Feliz Navidad!

It is traditional in Peru to celebrate christmas on the 24th but starting at midnight... technically it is the 25th, eat with family for a couple hours, then at 2 am... let the party begin!

a few people from the hostel decided to get together and make a christmas dinner because we were away from our families. Mika is a tall Dutch woman (Hollish) a very protective and relaxed persona, put the whole dinner together for about 7 people from the hostel, including a couple locals that work here.  Devin is a young american, very tall and lanky with glasses on, an independent attitude and a witty sarcasm about him. Then there is Bob... what to say about bob, older man from the States as well. Not many people understand Bob, he has a very intellectually and logically left brain way of viewing the world around and is starting to question his own belief system. There are a couple others that have come and gone like two Kiwis (New Zealanders) and a couple Russians, one of them that I had talked with has some amazing stories. He even looks like a typical Russian, tall, broad shoulders, square jaw and high cheek bones. After listening to some russian music he told us stories of his Ayahuasca experience where he went deep into the jungle and made his own which I thought was really cool. But what was more than that he was going on a 16 day trek deep in the amazon to see a tribe of Natives that have not seen any white people (Gringos) before.

Dinner was to be served at 10 pm because we believed midnight was just too late to eat... We ended up eating at midnight anyways because the power went out a few times throughout the night. Mika and a few girls that worked in the hostel (sisters of the owner) helped prepare chicken baked in the oven, peanut sauce, salad, fired potatoes and Dutch sausage.

Before dinner everyone was in a festive mood. Everyone was drinking a few people were smoking (get to that later) playing Russian trance, dancing and cooking. A few of us were sitting at the dinning table in this kitchen that is connected to an open terrance. A couple people drinking beer (me included) some drinking wine, another vermouth with ice and lime, as well as rum. Although it didn't feel like christmas with no snow and not being around family, we had created a community for the night that was fun and close. Local girls smiling and brightly proclaiming "Feliz Navidad" and a kiss on the cheek was traditional.

At one point the Russian brings out some marijuana and a couple people partake which was funny because those who smoked only lasted another hour before they were passed out and in bed hahaha. Apparently it was fairly strong. Bob surprisingly took part, as well as Devin and the Kiwi with a chinese background. The Kiwi was an extremely fast talker and most people had that damnedest time understanding him which we had openingly brought up in conversation with everyone including Bob... I guess Bob had a memory relapse from smoking because he forgot it a moment later.

Laughing, chatting about experiences we have had and drinking. You know those times when you have a pause after a laugh or a point has been made in a conversation. Well we had one of those moments where everything was quiet and Bob looked at the Kiwi and said "So... you're English then?" Before Devin and I could burst out laughing the Kiwi with a the chinese features didn't miss a beat. He replied back with a confused look on his face "Me-How?... Kung pow!" in a very convincing chinese accent. Devin and I were in hysterics because yes that was funny! But what triumphed that was the look on Bobs face. He was so confused I could almost read his thoughts, is this man chinese is that why I couldn't understand him? It goes worse from here out, the Kiwi started saying things found on a chinese food menu. "Sweet n' Sour!" or "Chow mien!" Bob started looking at him, trying to grasp what was being said... so he started to repeat the words in his american accent. "cho...mien?" Ok, I didn't smoke but that stuff much have been 'Good shit!'

After wiping the tears of my face and going to take a breather I came back and realized that Bob was gone. Yep Bob was the first one of the 'Green Rangers" to pass out. He was back to his old intellectual self the next day. Devin was hunched over the table still recovering from the laugh attack that we had as the Kiwi found a spot at the end of the table to sit. Dinner was being dished up the first plate was set down in front of Devin and Mika told him that the others would be here in a few minutes... He attacked his plate like he hadn't eaten in a week. Mika and I exchanged looks and shook our head. by the time all the plates were out and set Devin was done. The Kiwi on the other hand had already eaten dinner and didn't chip in with everyone to buy it. When a plate was put in his spot he was warned that it was Not his food and he was Not to eat it. He looked over at me and said "Of course I know its not mine" He must have forgot because 5 seconds later he grabbed the chicken leg in both hand and bit into it like a jaguar! Mikas jaw dropped and the Kiwi realized what he was doing... I guess... "I'm sorry, I feel really bad about this!" although you couldn't really hear that because his mouth was full of chicken! hahaha! Anyways the Stoners passed out I finished dinner with Mika and girls from the hostel and washed up.

After that the girls were trying to get me to dance with them as they cranked the music. Christmas here is a time for big celebration! I do like to dance, but the way the dance here is a mix between salsa and what you were see at a dance club. So needless to say I have a hard time dancing like that and it shows (there is a lot of giggling and pointing and talking in spanish from the girls, who always point out that I need to improve my spanish). Thats when Omed joined us Omed is an english guy from the hostel as well, although his spanish is very minimal, he gets by very easily by his body language and everyone knows him and loves him. Even some of the locals couldn't believe how many people he knew in the short time he was here. Omed was out with a family having a traditional dinner which he said was very cool and very comfortable. Omed doesn't drink but he decided to come out and buy a couple rounds for the girls. In Peru its very common for the man to pay for everything. On that note though, the girls don't make much money and couldn't afford it anyways and for me it is not too expensive and Hey! its Christmas!

I didn't realize how late we were going to be going out but walking back at 6:30am was exhausting, Dancing for over 4 hours the girls wouldn't let me rest! I was ready for bed by the end of it, very very hot in the bar too even that early in the morning.

I did have an interesting morning before Christmas started, but I wanted to start with the good. I decided to walk a couple blocks to the super-market and buy some food for the few days I had left here. They had quite a bit of food so I browsed around and found a few things for dinner and some for lunches and breakfast.

While at the cashier a man behind me, obvious local talks to me a bit. He had better english then I had spanish. A commotion started outside and people went over to the windows talking and pointing. I didn't really think much about it but more people went over to look and people were running in the streets. A security guard for the supermarket closed and locked the main door and told people to step away from the windows. Someone yelled in the streets something and everyone closed the big wooden shutters over the windows and locked them. The man behind me explained that a few men were outside next door robbing the place with guns... Oh yeah? ... cool... hahaha! what can I do? I was in a safe place with the doors locked... no problem. After another 10 minutes or so they opened the doors to the supermarket and I walked back to the hostel. The police had caught the men a few blocks down is what a man that works in the hostel told me.

Carry what you need for the day, leave everything else at the hostel, if you get mugged, give them what you have and go on your way.

Next post will be longer, Its about the Belen Markets (the crasiest markets I have ever seen on my travels) the floating villages on the Amazon river and Coconut grub! can you guess what we did with those... pictures and video will be uploaded for that :)

Love you all.