Lunch Time

Seems about time to eat. A cab driver recommended a rather upscale restaurant that serves traditional Peruvian dishes. 

I ordered Cuy. They served roasted and salted corn kernels as a snack, then the main dish. Cuy is known as guina pig back in the homeland!

The Cuy was served with roasted potatoes and marinated onions. The roasted corn is visible in the back. 

Dig in! Also shared crawfish soup. 

The waiter seemed to keep me on a tight leash -- don't know why... I guess someone tipped him off. 

The tab and my change.

The restaurant was a beautiful open building. I did not get any pictures of it -- but perhaps this picture of the men's room will give you an idea of the place!

Arequipa Afternoon Walk

After all the airplanes, lines and such -- some real sightseeing. 

Arequipa is a crowded, dry city consisting of very old buildings. Every street is jammed with tiny cabs. 

This is the arched walkway that goes past the main plaza -- the plaza is off to the right.

All the buildings are large, stone and ornate -- and plenty of churches. 

Exchanged money. A dollar is worth about 2.8 sols.

Made my first drug purchase!

Visited a market. One big building with different vendors inside. To be truthful -- pretty much just like a California flea market. 

There were a lot of potatoes! 

People preparing potatoes. 

Some kind of squash -- which was tasty, I had it in soup for lunch. 

OK -- next stop lunch. 

Off to Arequipa

After a wait I'm on the plane to Arequipa.  Arequipa is the second biggest city in Peru, it's pretty much at the bottom of Peru, inland, high altitude and surrounded by volcanos. 

There are not really any network of roads in Peru -- and flying down it seems just the river valleys have any signs of farming or houses. 

Close to Arequipa I started to see bits of city. 

I saw quite a few of these scratched out on the land. I assume future housing tracts -- or perhaps started projects that failed. I don't think I would want to live in one of these dusty tracts. 

The city is getting more built up!

Landed. Off in the distance is a volcano, and some of the murals that surround the runways. The Arequipa airport is a small one -- so it is simple and no hassles!

Take Off and Landing

OK -- time to board. Did not want to get kicked off the plane like a Baldwin -- so I quit the Words With Friends app. 

Walking down the jet way. 

Entering the plane. 

Oh the inhumanity of it all. Jostle, elbow, kick and jab. 

I don't understand why people are not more aware. They know their seat is coming up, they should have their things gathered such that they can swing into their seat and get out of the aisle. Not everybody seems to grasp this concept. 

My last look at San Francisco -- assuming I'm not coming back. 

Guinea pigs as featured in the airline magazine. This is a restaurant is Cusco.

Cheese pasta. I wanted to get a picture before I ate it -- I thought that would be more attractive -- but being a pretzel in a seat I couldn't reach the phone.

The seat screen has the plane's flight path. Just entered Mexico. 

Flying at 569 miles an hour and it's very cold outside the plane.

Sunrise over a cloudy Pacific Ocean just north of Lima, Peru. The color at the bottom of the screen is a cabin reflection.  I tried covering the window with a pillow to get the best shot. 

I must have slept more than I thought because when I looked around during this shot I saw that I missed breakfast...

A bit brighter. About to land! Landing in Lima the land is ugly. Gray overcast, torn up shore, gray bleak industrial building and car storage lots. I understand that Lima receives very little rain -- so that would explain the dusty, barren look.  A lot of fishing nets spread out and drying.

The plane landed on the tarmac outside of the terminal. We had to walk down the jetway and take a shuttle bus to the terminal.

This airport is not as fancy as SFO -- but they do have art. 

They kind of put one through the ringer here! I had to find Baggage Claim, go through Customs (easy), up to the gates, whoops, was told to go down stairs, down to bag check in, I see the bag check in line, I was stopped -- can't go that way. I had to walk outside, go a few feet and then walk back in. Stand and be ignored. And for once I was (rather) confidant that I was in the right place as the upstairs guy said to go the 53/54 -- and I was at 53. 

After a bit I decided to escalate the confrontation. As the gate peeps ignored me I just started talking more -- finally got to the right place. 

Checked my bag and went back upstairs. The escalators are not working by the way -- but at least this time I am not carrying my heavy bag. Another plus -- since I am going back to stand in the same line -- I deft like a confident local. Been there, done that. 

Here is a Day of the Dead display at a gift shop. 

Since I slept through breakfast on the plane I bought coffee at the airport. This is my first transaction in a foreign land. I paid $2 American and received my first foreign coin as change.

SFO

OK -- I guess it is really happening, I'm at the airport and everything. Nobody seemed to try and stop me!

It's 4:34, flight is at 7:45. 

Here is the check in lane at SFO. I'm flying LAN Airlines. The lady in front of me is hauling some weight. 

Here's my modest luggage -- one 35 pound checked bag and one carry on. The lady ahead is the first of about five check points. 

My squint face. The International Terminal is a rather new building and has a lot of windows, a lot of natural light. 

My boarding pass and passport. I forgot to sign the passport, I was instructed to do so. 

Another check point. I wasn't stopped here either! Sweet!

Waiting in line. So far probably the third line I have waited in in about 15 minutes. 

This is the security screening. They keep it moving pretty well. I always try to be ahead of the curve -- so while approaching the screening area I got prepared. I put everything I could in my carry in bag: watch, coins, belt, passport and boarding pass, cell phone and glasses. 

Wait here. Do this. Line up there. Rinse and repeat. 

Pat down section. The machine was bothered by my wallet in my pocket -- so I had to show them the wallet and they patted down my pocket. 

All in all -- going through security was pretty quick and efficient. 

All public building have a lot of art nowadays. This terminal looked pretty nice. 

There was a huge wall of these guys. Probably my favorite art.

Here is the entire wall. 

They wanted me three hours ahead of the flight -- and since I have not traveled in a while, and since I absolutely did not want to miss the flight -- I believed them. 

Big mistake. 

To get from the front door of the airport to this empty gate took an hour or so. A walking slow, taking pictures, visiting the bookstore hour. 

Leaves me an hour and a half at my little airport home. I have a chair, electricity and a book so it's ok. 

Speaking of books I was thinking of buying the new Lee Child's Jack Reacher. $28.95 at the airport bookstore. I wanted to buy it but that price stopped me.

I fly out of San Francisco nonstop to Lima, Peru. I get my checked bag back at Lima, go through customs, then get on a flight to Arequipa.

SFO has free wifi -- I will work and play on my phone while waiting.  Stay tuned.