Another wonderful trip is reaching its end.

So many special memories... in a nutshell (as it pops into my mind): 

 Rio de Janeiro, so special with a mountain and rain forest in the middle of the city, lovely stay with my friends Drew and Lisa, including some chocolate mousse adventures, delicious lunches and dinners like the Asian Ladies club or the kilo sushi restaurants or Drew's and Lisza's delicious cooking... wandering in the city, drinking the delicious Pineapple juice with Mint (abacaxi com hortelã), and my favorite spot: Parque Lage.

One week in Petrópolis and then back again with Lisza, so much to see within walking distance. Gregorian mass in a nun's convent. House of Santos Dumont the flight pioneer. Imperial palace.
 
 Belém and its Ver-o-Peço market, took a boat trip to Macapá and slept in a hammock, attended a free harp and piano concert in the beautifully restored Theatro da Paz, Praça da República. 

 Couch surfing with Djallene in Rio Branco. Bus to Cusco with a never to forget time at the border controls,4 hours and not feeling bored one minute. 

 Cusco Peru, coca leaves tea, Eco Backpackers hostel, Amigos Spanish Language school where I stayed with Claudia and Lupita, home stay. 

 Bus to Puno where the Nostra Señora de la Candelaria was celebrated in color and music, visiting the floating village of Urcos. Aymarak hostel, meeting Luz,eeling cold...

 Colonial Arequipa where the temperatures are much nicer, the Claustro de la Compania, an old Jesuits convent, with this lovely painted walks of the "cupola". The Monasteiro de Santa Catalina, a city in the city, beautifully restored. The funny little buses that pick you up in a hurry. 

 Colca Canyon and the Pachamama hostel in Cabanaconde, the most beautiful views I ever saw. Cruz del Condor, first time in the clouds, second time clear weather and yes, I saw a condor close to me, below. Saving a mouse mother and her baby mice on my way. Talking to young girls teaching a herder's dog how to herd. 
 
Back to Cusco, for the Inca Trail, amazing. Wonderful experience. Falling asleep amid a concert of thousands of frogs and some slight rain drops on the tent. Reaching the Dead Woman Pass at 4200m and feeling great. Day 3, Sun Gate and first view on the Machu Picchu in the sun, great moment. Day 4 visiting the Machu Picchu in the pouring rain, a little Anti Climax. 
 
Trujillo by the west coast after 30 hours of bus in the "Cruz del Sur", warm, colonial, lovely homy Munay Wasi hostel. 5 days of collapse, Cold Turkey of my coca or just exhausted? I will never know. Meeting Celine the archeologist from Paris, and visiting Chan Chan with her. Special. 
 
Lima, very shortly, I did not go visit, still tired, so I stayed in my lovely Barranco neighbourhood, and then flight to São Paulo. Landed in the morning very tired, spent a day walking around and falling asleep everywhere, evening bus to Ouro Preto, charming city full of churches and hilly little streets. Semana santa, processions, lava dos pes, casa dos contos.

Finally, bus to Rio, finding back my old room, Drew and Lisza and the cats, seeing my batman house drawing framed! and just before going back home, a very interesting drawing lesson day!

All these people I met, Dieuwertje, Ysabel, Keri and Cat in Cusco, Djallene and little Gustavo in Rio Branco, Claudia and Lupita, Kate and Jerry from Australia, Jesús, Tina in Petrópolis and Anna in Belém, both met back in Rio, Luz in Puno.

Amazing trip where I saw the living conditions of the Peruvians and wondered how they could still smile... a lesson in life. One can do without heating and warm water, even at 5000 m. I don't know if I could!