generally as an expression - mostly for something positive. Like a nice dish comes on the table. Oh snap!)

On a 3rd cable car, we saw a man pulleying himself from one end to the other. Dr. M and Mads discussed the physics of it. (Mads studied physics).

One area, we saw this huge tower - one leg almost to the end of the mountain. There was lot of soil erosion. A huge, really huge plastic sheet was laid on the side of the mountain. To prevent more erosion. Dr. M wondered how they planted those towers in between these mountains in the first place. I was reminded of Gasa - in Bhutan - at the end of it, we would see these signs of development. Here we saw it on Day 2. :) But it was nice still.

One of the porters was wearing a t-shirt that said "Super Porter". Their strength - both mental and physical - is just amazing. And it's so consistently amazing in various parts of the world.

In the mountains, the smallest of things magnify in proportion. My toe nails had grown in the week leading up to the trek and I hadn't cut them. It would bother me inside the shoe.

The lunch was a long break for some reason despite it being a long day. It was on the top floor place. Nice lunch point. Some camp area types. There were two dogs that were lying around in the grass. I also did that - on a plastic sheet. Wanted to feel, what they feel. :)

We reached late, long day generally. More so because of the bus road. There was some cloud-forest area. 

There was campfire etc. at camp but I was occupied in my own tent. At dinner, the chef got some turkey fire. I had pisco sour. 

The horse-men left after this.

At the pulley area, I remember seeing one hiker with a white beard. Thin. With his large back pack. I thought he was older. When he approached he was young. Why do I remember him.

[Machu Picchu]: Day 1 of Salkantay Trek (Salkantay Pass)

Day 1: Soraypampa - Salkantaytampa - Salkantay Pass - Wayracmachay, 15km, +/- 850m altitude.

The previous night, we met at the intro. I met Mads, Andrea and our guide Jhois. Felt that Alpaca is very organized generally. They gave us duffel bags and plastic bags that we could put our stuff into. It standardizes everything for them.

Normally, treks take time to take you up to the high-point. You pass through various landscapes. But with Salkantay, Day 1 is the most difficult, also long. You get to go the pass - get your high - right away, like just 5-6 hours into the trek. It's almost like someone gives you a lift to basecamp.

We were picked up from our hotels at around 4.30am. We kept driving until 8am. I recall trying to use the headspace app in the vehicle. Everyone else was mostly sleeping.

Around 8am, we reached Mollepata for a break. It was kinda a village. I noticed that everyone greets, especially beyond Cusco. Buenos Dias, buenos dias...There were a few shops, dogs, one nice tree right in the center. I remember seeing one small electronic repair shop with a computer monitor completely open and naked.

A large group of men (possibly workers) - some were wearing cowboy hats - they were all standing in a large truck. Andrea awkwardly remarked (and at that time her loudness was particularly noticeable to me), "God, they are all being taken like cattle."

Around 9.30am, we reach the trailhead - Soraypampa (3,900m). It was nice and misty. Mads was grinning widely (again, I remember because Andrea remarked) - just happy to soon start trekking. Our chef made some nice breakfast. We even took a group photo.

I stretched. Still nervous how my knees (left particularly) would behave.

While we waited, the weather opened up and we had our first glimpse of Salkantay and the other peak was called Humantay. It was nice. Glaciers, white, surrounded by clouds.

I was still getting to know Dr. M in an outdoors environment. He was excited. Happy. Taking lots of pics (I noticed this in Cusco too). He hadn't rested or acclimatized properly the previous days. Always restless, active. I said as much as I could. Milan would've been frustrated :)

At Salkantaypampa (4,150m), we stopped at a small hut. I saw a small boy - may 4-5 years old, holding one plastic bag with fruits. Cute. He was staring. I went and tickled him on his belly and he opened up - smiling and engaging after. He and his father in the hut. They sold agua, inca cola, souvenirs and stuff. I was naturally attracted to one Condor keychain.

We kept going, kept going. It started raining. Alpaca even gave plastic ponchos to everyone. I didn't use mine. During lunch, I noticed the chef actually wore a Chef hat (this is too much I thought). The food was excellent. Made everyone happy and settled. Some rice pilaf and one bajji like thing, corn. This might've been around 2pm or so. One cow also visited the chef's side. :)

Around 3pm-3.30pm, we reached the pass. (I know all the times because I'm seeing the info on the photos now as I write). It's at 4,600m. I can't say it was super difficult. I kept going slowly, as usual, at my pace. Without rushing. Dr. M too was mostly fine. Little beginning to struggle. The rest were faster. They reached 10-15min before we did and waited for us at the top.

