Hey Ann -

Not sure that I can say so much has changed, other than that my Spanish is pretty fluent and I now have a goatee. I think it actually looks pretty good, but then again, don't they always?

The trip has ben fantastic and yes, I am sure that it has changed me in some ways that I'm not aware of. Most of all, I think I want to do more trips like this and I realize that I have so much more of the world that I want to see. I know that I hate office jobs, typically, but am more than happy to do one if it lets me do the things I want. I hope that I'll continue to put my efforts to travelling.

I broke up with Carmen and that definitely got me into a lot of the things that I wanted and didn't want from a relationship. Hell, maybe I've become braver somehow. Not too ready to assume that much, tho'. I think I've also raelized how goddamned lucky we are as americas or westerners in general. Man, people work so goddamned hard down here and so often for just about nothing. The guys that hauled our stuff all over the Inca Trail for 4 days hiked 60 Km up and down landscapes that just about killed me, all for about US$10 for 4 days work. I paid $160 to take the hike. These guys worked 12-14 hours, most days, assembling tents, setting up camp, whatever.

Forget the mines I vivited in Bolivia. I just can't believe human being are subjected to that kind of work still. They typically earned 25 Bolivianos a day, or about $3. Less, actually.

So maybe I am more open minded about work and less worried with whatever status that it may infer. I want to write more. I think I've got a lot to offer there.

Sounds like you're in for quite an adventure yourselves. I head NC is nice, but it's got to be a big change. Where is Heather coming back to? NYC?

And yeah, I was supposed to be moving to Oz with Carmen, but that depended on the trip down here. I guess we all know now.

I hope this trip leaves me happy and content, too. But I also hope it leaves me wanting more. It is trying down here many times, but it is also so incredible.

Good to hear from you. Hope all is well & give my best to Rich.

Keith
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrea Kay"
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 14:01:12 -0500
To: adrifter@mindless.com
Subject: Re: hi








Hey Keith,






Checked out your website. It's very cool. It's good that you are keeping track of your adventures, and in such a way that others can following along, makes it that much cooler. Things here are going well. Just working and whatnot. We are still adjusting to life in NC. The hardest thing is being removed from family and friends. I am sure that will change as we meet more people.

I was sorry to hear about you and your girlfriend. Are you still talking? I didn't know you even had plans to move to Australia. Are you excited to head back to NYC? You remember Heather, right? She and her boyfriend are moving back from Madrid at the end of this week. They lived there for about 8 months. I don't have all the details of exactly why they are moving back, but I do know that she is happy to be doing so.

What big things have changed with you on your travels? I know you said that you have a lot to think about. I can't imagine a trip like yours not inspiring change in a person. I hope you figure everything out in such a way that leaves you incredibly happy and content.

I hope to hear from you soon.

:) Andrea

Ah man, I have been wanting to go to the Florida Keys for years...
One day.

And yes, it makes a lot more sense to make a real go of Cuba than to
run in & out in 4 days. I think we'd need just that much time to
really chill out. We're looking at about $483 for a ticket if we
leave on Sunday and about US$454 if we leave on Saturday. Either
way, it sounds a lot better stretched over 7-8 days. I leave the day
of the week up to you, but think the Saturday departure might be good
for you to be able to chill out & get yourself ready for the working
week come Monday.

But if that's the case, let's try and stay in some houses rather than
hotels, which I hear can be pricey. It also lets us get out of
Havana and check out some other beautiful places. Man, there are a
lot of stories about Cuba lately. Lots of basic rigths violations.
Of course, there they don't have these rights, but hey.

In Ica, Peru right now. Not much going on, but a small & cool desert
oasis outside of town with some pretty women and sandboarding, which
I have never really even thought about doing. Probably chill here
tomorrow and then to Nasca to take a flight to check out the Lines.
Pretty cool stuff.

Hope you have a great time in the Keys. Get me a key chain or
something. Maybe a bumper sticker.

Again, it makes sense stretching out Cuba - I agree.

Have a great time again.

Keith

PS This is the site I saw my rate on:

