Sidekicks & Rediscoveries

Fun Fact No. 73: Individual Platters. At lunchtime - the big meal of the day here in Iquitos, like dinner is for us - they carefully serve each and every plate according to its consumer. In the US, we tend to throw a bunch of stuff in the middle of the table in the dishes they were cooked in and it´s each for him or herself. There´s a lot of care put into each plate here, which is kind of neat.


Well, just under a week left and SO much to do! Randomly, an Argentine named Nico has dropped by to stay at the house for an indetermined amount of time. He´s remarkably cool and easygoing for an Argentine (j/k MSOB!) and I´ve had a blast bebopping around town with him. Honestly, it´s been kind of neat to show off my "other Austin" while I´m getting ready to leave it. It´s nice to say goodbye to the old places and even discover a few new ones. My last fish kebob at El Zorrito Restaurant. My last jaunt to a port on the edge of town. My last dance with Explosión and my first with Los Niches from Cali, Colombia. I played with Explosión one more time last night, by the way. Lots of fun. Anyway, Nico is a good sport and is willing to try new things and hasn´t yet died of fear while riding on the back of my motorcycle. Plus we´ve been pal-ing around with Roy, this muscleman guy who is surprisingly sweet and enthusiastic about everything, from ice cream to puppy dogs.

But the real goodbyes have begun. Fernando, my friend who is a pianist, cellist, and violinist who is single-handedly starting the first orchestras of Iquitos, is leaving tomorrow for a vacation in Lima, so I had to say goodbye to him today. Yesterday my friend Angel Paz, the director of the Polyphonic Choir of Loreto, took off, and that was tough. I bought my ticket the other day and nearly freaked out- I´m actually leaving. I find it quite hard to believe.

I´m having a going-away party at my house on Friday. It should be quite the blast with over 50 people. A bit scary, but I think it should be fun. I´m afraid it´ll be a sob fest on my end, but what can you do? Speaking of sob fest, it´s going to suck leaving Iquitos, but Mario and his mom, Dina, are going to accompany me to Lima. Dina had to go anyway for a doctor´s appointment and Mario´s going just for kicks. I´m going to need them!