We took pics (nice group ones). I was happy. I even took one with M logo. Very nice views all along. Reminded me of several passes. Dry. Stones. Memories left by people. Sacred.

On the way down, I was deep in conversation with Mads (it also helped me keep my mind occupied). He told me all about growing up in Denmark. I think he's from Aarhus (pronounced so differently that I heard it like Ouus) - the second highest city. His mom works at a hospital - there are only 8 in all of Denmark. He said, she often complains about interoperability of medical records and how they can't share with other hospitals etc. Wah, universal problem!

He talked about how the social infrastructure is very good - free university education, free healthcare. The trend of taking a gap year after high school (around 16 years). And then again before Masters education. He's 23. 

I remember seeing an ashy-colored rabbit like animal peeking out of the rocks and running away. I now figured it's a chinchilla - a rat! I also saw red colored rocks.

Sarah and Andrea were always ahead. Dr. M was behind.

Then I waited for Dr. M and we kept walking together. It was getting late now. May be 4.30pm or so. It's my trekking rule (perhaps everyone's) to reach camp before dark. Preferably by 5.30pm or before so that you are well-settled. Rather start early than reach late.

I remember telling Dr. M - we'll be late etc. And eventually we were.

We approached the village Wayracmachay around 6.15pm+. Around then. It was getting quite dark. I was able to find my way through the trails. Thankfully Jhois kept waiting ahead. After a point, it became impossible to find the trail. 

The continuous rain had made everything slushy. We would've been totally lost had we not seen Jhois every 10-15min. I remembered that day in Chadar with d. I narrated several trekking stories to Dr. M to distract and engage his mind.

I think I took his bag as well. Earlier he had refused to carry two trekking sticks, now he struggled. I gave him mine. He was wearing jeans. Didn't have proper trekking shoes (socks must've been wet). I'm sure he had a very frustrating time. He understood at the end of it all anyways.

We must've reached camp a little before 7pm. Very, very late. It was pitch dark.

Guess we had seen it all for a Day 1.

In the dining tent, Jhois told us a joke. Something about his professor. A fish. That said blue, blue, blue...it was so funny! I can't remember it now. ha!

Dr. M was quite shaken. Wouldn't eat. He was wearing t-shirt and shorts. I repeated a few times so that he would get appropriately dressed. Took Ibuprofen I think. 

I didn't feel like eating much, midway during dinner. Something, discomfort in the stomach. I woke up at 12.30 or so - midnight. Tried desperately to sleep. Couldn't. Disturbed. I remember seeing photos of everyone. Then somehow sleep came again later.

Salkantay - it means shy, wild mountain in Quechua (salqa - shy, wild and antay - produces avalanches). They say it's one of the hardest ways to get to Machu Picchu. It's fine. Doable.

[Machu Picchu]: Words before flight

It's 4.22am on 15th April. Dr M and I are waiting in the lobby of Rumi Punku for Alpaca person. Joyce is our guide and group leader.

What am I feeling? I feel comfortable. Little enthu and waiting to go into the mountains. One part of me is thinking oh this is such a short trek. It'll be too easy and such. Other part is saying anything can happen, be careful. Also my knees have to help and play along.

These past few days in cusco have been very nice. I've immersed myself in the place. It was nice.

I'll go now. 

[Machu Picchu]: I'm in Cusco

I lose track of days now. But I arrived just yesterday in Cusco. May be 4-5 days ago in Lima.

The minute the flight landed in Cusco - Peruvian Airlines - the effect was just transformational. Back in Lima airport, I had mild back pain after lifting my bags or something. Prashanth had warned! I was thinking. I was in one odd mood - wrote some reactive stuff in the airport about stuff of the past. So mood was ok-ok.

Flight was ok. I was reading Age of Kali - William Dalrimple. I liked the first sight - it's like green velvet over the mountains.

Then when I landed. The air. The mountains. My god - it was blissful. Transformational. A boost of energy suddenly. I became surprisingly just joyous of finally being here.