http://airtravelcenter.com/flyeurope.html

Okay fine - good point. I guess we can go and get drunk in Mexico City if you really want... As long as we don't get mugged. I hate that. Sounds like it's all a go. ç
GOGOGO USA USA USA! Sorry. I get like that sometimes. You know what a rabid patriot I can be...
I have to say I am so much more relaxed now that I am in Chile. Things have gotten so much better the moment I left Peru. I kept thinking last night - F*ck this place. F*ck this country. F*ck these people. F*ck the guy next to me that I have to CLIMB OVER to get to the bathroom on the Bus from Hell that must have a drunk driver because the roads just aren't that curvy and the overnights must get a little dull for the man. I sympathize, surely. But F*CK GETTING WOKEN UP AT 7AM AND BEING FORCED TO LISTEN TO 102 DALMATIONS (the sequel) BLARING IN SPANISH OUT OF THE SPEAKER RIGHT OVER MY HEAD, which must have been the only one working or something and so they wanetd everyone to be able to hear it. As if the crap Disney's been doing for the past 20 years wasn't bad enough, it's got to be dubbed into Spanish. And worse, I understand it now. I was really ready to leave Peru. Nice as it was. And I really do think I'll go back one day. Just not on this trip, thanks.
K
----- Original Message -----
From: "Purdom, Stephen"
Subject: RE: Frida, marriots, mexicans I've seen Frida, and i agree it was excellent, shoulda picked up many more oscars than it did!! agree re mex city, the centre is quite nice, will e-mail any suggestions he has. our flight isnt THAT early in the morning. i mean, come one. The marriot bar is hardly a buzzing place, man. And i wont have seen you for 5 months, so a littel hangover wouldnt be that out of order. or at least a venture into the mexican centre for a shuftie around?
OK, you have me convinced on the tickets thing. i will change everything and book the tickets. will keep you posted...
-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Christiansen
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 3:45 PM
To: Purdom, Stephen
Subject: Frida, marriots, mexicans
Yeah - same room. You wouldn't believe some of the people I have shared space with in the past few months. At least yours is a familiar stench, er, face. And I'm not really that concerned with what the Mexican guy at the Marriot thinks. Like the title for the book, but not so sure the war will be over by then. We'd have to have 6 very interesting days to fill a book, but we could do just that. I'll only have a few days in Mex City, unless I get sick of staying here and want to move on earlier, but I think it will be enough. I think I am much more likely to return to Mexico than Chile right now. Although I do like it. Time may prove me wrong. If your friend has any suggestions or wants to meet up, lemme know. I wanna go see Frida's house and a few other things around the city. See "Frida," BTW. It was excellent. I think I'll have enough time for a taste of the city, but just that. But if we're out early the next morning, it might be best to keep it quiet at the hotel bar or something. The ticket thing doesn't sound too suspicious. The letter of the law is that American companies can't sell the tickets and you can't use a US-based credit card in Cuba. Buying the ticket from another country with a US-based card seems just fine to me. Oh my Lord, I think we've got a plan here... K ----- Original Message ----- From: "Purdom, Stephen"
Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 15:28:59 -0500
To: "'Keith Christiansen'"
Subject: RE: F'ing Fares...
The travel copany just came back and said i CAN use a US credit card. That sounds dodgy. very dodgy if you ask me. I would prefer to use the UK one. I've now asked them about that. In the meantime i'll change the NY-Mex flight, as i think we'll get there somehow, even if it means buying them physically in Mexico if we're desperate. Which we usually are, when you think about it.
I'm not sure if we need paper tickets or if mexicana uses e-tickets. i've asked the dudes that too. this travel business just isnt normally as complicated for us Brits - we rarely - if ever - black list anyone, usually because we pretty much ruled the world and feel guilty about our former colonies, rather than that of a spurned lover, like th US feels about Cuba. Or at least that's my theory. We coudl even do some research for our forthcoming book in Cuba: "Imperialist perceptions in a Post Imperial Age - a Limey and a Yank in Cuba, post the Iraqi conflict". How does that sound for a title.
Your plan sounds good - its weird, in 2 weeks time i'll be dashing to the airport to meet you. how touching. Mex City is worth checking out, there are some silver factories that are a lot cheaper than the centre that i know about if you feel in the mood to get someone something. Then again, maybe not. And ciggies are cheaper too. like damn cheap. which is always a good thing, at least in my book. We should go out and check out the nightlife and I'll ask my Mexican friend Luis for some tips. he's the only other 9semi) socialist banker I know. his family home is roudn the corner from Frida's house. I'd love to see that actually, though we wont get time I suspect.
I should perhaps book a room at the Marriot as well at the airport (late flight in, early flight out, right?). do you want your own room or do you want to share? It's cheaper to share, though we may get some odd looks. And that guy in key west might get the wrong idea. let me know. let me know and i'll see what i can do re the tickets.
-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Christiansen
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 2:54 PM
To: Purdom, Stephen
Subject: Re: F'ing Fares...
