Chinos, khakis, gays???

Small towns make me nervous. And Nazca's a small town. I'm more on my toes in small towns. It's just backassward...or is it? This morning, walking up to breakfast, I met the agent who sold me my ticket last night. And like the sky the morning after a big storm, I too feel clear, crisp & cloudless, thank goodness. She asked if I were better but her smile confirmed that she already knew the answer. I'm sure she would have thought I was just loony otherwise. She shared relleno with me, sausage mixed with rice in the skin. A touch spicy but quite nice. As was the woman who shared it with me, bless her heart. Big cities, no problem, but in small towns where everyone talks to everyone, you can be found or found out in no time!

In Colombia, they call kids chinos. We use that word for khakis. Apparently, khaki is slang for gay in certain parts of England. Anyway, here chino is anyone from an Asian/Oriental background. Or a Spanish person with smaller eyes. There are signs posted here to vote for Chino but I think he's Japanese. I asked the concierge at the hotel where I could buy patches for my jeans; both pairs are wearing thin. She directed me to the china in the market. Hmm. The houses in the desert here are made of what looks like braided straw. Next to the airport yesterday and on the bus ride to Nazca, I got a close up. They are 3 rooms, if you're lucky, 2 of which have roofs above them, the last room more of a patio. All of straw, or reeds, somehow full of smiling faces. And today cruising through the streets and markets of Nazca, I crossed the river. It's dry, full of garbage, small fires and dogs. It's a blessing that whole lines thing. Just a quick note: the sign in front of the riverbed reads, ¨Please do not urinate.¨

A quick recap. One week ago, I was in Lima, Perú. Two weeks ago, I was in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Three weeks ago, Bogotá, Colombia. Whew. And I miss Ginger enough to make me cry. She's adorable and I miss her. It's almost enough too to make me do something drastic.