It's been a long journey I thought. I associate this region with Bhaskar and that Utpal Datt movie - Agantuk - stranger. I took pic of the plane standing next to the security person.

Outside Martiza met me - from the hotel. She took a pic of me - I wanted her to. Then I sent it to everybody via whatsapp. I wondered why. But I sent it anyways.

We drove to Rumi Punku hotel - I chose it for the name. I imagined Cusco to be much smaller than it is - the center of the town is exactly that way. Cobbled stone paths, up and down. Just beautiful. It has the vibe of a Lukla in Nepal or the smaller towns above Manali or McLeodganj. Something about it.

I'm sipping Inca Kola now. Coca Cola makes it. People seem to like it here. I don't like colas that much. I just wanted to taste it.

That night, I ate at Organica or some place like that - the best and tastiest food I've had in a long time. All organic. And people - the waitresses - they were glowing. Fresh.

I could feel mild altitude stuff - so I've taken it generally easy. And it's nice. I've been working though on and off. I keep thinking when will I fully disconnect. It's been awhile since Stok Kangri. So I must've not passed a single day (except during advance course yes) without a device in the last 2 years may be! Wow!

Today is my second day in Cusco. It's really nice. Lunch I went to Pachapapa. Found it bit expensive but something interesting happened. I sat at the common table. There was a group but we soon got talking. Masun from Guatemala, Kerby from Atlanta, Estefiana from Peru, Linda from Latvia. Remember Latvia - there was the father-son from Latvia on the Stok Kangri trek. We had a nice chat and an enjoyable meal. I resisted sharing contact. I thought about it. Why.

We meet so many people in our lives. They come and go. Some stay longer. Some want you to stay longer. They asked me many questions. While answering I realized - while saying - I do like coming by myself. It's a joy. I like leaving large spaces in my time (I couldn't explain this to Dr M when he asked what would you be doing there - well, nothing). I really like doing nothing. It leaves me enough freedom to do anything. And there's joy in that.

Just before lunch I walked into Peru Shamans. Before that I chatted with any seller who wanted to chat with me. People selling paintings. One lady who came from 30km to sell woolen kinda things.

Richard - Michigan alum - whom I met in Lima told me about Ayahuasca - he said go to Sacred Valley - go to Melissa Wasi. Ayahuasca - I read one article about it in NY Times too. Long back. In Peru Shamans, I chatted with Janet and Betty - who seemed to run the place. Betty was very calm. She went through everything in great detail. Slowly. Many things about the ceremony. About the spiritual significance of it. It's almost religious. May be fully religious. The shaman is from the Amazon jungles. He keeps going back to his family there. I saw the pic - I felt he would be accustomed enough the travelers. I signed up for after the trek.

So that's my Cusco. I just love how everything forms around me.

It's on my mind to write my articles for the following two weeks. Let it come. I wrote the last one on the plane and I must say it touched a chord with people.

I keep working in different places. Like this hotel. Then the Museo Larco - I visited that on my second day in Lima (it's a wonderful museum - I spoke to cynthia from there re Sw). I did the quarterly call from the 511 Lima Hostel. Life goes on actually. It's all in our head that we need to limit ourselves to workplaces.

I know already I'll miss Cusco. Some places are you. Because they belong in your life at certain times. And the memory gets deeply associated with it - makes all these connections in the brain. Detroit too. I went to downtown last week sometime. Looking for the places I used to go many, many years ago.

[Machu Picchu]: Loitering in Lima

i landed at 5.30am I think. Totally tired. Couldn't sleep well on the plane.

I'm at the Javier restaurant in Barranco district. Its a bohemian Neighborhood. They struggled to find me a vegetarian causa limena. I settled for something else. It overlooks the Pacific ocean.

Google Translate app has been a true blessing. I've been able to get around and speak and even in some cases follow what someone was saying.

When I reached 511 Lima hostel where am staying, I met César - an interesting caretaker. He hardly spoke English. We managed to understand each other using Google. He directed me to Kennedy parque area for breakfast. I was too early for everything. But the free wifi worked on the street so I spoke to A and S. then nana and mummy. Mira Flores is indeed a hip Neighborhood.

I waited La Lucha to open by 8am. Had vegetarian and heuvo sandwich and some juice. It was nice. Then I walked back. I've walked more than 12km everywhere today. I found this area very nice and upscale. Everything is clean.

