On the way to Lima

Planning a trip to South America takes some preparation. So I don't know what I was expecting after having spent only 2 weeks booking flights and researching things to see, and only getting one out of I think three recommended vaccinations. I waaaaaay overpaid for my ticket to Lima, Peru, and on the flight down was feeling a bit overwhelmed by my complete and utter lack of preparation. I sat next to a guy named Miguel, and talked to him for a long time. He was born in some impoverished riverside tribal village somewhere in a remote part of Peru. No education, no hope for any kind of fututre, he was plucked out of his village by a wealthy businessman (as part of some charity program that I didn't fully understand) and given the chance to go to school and leave behind his life of poverty. He is currently pursuing a Phd at Stanford, and was on his way back to Peru, presumably to visit his family. He was a really nice guy…I have his business card at home somewhere. I really need to send him an email. He is going to be one of those guys who emerges in Peruvian politics as "Peru's saviour" or something like that….a poor indigineous guy, educated in the west, rising up from a grass roots movement by promising to give Peru back to the people, but eventually going mad with power. Hopefully I still will be in contact with him at that time. At his inquisition I would testify that he is a "stand-up kind of guy". I would like to say that I stood up for a dictator friend at least once in my life.
After meeting this guy, I stopped worrying about my trip. I realized that South America is random. There really is no way to prepare yourself.

From the plane: The mountains of Peru rising up past the clouds at sunrise

Welcome to my new blog

Thank you for stopping by. My name is Warren. I am 33. Though I currently live in Tokyo, Japan, this blog begins several months earlier, when I backpacked through South America. I hope you like it!