Insomnia ...

It is 2 a.m. and despite countless efforts to still my mind, I cannot fall asleep. I have recruited two Brits I met at the bus station waiting for the Arequipa bus to bang on my door at exactly 2:25 a.m. (note: that is 25 minutes away) to get me up in time for our tour which leaves the hostal at 2:30 a.m.. Looks like I will not be needing that wake-up call. I always get nervous when I cannot sleep. Was it the mate de coca? Did somebody spike my chicken empanada (please note, I realize, under normal sleeping patterns that this is an irrational train of thought)? Or maybe my mosquito bites hint at a little-known disease which develops into a sort of restless insomnia ... Normally, anyone who knows me at all knows ... I sleep. It takes me about, oh, four minutes tops from the time my head hits the pillow til I am grinding my teeth in dreamland.
Anyhow, since I am awake, here is a quick update. I am currently at a hostal in Arequipa (which, I might add, does not reek of urine). The day excursion I have signed up for is a tour of the Colca Canyon which is allegedly beautiful and one of the deepest canyons in the world. You can also spot condors riding the currents in those parts at specific time, which, I hope, is why they feel it necessary to leave at 2:30 in the morning, though, at this point, I don´t even mind.
I left Ayacucho feeling satisfied and as though I completed all I had intended. I gave the kids their gifts and their eyes nearly bugged out of their heads. Then we went to the zoo and I suffered some dejavu as we crammed 18 small children and six adults into a station wagon taxi. At our destination, doors and trunk were opened and children just spilled out onto the dirt. Dead serious.
Before our excursion, Bertha also lead me to the house of the family whose mother died and I met the husband and two of the boys (there are six). Also visiting was the mother´s sister from the jungle with her litter of children with barefeet and dirty faces. She stood before us and in Quechua mumbled through heart breaking sobs. She was dressed in the traditional Peruvian garb complete with hat and multi-layered skirt and seeing her cry, I felt tears welling up and offered her all I could. "I had a brother who died just over a year ago. I´m so sorry for your loss,¨ I said as I mustered up my best hug to this woman who was in all ways but one, of a different world than I.
My last day was exhausting and sad as I said goodbye to old friends and new ones as well. A group of CCS volunteers and I walked to Magia Negra one last time and devoured pineapple pizza and pitchers of beer before Mery walked with me to the bus station. Just before I got on she handed me about five chocolate bars and the dainty silver necklace she was wearing. It was very sweet and I realized what a wonderful friend she had become in such a short time. I was very blessed to have met her, and hopefully we will keep in touch.
As I chart out my last week of free time in Peru, I have new plans to visit Lake Titicaca and then Boliva for a few days. La Paz is supposed to be amazing and I bought a new camera today, so I can actually document my trip personally here on out! Bus comes in 10 minutes... Good night, good morning, ciao.