Riding the Bike

Arriving back in Cuzco, it sinks in that Cuzco will be my home for at least a month. To make it feel like a home and not living out of a backpack, I figure it would be good to make some sort of routine. I get up early around 7am, and walk about 15 min. to the mercado (big market) for supplies. There are rows of juice ladies, so I decide to give one a try. For $1 I get 1L of fresh juice. I choose a mix of mango, aloe, carrot, pineapple and papaya. It tastes sooo fresh and good. This is definitely a routine I am going to get into.

I attend a movie about the Andean farmers and how their way of life is changing as many of them are abandoning their family farms to move into the city for work or education or to work as porters or cooks on the Inca trail. This is a perfect background for the work I will be doing as the Environmental Advisor for treks going to Macchu Pichu.

The movie is really interesting, but I am struggling with a stomach that all of a sudden feels like it has turned into a washing machine. I fight the feeling as long as I can, but am forced to make a run for the washroom. I spend the rest of the movie in the bathroom. What a horrible feeling. What´s even a worse feeling is knowing that public bathrooms in Peru don´t have soap or toilet paper. Luckily I keep toilet paper in every pocket of every pair of pants or shorts and avoid making a horrible situation into a complete disaster.

For the next few days I don´t leave my hostal room unless it´s a run for the toilet. The Peruvians are very polite and I was told not to call it diarrhea, but rather ¨riding the bicycyle.¨ This refers to pedalling very fast to get where you need to go in a hurry (the toilet). I don´t know what exactly got me sick. It could be the juice (hopefully not), a $1 3 course meal with fish the night before, salads, etc. I don´t know, but it´s a good reminder to make safer food choices.

What´s worse is that my trek of a lifetime - 4 days culminating at Macchu Pichu- is right around the corner. Why is this happening now? Will I have to cancel on the trip and possibly my position? I´ll wear diapers if I have to. There´s no way I am missing out on this.

I had gone down to the mercado with Adam the day before and we got some herbs for his similar condition. So, him and Allison took on the role of Mom and made me herbal teas and brought me soup and juice. I was so thankful that they were there to take care of me. But, in that time, I really missed my home: my mom, my family, the comforts of home. Little things like going to the fridge and having a nibble on something I feel like or drinking water from the tap. The list goes on. For the first time, I start to dislike Peru and wish I was home. I hope this feeling goes away when I get better...