Tatuaje!!!!! Tatuaje!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, if I hear that word one more time I am going to throwing star someone in the eye.

Still stuck in Lima. Still hate tattoo sailsmen.

And I don't fully understand why these people feel the need to try to convince me to get a tattoo.
96 tattoo sailsmen.
Every 2 feet.
Yelling "tatuaje!!!" 87 times a second.
Really? (By the way, Cath says "really?" in a really cute way. I suggest that you call her and ask her to say it to you.) I may have just turned a complete 180 and will now never, ever get a tattoo just to spite tattoo sailsmen everywhere. And I was just about to ink my entire right leg. Too bad for them.

So, the night that Cath left was the 19th. I stayed in a hostel with a couple of rather bossy and unfriendly German people that took over all 4 beds in the room while I was gone.... so when I got back and they were nowhere to be seen, I didn't really know where to sleep.... I had no other choice than to just pick a bed and roll my sleeping bag out on it (because who knows what kind of weird stuff the Germans did to it) in order to go to sleep. Luckily they didn't attack me in the night.

Yesterday was the 20th. I talked with the lady that sold me my Cruz Del Sur bus ticket only to discover that the buses were still on strike and I would have to stay in Lima another day. Ok.

So, I went to a cafe, had myself a tall beer, and wished that Cath was still with me to enjoy the crazy man running back and forth dressed up as Superman. He even had a curl plastered to his head. A 3 women band showed up with roses in their hair and stole the show from him. They were lovely. The waiter was not. He was probably from Paracas.

I then decided to go to the movies again because I have already been to every single museum, cathedral, plaza, federal building, monument, interesting neighborhood, market, and anything else that you could possibly want to see or do in Lima about 78 times. And the movies only costs the equivalent to $1.

So, I went to see "The Vampire's Assistant" in Spanish. It was pretty good, no "Twilight," but there was a girl with a monkey tail.

After my cinematic experience, I read my fantasy novel that I accidently boosted from the Nazca hostel on the cathedral steps until it got dark, and then retired to the German threshold.

When I reached the hostel, I heard the sound of many acoustic guitars being strummed upstairs, and I contemplated going up to check it out. But, then I decided that I probably would have had to be wearing those pants that unzip into shorts in order to have truly been accepted into the circle, so I decided to read my book instead.

Seriously. Lima. Please set me free.

This morning I woke up, went back to the bus lady and I could immediately tell by the look in her eye that she had no good news for me. And sure enough, she informed me that once again, the buses were not going anywhere. For the foreseeable future. Come on Alan!!!! Give in to their demands!!

So, I got another night at this damn hostel. And the stupid Germans took the only key with them this morning (you are supposed to leave it at the front desk) and so I have been locked out of the room for the past 12 hours. I had a banana in there that I really wanted to eat. It is probably brown now. I strongly dislike brown bananas.

After I realized at about 11am that I was locked out and couldn't eat my banana, I went to China Town for lunch. I ate some delicious noodle dish, and yes there was a hair in it. Always is. But, even luckier than that is the fact that I found another store in the China district with my coveted Aladdin pants, and seeing as how I had nothing else to do, I bought them. They may or may not be gold and maroon. Go ASU. Sundevils rule and "one bag of other stuff" drools.

Now, I hardly want to admit what I am about to write, but seeing as how this blog is meant to inform the family of my whereabouts, I had better not lie. I mean, what if the power goes out again (it went out today, I am getting there) and I can't email my mom and she has to call the Embassy? (It is on her speed dial.) I had better keep the facts straight.

...... I went to the movies again. In my defense, it is only a dollar, and this one was even in English. And I really like movies. And seriously, I have done everything there is to do in this city except hit up the casinos, which I think is a wise decision. And I can't deal with a Peruvian love affair right now. And I sure as hell am not hanging out with the Germans. And Alan is too busy to see me. And I promised Cath I wouldn't go to the other side of the bridge. And no, I do not want a tattoo, thank you very much. That about sums it up. I literally have no way of leaving this town short of highjacking a plane. And I don't really remember how to drive one of those. So....

It was "Ninja Assassin." But, as soon as the previews were over, the movie stopped working. After 45 minutes of just sitting there in the dark twiddling our thumbs and listening to this one guy's cell phone play the "Night at the Roxbury" soundtrack, we were finally told that the power had gone out in Lima and that we would just have to come back later when it was on again. Ok.

So, I went and got a dipped cone and found a bead store.

I proceeded to go craft in La Plaza de San Martin. Like I always say, "When in doubt- craft."

I took a stroll down our dear old favorite street after I was done with my beading session and I noticed that the lights were back on, so I ducked back into my new favorite hangout and got some popcorn and settled into a blood bath of swords attached to metal chains and bamboo whips.

I am glad that I was not kidnapped as a small child and forced to become a member of the 9th Clan, but I also kind of wish I had a throwing star and the ability to hide in the shadows. At least then the Germans might think twice before taking the stupid room key with them. I really wanted that banana. (I really wanted that blue ribbon.)

I have low hopes for escaping this town tomorrow, but at least I have a lot of beads. And I guess I can eat that banana tomorrow. If I can ever get into the room again that is. Germans 4, Margaret 0.

Here's hoping.