Okay - that's fine with me. I don't mind losing a day or two, we'll just have to relax a little quicker is all. It's most important to me that you'll be there. So we can share this magical time together
HAHAHA!
No really. It's fine. Looking forward to it.
Go ahead with everything & let me know what I owe. I am going to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile tonight and will spend the next 8 days or so honing my already masterful sandboarding skills. I will tear Blackpool asunder with my fearsome moves. The Eiffel stuff was less exciting than I thought. Nice, but nothing like the Eiffel Lift in Portugal or the Tower. I guess he had to get started with something.
I'm not sure if you can buy them with a US card. It all depends on the provider of the tickets, doesn't it? My thought is that it's better to pay with the UK card - this is likely a UK based company, or maybe Canadian.
My current plans & flights are as follows:
I am in Pan Pedro for the next week or so, chilling in the desert. On the 12th, I go to Iquique, get my flight from Iquique to Santiago the next morning, then spend a day or so in Santiago before flying to Mexico City. I'll be in Mex City from the Tuesday and then meet you on Thurs. After doing some reading, Mex City seemed worth at least a few days of checking out.
So with the flights listed below, I'll be back on the 25th or so. That's all just fine with me. Looking forward to this... And thanks, if I haven't said so.
Already, just 23 kms south of the border, life is already more tranquil in CHile. I have already gotten stuck waiting at a corner for a car to pass. And waiting, and then waiting a few more seconds before realizing that they were trying to let me pass and were waiting patiently for me to do so, although maybe a bit less so with each passing second. You have to time your crossings well in Bolivia and Peru. No one stops. It's ugly.
Talk to you soon. Let me know if I can do anything.
K
----- Original Message -----
From: "Purdom, Stephen" Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 12:48:47 -0500
To: "'Keith Christiansen'"
Subject: F'ing Fares...
I know, it's tough at the top, isn't it? And that jibe from a man who's been on holiday since early November!! huh!! :)
Wow, the eiffel stuff sounds wicked. look forward to seeing the phones. Sandboarding sounds fun. youcan do that in Blackpool too, by the way, should you ever be passing through. You'd probably be the town champ, byt he sounds of it. Maybe a new career beckons?
Bad news re flights in that Sat or Sunday return would involve a $363 increase in my fare (no seats available).
The Friday 25 April return below means that I dont pay any extra:
Flights: Thu 17 April Out from NYC at 5.05pm, arriving in Mex City at 9.20pm Fl. 1970 Fri 25 April Return from Mex City at 9am, arriving NYC at 2.48pm in Newark Fl. 1971
We therefore need to fly out to Havana on the Friday 18 April, back on the Thursday 24th, so we get 6 days in Mexico.
The lfihgts i found on findcheaper flights were: Fri 18 Apr Dep Mex City at 10.25 am Arr Havan at 2pm Thu 24 Apr Dep Havana 3.10pm Arr Mex City 5.05pm This is same fee $1025 plus $20 processing fee.
I am assuming i can't buy the tickets being here in the US - or should I buy them with my UK credit card?
If I dont hear back from you i will book the Friday return later to day with Continental and we'll take our chances with the Havana flight.
let me know ASAP
thx
-----Original Message----- From: Keith Christiansen
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 12:14 PM
To: Purdom, Stephen
Subject: RE: Hmmm.. Nasca, eh?
Great, thanks!
Sorry to hear that you're going as long as a month between vacations now, that must be an incredible strain. :)
Looks like I am leaving Peru tonight, or maybe tomorrow. I have a bus to Tacna, near the border and then down to Arica and some other spots in the desert. Amazingly, Eiffel (the Tower guy) designed a bunch of churches and public buildings in these places and I want to check them out. SHould be interesting, but I think I'll do that and have lunch in Tacna before moving on. Just doesn't seem to have that much going for it.
From there, it's Arica, then Iquique and then San Pedro de Atacama for a little desert time and to try my hand at sandboarding some more, which I am getting pretty damned good at. Went on a short flight this morning (I have been travelling with this funny Dutch guy for a few weeks - not typical Dutch, fun.) to see the Nasca Lines and they were really pretty incredible. Really hard to imagine why a people that lived almost 1000 years ago, well before flight, made these massive symbols in the earth. But they did and there they are. Lots of interesting theories, from worship of their gods to aliens coming to earth, etc. I took lots of pictures. We had good light for it today.
Looking forward to relaxing in Chile. I have really had to be on my guard here. Just against theft and constantly having to haggle over things and hassle people to keep their word about tours or deals, or prices paid, etc. Gets to be really tiring. And the Peruvians also like to blast radios, TVs, whatever at deafening levels. That gets very tiring. Combine that with what seems to be hospitality of havin a TV or radio on in every restaurant, it is impossible to eat in peace. It almost forces you into the Gringo places... I am currently being deafened in an internet cafe just off the Plaza de Armas of Nasca.
Hope everyone is well. Talk to you soon. Any luck changing the tix?
Keith
----- Original Message -----
From: "Purdom, Stephen"
Subject: RE: Hmmm.. Cuba, eh?
Ha ha ha!! :)
Sure re the book, I'll bring it along.
As for my mum, yes I guess I do spoil her, but then she's had a pretty rough deal from all the other blokes in her life and it was 6 weeks since my last holiday and 3 weeks before my next one so I did actually want to go myself too.