Peru, Day Eight (July 19, 2009)

The day started off horribly. I woke up in a great deal of pain. I was angry at my body for not cooperating, worried that I might ruin the rest of the trip, and anxious that no one would answer the phone at the only hotel in Pomacochas. We had no choice but to charter a taxi to Pomacochas and hope for the best.

Once the drive began, I stopped worrying about everything. For three hours, I was entranced by the mountains, a continuous, rolling wave of vibrant green forest. I was so relaxed, I even fell asleep for a few minutes, despite the bumpy roads and whiplash-inducing curves.

We arrived in Pomacochas without any trouble, and the Puerto Pumas Inn did have rooms available for us. I'm not exaggerating when I say this place is an oasis. The rooms all have balconies that overlook Laguna Pomacochas, a place I've daydreamed about many a time while staring at photos on Google Earth. Beneath my balcony is a brightly-colored garden where large, metallic green hummingbirds zip about from flower to flower.

After a brief rest, El Professor and I walked down the main street looking for a place to eat dinner. Very little was open since it was Sunday night, so we stopped at a shop and bought Andean cheese, fresh rolls, sugar cookie balls, and jam-filled cakes that tasted like fruity Moon Pies. Ate dinner back at the hotel and reminisced about our friends and family. Now I miss my peeps.

Tomorrow we hike the hills around the lake, where it's likely there are sites on the hilltops. In the meantime, I'm going to curl up under my alpaca-wool blanket, look at the stars over Laguna Pomacochas, and listen to Radiohead. I've been saving my iPod juice so it'll last throughout the trip, but I think tonight calls for a splurge.