Arrequipa For a Quick Minute and the Doc...

Natasha and I took the overnight bus from Cusco to Arrequipa. The trip was about 8 hours and we arrived around 6:30 a.m. When we booked our bus tickets, the lady at the tour office gave us the name of a hostel that her brother owns in Arrequipa and she had the hostel people pick us up from the Bus Station. We had to pay for the cab...that was weird, why did they have to come get us if we just took a cab there anyway? Anyway, upon arrival, we found out that you need two days to hike the Canyon de Colca and I only had one day. My plans were all over the place and I finally decided that I would leave Arrequipa that night and get on another night bus to Nazca. I had 24 hours to make my way to the Lima airport. Natasha decided to stay and take a 2 day bus tour of the canyon and surrounding area.

At this point, I have lost my ankles and I officially have Cankles (my calves and ankles have blended together...thanks Jen and Ally for the reference). I was getting a little worried about my legs over the previous few days because my feet were getting swollen and my bites were really inflamed (nasty pictures attached, although I don't think they really capture how nasty my feet and legs were). I decided that before I developed Thankles (where your thighs, calves and ankles blend together), I better go to the farmacia and see what they say. I went to the local farmacia and the technician referred me to the clinic a few doors down. I waited for about 15 minutes and then was called into the doctor´s office. The Doc was a she and she and I talked for a while, all in Spanish, I showed her my legs and she immediately said I had an allergic reaction and my legs were now infected. Hmmm...is that why they are hot to the touch? She wrote me a few different perscriptions, including 3 injections...aaahh!!! Are you kidding me? I need shots in Peru? Oh boy, not cool. I went back to the farmacia and decided to only buy the injections, which included the needles, and I´d wait to see if I needed the antiinflammatory pills and the Cipro. I went back to the clinic where, like a hawk, I watched the nurse open the needles, fill the syringe and inject my bootie with an antibiotic, a steroid and an antihistamine. The nurse was really good at giving shots because I barely felt it. The entire doctor/farmacia process was so easy, fast and cheap. It cost me less than 10 bucks for the medicine and the visit to the Dr. did not cost me a thing. I took it easy the rest of the day because I felt a little light headed and I wasn´t supposed to be walking around too much.

Later, I had to deal with dodgy Dino at the Inti Punku Lodge. Do not ever go there or deal with this guy for tours or stay at his hotel. He is a dodgy dude. He said he could arrange my tour in Nazca and gave me a price of 85 USD and that he had found me a "great deal" on the bus ticket. After doing some additional investigation, both were completly overpriced so I cancelled them. I never gave him any money and he was not happy. Natasha was staying at his hotel and my stuff was there. He told me I had to pay because I was there and that I had to pay 50 cents for the call we were on. I laughed and he did not like that very much. I said I wasn`t paying and that I was just getting my stuff to leave. So, Natasha and I spent the rest of the day at a café, had some really good crepes...yum and took in a gorgeous sunset. Nothing like great food to cheer you up!

I said goodbye to Natasha (insert big sigh here), for now. I am going to see her very soon when I visit Australia in January. I made my way to the bus station for another cozy nights sleep in a semi cama bus.