kennedy's big win back

We went walking to find the restaurant yesterday AGAIN and he found a place to buy his plane ticket to Buenas Aires. Off hand he asked the lady if she knew of a place where they sold food for 8.50 sole. She said yes and told him it was the same street he had already looked 8 times. She wrote down the name Faroiles and then we walked up there and immediatly the people recognized him and gave us a table and served us lunch. It was so funny, I couldn't stop laughing because there are these dark forest green doors and we had walked past and it seems there were closed and we looked for signs that said 8.50 but we didn't see any. He got his money back. I pasted a pic of him laughing on my fb page. I don't even want to start to tell you the story of how he believes he left 300 sole in his pants today when he dropped them off at the laundry. . . he picks them up at 6pm and he really thinks this money is gone.

kennedy's BIG tip

My malaysian friend Kennedy went to a restaurant somewhere nearby the hostel. He ate lunch there for 8.50 soles (like $3.) so he said it was a new restaurant and he tried to get change for his 100 soles bill ($40) but they didn't have change. So he tried to just leave a $20 US bill but they said no how can we change that. So he left the 100 soles and walked within 3 minutes and turned one time to the right and came to the hostel. That was 3 days ago and he hasn't been able to locate the restaurant again. He spends a few hours per day walking the blocks around the hostel-one block he's gone 8 times and even goes in place and asks do you have lunch for 8.50 soles? and I left something and they say no, our lunch is 8 soles and we don't remember you. He says he's so sad that he gave such a big tip and wonders if they closed down the restaurant since it was so new. But everyday from 12-5pm he searches for the restaurant and plans to eat lunch there-WHEN not if he finds it. He says that he was so crazy to do something like that and he wishes he'd spent the money on something else-anything else-but he just lost it. I asked him how much per hour he thought his time was worth and he said, he doesn't care, he even wants to hire a taxi to drive him around the city blocks to search for this place. He can only remember that they had a counter and the restaurant had 2 sides to it and it costs 8.50. In fact yesterday, I went wandering around with him looking for it and asking random people on the street if they knew of a restaurant that was new that sold plates for 8.50 soles. It's this funny runny joke now and today he has a cold but is getting ready cuz it's 11:56am and he's got to start his afternoon search for the place. He leaves in 3 days so he's getting a bit desperate to get his accidental BIG tip back. He has a big smile and sense of humor about it but being a gambler he just can't cut his losses and enjoy the rest of his time, he just keeps searching for the rest of his change.

Identity Crisis

So people ask me my name and I say Mariana Brosnan, cuz that's what my passport says so then they call me Mariana but i have no idea who they are speaking to. I go by Michele. But it's too confusing to explain and besides they say my name like Mitch-hell! give 'em hell! I don't know. then to get them to pronounce Brosnan is funny-I just tell them like Pierce Brosnan and they sometimes get it. then the next question I cannot answer is where are you from? my markings are that I am latina and I'm speaking Spanish or Castellana and usually I tell people I am from Alaska and then explain I'm not native or an Eskimo. But if I say I'm from Alaska, then they seem to have no idea and ask-is it a foreign country? Sometimes I say I'm from Costa Rica and they want to know how long is the plane ride from their to here. The next question is are you married. If it's a strange man, than I say-yes-this just causes less problems. If I say no, then they try to ask me out. So then with yes-they ask where is your husband? so I say in Costa Rica or Oregon or Alaska or wherever I just said I was from. and they ask if he's ok that I'm out traveling alone. I tell them that I have friends and yes he's ok with it. then they say-if you were my wife-I would travel with you. I try to explain he's a trusting guy and he couldn't go with me but he understands my need to travel so maybe he'll come join me later. Needless to say, it's get very complicated very quick. So what happens if I just say, no I'm single and I chose to travel, cuz I can-it's very unaccepted in this culture. So usually I try to avoid all these questions by diverting the conversation which can be tricky. Sometimes it's the path of least resistance to getting things done. so I'm not sure who I am or where I am from. They call me Mariana and I am a member of the Earth. : )

sightings

I was going to post a photo blog on where men choose to go to the bathroom. Outside the hostel on the main avenue there is a 6 lane street. men cross halfway across and there are trees in the median and they stop to pee there. I mean they can't make it across or it's like natures call. then i went near the shore with a rocky path and the men would just walk down a couple feet towards shore and again use the el bano. Then pretty much anywhere in the city they just turn their back towards the most people and just go. Now the only time I haven't seen them doing this was in a restroom. There's virtually no traffic to the men's room. just saying-apparently the outdoors just makes them feel free. It's not like in the middle of our regatta in Oregon, one team member had to go in the middle of a race. The request from the skipper was not to pee into the wind. Pregnant women Seriously about 1 in 15 women in Chimbote were pregnant. That town gets real quiet at night and then it get repopulated. Then boyfriends or husband were there with their hands on their back escorting them around town. These women looked ready to deliver there in the marketplace. Nursing moms Everywhere there are new babies and there are moms with their breast hanging out and the kid is nursing. The older ones get down and play and come back and the breast is their waiting for them. It's very common to see this everywhere. just sayin