I couldn't place the people. They are shy and look away. Some look at me twice because they know I'm not from here but I could be. Its funny. When you start speaking people are very friendly. It would've been easier if I knew more Spanish. I say whatever by learning from the app but when they respond I'm stumped. I figure it out sometimes.

The wait back at the hostel was long. Then I got my room. I was surprised that its so small. Then I got used to it. Now I think I even like it. That's the way it is. Really makes me wonder why we have such strong preferences about anything. The mind and body get used to everything.

Lunch I ate at Manzano a chifa (Chinese fusion restaurant). They made egg fried rice for me. I was sitting next to an older man.

[break]

I'm in Cusco now. But I'll complete what happened that day before the memory fades.

The older man I sat next to couldn't complete his food. He offered me his food. I politely responded soy vegetariana.

During sunset, I went to the Miraflores bay area. I don't know what you call it. there were surfers all around. Pacific ocean looked fantastic. Srikesh messaged right after asking for a drawing for a tattoo in Samika's name. I'm yet to do it.

Evening Patti at the Lima hostel recommended I go to the Barranca district for dinner. I did. And it was fun. First the taxi driver was extremely cooperative with the change. We searched until we got it. Then at the restaurant, I'd use Google Translate and say the food was delicious - it was a kind of a salad. He would take off in spanish - and I wouldn't catch a word. I'd just say si, si.

After dinner, I went back to kennedy parque area and loitered into Lima's urban jungle...

I walked 13+ km that day. Loitering.

[Machu Picchu]: Transiting via Mexico City

I'm in Mexico City airport. The wifi works like a charm. Was speaking to Samir and he reminded me of the blog and writing.

Many things have happened since I've written.

My back and knee saga continued. It's not fully gone either. But magically doesn't show up on soft surfaces. Only roads long distance are not so comfortable.

I went for a long physio duration - like a month or so. Leading up to America trip.

I've been in US since 10 days or so. First NJ/NY with clients. Then Michigan for the board meeting. Both trips were quite productive. Even shadowed a patient procedure - which was something. Agnes her name was. 82 years old. Anyways.

I wanted to write "Words before flight" - I didn't. I forgot. But I was really excited to get the boarding passes in my hand. It adds a big reality to the whole thing - somehow. I've been collecting boarding passes since last year or so.

As soon as I landed in Mexico - I wondered how it would be, how the immigration and customs would be. How people would be. The immigration officers were very young and friendly. Customs was friendly too. Less lines. The whole process was a breeze.

I have a longish layover. I took a long layover for some reason. I think to spend time in Mexico. But I'm feeling sleepy and tired now. Lima, Peru is 6 hours flight. Long. It's like a red eye. Booking time, I didn't realize that the countries are on Central time - mathlab, I didn't even think about all that. Just booked.

Anyway. Now I just want to sleep.

Ann Arbor was nice. Very nice weather today morning. I stayed in an airbnb across Kellogg eye center. Argo park and nature trail was right next to it. So was the river. I went for a short walk this morning. It was fresh and nice.

I've just been very busy the last many days. One thing after another. Even less sleep.

Dr. M is coming to Cuzco on 13th. It's fun. He booked his tickets, I think on a whim. Like kinda desperate wanting to get out of everything quickly. I would've never thought he'd come. I told many people I was going. But this was unexpected.

When I shopped for trekking stuff and meds, I remembered my previous treks. people also. It'll be something new for me this time. I'm kinda on my own. Like may be the chadar trek.

I went to Detroit downtown yesterday after many many years. When I was in college or may be after when we were starting up -- may be 2004-05...I'd head out there. Because it was dangerous etc. It added an element of adventure. Now, the downtown is full of people. Alive. Safe even. I took an Amtrak - never did that before. And a bus - quite randomly. Saw one stopping and jumped into it.

Detroit art museum and area near Wayne State etc. looks very cool.

Anyways...so these are indeed words before flight to Peru. What do I feel? Nothing much. Sleepy. Slight body aches here and there. I'm happy I'm going. I've never been on this part of the planet. may be it'll help me know again and again how small my world is. That all I need to do is lift my head up, look up, peak out.

I've been using Google translate app - it's very good. I downloaded spanish one for offline use. So I simply type what I want to say and then memorize it and say it. Factura is bill or invoice! Haan that restaurant waiter took more money in dollars but I played along for some reason. Just.