[Start with part one here.]

More people.
We had a train in the evening from the base or Machu Picchu to Cusco. The rest of the group was in a different compartment, and I was free to explore people. I met a group of 5 youngsters in their late teens, accompanied by their teacher. Only one girl, S, knew a bit of English and was the interpreter between the group and I.

From [Peru] Back to Cusco 11th Sep. 2010

In an hour, we were listening to each others’ music collection. They wanted to hear the music I had with me, and I heard plenty of great stuff on their iPods.

[During the trip, I realized another great thing about my job besides the fact that I love it: I can explain what I do to anyone around the world, from a taxi driver in Peru to a guide in the Amazon rainforest. I was also asked to troubleshoot problems, which I gladly did.]

The teacher, J, knew very little English. But she loved movies. So we conversed in terms of movies. We had both seen some French and Iranian movies — movies I would’ve never imagined to be the lowest common factor between a teacher in Peru and I. I was earlier told that Mera Naam Joker and Mother India are extremely popular in Peru; she had seem them both. (Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta are idolized in Peru.)

[During day 3 of the Inca trail, I sang some Indian songs for the group. The group didn't know most of the songs, but liked what they heard. Then I sang a song from Mera Naam Joker, and our guide knew the song and exactly when it appeared in the movie. There is something fascinating about Bollywood, which we miss in our finite wisdom.]

S invited me to join them for dinner and watch a Salsa competition at a club in Cusco. I was dead tired, but agreed: I probably would never see them again.

I saw some of the most amazing Salsa dancing that night.

Day nine.
Has a plane waited for you?
I reached the airport 3 hours before my flight to Lima at 12 p.m. The airline representative asked me if I’d like to board an earlier flight. I said Why not? When does it leave?

She replied Now.

For some reason they thought it was okay to hold up an entire frikkin’ plane for me. I had staff relaying me from the counter to the plane to make sure I speedily went past security and other checks. One gentleman saw my name and greeted me with a Namaste too. The only flip side was that all other passengers probably thought I was an irresponsible idiot who held up a plane because I was late to the airport.

The perfect ending.
I reached Lima at 11 a.m. and my flight back home was at midnight. Since my camera bag was in a plane that eventually traveled to Lima, I went to the Lost and Found at the Lima airport. Two girls were at the desk, and I explained the whole situation to them. One of them walked inside a room, and walked out 10 seconds later with my camera bag, everything intact.

Finding something you want is a great feeling, but finding something when you have no hope of finding it is slightly better.

I felt extreme happiness on seeing the bag and the camera equipment again. I offered to buy them lunch in return. They hesitated, I insisted, they agreed.

Lima.
I deposited my luggage at the airport (since Lima is notorious for thugs) and spent a few hours in Lima with a small backpack and shot pictures with the wide angle lens I had almost lost.

From [Peru] Lima 12th Sep. 2010

There was one urchin at Lima Center that I probably won’t forget. I saw him cleaning the exhaust pipe of a parked car. Looking at the equipment he was carrying, it struck me that he polished shoes for a living, and instead of buying shoe polish, he scraped soot from exhaust pipes and used it as polish. It was heart-wrenching for a second, but then I realized his brilliance. I gave him a couple of soles (Peruvian currency) and wished him well. I think he’ll be fine.

From [Peru] Lima 12th Sep. 2010

Taxi driver.
The last person I met in Peru: A taxi driver who drove me from central Lima to the airport, a half an hour ride. He knew his way around Lima well. A little too well, in fact, because he took isolated bylanes. Given Lima’s reputation, I was apprehensive. But then we got talking. In 10 minutes, I was looking at pictures of his 2-year old adorable daughter Mia on his cellphone. He was a mechanic by day, and drove the taxi by night. He said his dream was to visit India one day if he had enough money. He seemed to know well about India, most of it from Discovery. His only concern was that his English was bad, and he wouldn’t be able to manage in India. I just asked him to trust the good in people, and he’d be fine.

Ironic.

I had bargained for the fare to the airport, but I didn’t have much use of the soles I was carrying any more. I gave him what I had, and 2 soles to buy chocolates for Mia.

2 soles are enough to give much happiness to a person, and I’m certainly talking on the expensive side here.

Airport, flight and home. That was the trip.

Final thoughts.
I’m physically exhausted and mentally exhilarated, but I’m glad I made the most of the trip. It’ll take me a few weeks to digest the experience and extract the best out of it going forward.

One last thing:
I’m not sure I’ll ever again meet the people I befriended. I’ll be
glad to meet them, but I’d prefer not to meet them.
There is a certain high in letting go too.

After-thoughts.
I’m writing this a couple of days after returning, and it feels strange. I’m amused at all the symptoms of society around me. My aversion is probably at its peak, but it is a wonderful feeling to see things clearly: That nothing really matters in the larger scheme of things. On second thought, there isn’t a larger scheme of things either — just small schemes of everyone in the pursuit of something. For most among us — and we don’t realize it — it is happiness we’re pursuing. For me, it is an abstract feeling I’m pursuing that I’m yet to understand fully about.

And while we’re all pursuing what we crave for, I sure hope no one thinks that you, I, something or someone matters.

[I can only try to make sure these thoughts aren't just a plan to feel superior to those around me, because that is an obvious pitfall of the mind. In my defense, I care very little about others to fall for it.

Further discussion offline welcome. I realize this is already in WTF territory.]

***

I wasn’t sure about continuing blogging in the near future, but I might just. It still matters infinitesimally more than tweeting to me.

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