surreality

Beach at Mirah Flores

So I had two surreal events on the trip home.  I had a 10 hour layover in Lima and headed for Mira Flores.  From a high shopping center you could look down on the beach, but I felt compelled to hike down and around to get the water.  One reason the beach was better from 100 meters up was you didn’t get the smell up there.  But the sunset was beautiful.  It was only interrupted by the sound of a dozen giggling and screaming catholic nuns.

I was sitting there in front of the changing yellow and orange colors when I heard what sounded like a group of school girls running toward the water, getting wet, screaming and running back up the bank.  They were throwing rocks out into the sea to see who could throw the farthest and laughing like it was the new Richard Prior stand up act.  I mean, I am glad that nuns can have such a good time now and then, but it was a strange intrusion into my zen sunset at the beach moment.

The next surreal experience came while I was cleaning up from 7 hours of urban hiking.  I was in a state of half undress in front of the sinks when a pudgy, indigenous guy asked if I worked out.  I admitted that I did, but not very often.  He said I had big arms.  I told him it was mostly genetics.  Then he asked if he could touch them.  I didn’t do the macho flex, so when he touched my arm, it was just a bag of liquid.  I didn’t get a “this is gay” vibe from him.  It was more “I wonder if I worked out a lot if my arms would look like that?”  Then he asked if I had 6 pack abs.  I said no and showed him the good.  He poked them with a tentative finger to see what was fat, and what was muscle. 

I am probably in better shape today than I have been in a while since I have had limited access to deserts other than those I baked for the family.  I do get to the gym more regularly while on these vacations.  Still, I NEVER get the “That guy is buff” response from people.  Perhaps it was the sleeveless under shirt which is a little tight now (my last clean one), or the paramilitary looking nylon “adventure pants” I got in Peru for my hiking trip.  But still, surreal, all in all.

The small "not scary" part of Lima with the American Chain Restaurants