here’s where the material girl sang, and i took dozens of pictures trying to get another flock of birds… shoulda learned my lesson last time…

i saw a lot of protests, one was an all-day automobile strike (i yelled “scab!” at a cab driver), we chanted along with another one in arequipa (no idea what we were protesting, hopefully it was “el hombre”), this one was about funding for the arts i believe…

such strong, erect pride

La Recoleta Cemetery, graveyard of the stars (and presidents and poets and other prominent Argentinians)

and here’s the big mechanical flower thing, it opens each morning and closes each evening…

…so long south america. i hardly knew thee.

whoops, last time i forgot the puno pictures, here’s the view from the bird thing.

click for bigger

the peruvians love them some condors (and llamas and jaguars)

though this one looks a little ragged up close

after the lake titicaca trip, we embarked on our aforementioned bus ride from hell, then a trip out to colca canyon. we met a new friend at a roadside stop for tea.

and then we built our rock statue of the gods…

…which seems slightly less impressive with perspective.

the never-ending countryside

pimp your llama

dancing in the square

church and dog, i’m not sure how the sky looks so spooky…

this picture cost me a donation to god

this picture cost me a donation to this baby’s owner

colca canyon is condor central

arequipa

one last drink with the swedes and yank, ponchos to keep us warm

pisco sour! a kind of potent brandy with frothy egg whites and sugar, they give em out to entice foreigners. it often works.

another town, another plaza de armas, another confused ian

back to lima, where the assault vehicles are actually manned

we were uhhh… celebrating… peru’s version of thanksgiving… i’m sure they have one…