Yesterday, at 5:30 am, I got off the plane, walked down the stairs, and across the cracked, and mended, and cracked, gray tarmac in Tacna, Peru. I was surprised to feel extremely relaxed and soaked up the cool breeze and sun rising over the hills. I picked up my backpack and settled down to wait for Stephanie, a Delawarian!, who’s flight arrived in seven hours. I lay down in a planter… more like a white tile box with a tree and grass, and attempted to nap, my head on top of all valuables. It was so tranquil (although even in the shade from 5:30 to 11 am I got a good warning sunburn). I listened to the birds chirp and enjoyed the PERFECT early morning temperature. Two men changed a cell phone company’s ad on one of two airport billboards.

Stephanie and I took a taxi through the desert, sand swirling across the road, and across the border for $6, or 18 soles. Rossana, the academic director, greeted us with a kiss on the cheek and much enthusiasm, after we called her (after calling Vermont to get her number), and she offered to meet us at the international terminal in Arica.

She got us settled at Hotel El Paso (I am currently using the wifi labeled HOTEL EL PASO LOOBBY – like how you’d say lobby is Spanish) and we got settled and lounged by the pool. At the poolside breakfast buffet we met a man who has been traveling to Arica to work for a seed company, Syngenta, for 20 years – “In Michigan we say ‘They’re expecting 3-5 inches of global warming tomorrow’” and Roger, a grandpa type fellow wearing a button up shirt, argyle socks and dress shoes. Each year he travels to a foreign country for three months and drives himself around. He started in Santiago (2,000 km away) on January 9th.

All 15 girls are now here. We hail from all over the US (though mostly the east) plus Holland, by way of Macalaster in St.Paul, Minnesota, including University of Puget Sound, Earlham, Simmons, Pennstate, UNC, and Tulane.

Before dinner (at 8 pm) Karman, Mei-Lani, Meredith and I wandered around a park just past Casino Arica, which is next to Hotel El Paso. There was a cheerleading team practicing their pyramid, many couples smooching on benches or in the grass, an older woman walking her dog, and a young guy juggling bottles and listening to his iPod – future bartender? We played on the wooden see-saws and climbed around on the playground. Hasta pronto, Shira (more like Chirra in Spanish)