Perú: Day 2 in Lima
Miraculously, I slept. The lack of rest on the plane on top of the stress over my missing luggage took a toll on my body. It was around eight in the morning when I woke up and heard Jackie stirring as well. We only had one thing on our minds.
“Should I call,” Jackie asked from her bed in the adjacent room.
“Yes,” I screamed back.
She was referring to the number on the claim ticket we received at the airport. If we wanted any chance of getting our luggage back, Jackie had to be at the forefront. She possessed the people skills required to evoke compassion yet the power to remain composed during dire times. I just came off as a bitch.
I decided to use the bathroom in an effort to distract my thoughts for a minute. A normal person would have jumped in bed with Jackie and put their ear to her phone but I didn’t want to cause more anxiety. Besides, I enjoyed “delayed gratification.” It’s a skill I developed in high school while waiting for my 35mm film prints to be ready for pick up in a week. One Hour Photo eventually became popular but I was too cheap to pay more for the same product. I took my book to the toilet with me but could not concentrate. I focused on making out Jackie’s tone instead. Her speech was neither excited nor angry so I proceeded to read when it seemed they had put her on hold. That’s when I came across a prayer written by Villaseñor for the young character who represented his mother. The prayer asked God to protect the girl’s love during battle. I saw it as the last opportunity to beg for our bags’ return. I clasped my hands together and started reading the prayer word for word until it was time to replace the wish for my own. When I finished, I crossed myself and tuned in to what Jackie was saying. She didn’t sound upset. Standing in front of the mirror, I gripped my hands tighter and shut my eyes so hard they hurt. I was begging. I was begging like never before, begging God, La Virgen de Guadalupe, the Virgin Mary, and La Virgen Milagrosa for our luggage’s safe homecoming so we wouldn’t have to waste more time and money preparing for a trip we were already on. And that’s when I heard Jackie say, “Between ten and four.”
They had found our luggage! I had to stop myself from screeching and jumping up and down like a little girl. Instead, I closed my eyes again, clasped my hands, bowed my head, and thanked everyone for their help, including God, the Virgins, my angels, even family and friends for their collaborative effort. The operator claimed the bags had arrived the night before. We didn’t believe her because we had called but it didn’t matter. Our bags were in the same city we were in and the airport crew would be delivering them sometime between ten and four. Relieved, Jackie and I prepared to take on our second day of adventure in the same clothes as the day before and the day before that. She played off her outfit by using her oversized scarf as a light sweater instead of her heavy jacket and tamed her wild mane by tying it up in a bun. I didn’t have as many accessories so I took my French braids apart and threw my hair into a ponytail. As Jackie touched up her face in the bathroom I said to her, “You know we have to light a candle today.”
“I know,” she said with both defeat and disbelief.
We apologized to the receptionist for our appearance when we got to the lobby to notify her of the delivery. She took note and even volunteered to call the airport herself to assure the dispatch; it was apparent this mishap was not her first rodeo nor would it be her last. Feeling lighter, we strolled into the kitchen and took advantage of our complimentary breakfast before we headed out again, confident enough to take Peru by its bull’s horns.
Our first stop was La Virgen Milagrosa church where we offered our most sincere gratitude to everyone who listened to our prayers.
For weeks leading up to my trip, I fantasized about how great my life was going to be after the Peruvian Gods and spirits got a hold of me and gave me a juju makeover. I could not wait for something new to believe in because I’d followed rules my entire life and even started attending church regularly again only to continue to feel lonely, empty, and unfulfilled. And yet, the place I found myself in the first two mornings of my visit to Peru was a Catholic church. A church that had actually answered my prayers, at that. I’m not sure what I expected to do, see, or feel in regards to a newfound spirituality platform but it definitely had not been the religion I had been raised in. I set foot in Peru with an open mind and put my beliefs aside only to be brought back to my Catholic upbringing. I had to accept the signs for what they were. I was in to stay. I just regreted being so consumed with my luggage because I would have also prayed for a house, a new car, and a significant other who doubled as my partner and best friend being that Parroquia La Virgen Milagrosa completely lived up to its name.
After a morning filled with indebtedness, it was time to get the show on the road. Jackie and I headed to Parque del amor, The Love Park, with one goal: Not to get run over.
I wanted to experience foreign fast food so we had lunch at Bembos, Lima’s wanna-be McDonald’s. My combo looked like a kid’s meal: tiny burger, tiny fries, and tiny soda. We learned that Peruvians loved mayonnaise that day when we were handed packets of ketchup and mayo but no mustard for the dry sandwich. The untasty hamburger left me craving a Big Mac but Jackie and I agreed, as we sat across a Dunkin’ Donuts, that we would not consume anything we could eat back home. Bembos did up McDonald’s in one aspect, though, with their greeter and cleaning crew. Mickey D’s could learn a thing or two about customer service.
Back in the hotel, the receptionist informed us that our luggage was in our room. I held back my excitement and thanked her, appreciating her attention to detail.
Our stuff seemed to be untouched. I went in for my vitamins and smiled when I saw my deodorant and toothbrush. Never before had I been so happy to see either consumable. Jackie and I had an unofficial meet-and-greet with our tour group that evening and we’d received our things just in time to make a good impression. I noticed my forehead was burned when I put my hair in a bun after my shower and decided to leave my glasses on for an edgier look. But my plan failed when my style and frames branded me as the uptight, nerdy sister during dinner. I didn’t help my case any by skipping out on drinks. But I was tired from walking under a concealed sun all day. Plus, I wanted to be rested for my first official tour day in Peru the next morning. I knew there would be plenty more opportunities to party, it was my second Contiki trip after all. Sue me for being logical.