settle in settle down

In the first hour in Peru, the Immigration Official asked me out on a date for ceviche, which I politely declined once I had my 183 days approved on my visa, an airport official asked me to take a poll for local Peruvians, but I didn't qualify as a non-peruvian, got a ride from a taxi driver who described local flavors and bebidadas to me on the ride to the hostel.

I went out walking the few blocks to the store to purchase a lock for the hostel-didn't take Jordan's advice and grab one previous-??!!

Then in the morning-I have no timepiece-I wandered around and found a local breakfast-a papa rellena- filled potato- boiled potato with a boiled egg with delicious red and green salsa on top. Cost 1 sole.

Exchange rate $1- 2.54 soles
so less than $.50 for that.

I played in a chess tournament in the park but was not successfull in my bids to win. Good thing my nephew Jonathan downloaded chess onto my ipad so I can practice up in case another chance comes my way. Isaiac was a fun player and was curious about my crazy adventure. The most amazing thing was the homeless man who looked completely like he's slept in the park and woke up hung over, he
d play anyone who showed up opposite him and beat nearly everyone he played. These young hot shots would stride up and then play several games before accepting their humilating defeats.

I'm totally exhausted and my back is letting me know that it's time to just chill out and not go on any long sit down trips for a while. So I'll be chillin in Lima for a few days. I'm sure living with 9 million locals will be awesome.

it's starting

i feel excited-scared, nervious, alive!, sad missing my close to my heart friends, :(, and glad for the opportunity to go explore. LAX in a few minutes then i'm out. . .

when something ends something new begins

when i moved to Oregon in 1998, my children were small(er) and we moved here with the hopes of shoveling less snow and finishing college and having my kids live near their cousins.  I came here with dreams and thoughts. Did those get accomplished?

In the next 5 years there were dreams of building community and having great business and fun-this dream seemed to slowly build-like wind filling a spinnaker-but then a hearty snap and tearing of the sail and utter chaos.  Were those real visions of things that were real to come or just foolish desire?

The last 6 years were difficult-learning to be consistant in a world of inconsistancy-in a job that was less than enjoyable-I tried to make it exciting and enjoyed the people I helped-it was hard times with kids and relationships.  I thought there was some point to learn, some deeper meaning but maybe it was all pointless waiting for time to pass so that I would be now.

I drove around Albanascopy-as I call it, and looked at the old dreams and projects that never came true. I don't get it.

So I have to close the chapter on what I thought this whole Oregon adventure was about and go on with my whole heart to the next adventure. I hold the love of my friends who've made me who I am or who attempted to :) and I resisted-oops sorry!  and I keep the memories of all the wonderful times I've had-especially laughing with people.

icnesho lsoe bpole speakelosl winnso soiel soemslaonl iwomans

comment made about my adventure

bus operator-What give you the right to leave?

bus operator-good for you (as he cries a little)

friend of a friend-you are selfish and self-centered-just because you have no friends makes it easy for you to leave

Family-i didn't know you were LEAVING-I thought you were going for a week in Greece

Family-I'll meet you in south america for Christmas

Family-( ) yeah he didn't say anything :(

my best friend-I don't want to think about it. Later she says-I'll vacation when you get somewhere I'd like to see

my mom-Ay Michele-I'm so excited for you

my sister Salome-be safe and have fun

my family Jonathan-you got tickets to Peru for $235 Round trip and you didn't tell me!!!!

my family Mel-I'm so excited for you

my friend -i've worked other places and not missed people who left

a guy i sold my life jackets to-I'd really like to come on this trip with you

another friend-I'm not going to think about you when you leave because then I'd worry

my dad-IF this is God's will, then I hope all goes well

a store clerk-I wish I had the balls that you do to quit my job and travel

woman at work who has not spoken a kind word to me in 5 years-I wish you the best

my friend-Go for it and live your dreams

physical therapist-you are better-keep up your strengthening and go live your life

my attorney-I really want my wife to be more like you and travel

my dog-wait I don't have one :)

my chiropracter-what will you do if your back acts up?

all in all most people have well wishes for me. A few are somewhat hateful as if I haven't paid my dues to go adventuring.

to them I say-I didn't live by your rules for my life before and I'm not starting now

I have to do what's in my heart to do