I'm still around...

... but my mind is in Peru at the moment. I've been living the ups and downs of planning a trip to an incredibly over-popular tourist destination, and I've had no time to blog. But my effort has borne some fruit.

I was not able to get a reservation for an Inca Trail Hike. Instead, over the past 4 days, I've been researching alternative Treks. Tonight I finally decided on hiking the 5-day, non-Inca Trail Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu. I'll be with the agency United Mice. I just sent out a query e-mail; once I get a green light, I'll make a reservation and send them the deposit. If I can get a deal that they e-mailed me, it will cost $425 for 5 days. Most Inca Trail hikes are, at the bare minimum $480for 4 days, but the vast majority of them are over $500. It's a much better deal. The trek is a little more challenging and the landscape is more rugged and diverse. What I lose out on is the amount of ruins. This pains me to a certain degree, but there will be plenty of other chances to see Inca sites afterward.

The Trek would leave on June 16, putting me in Cusco on June 15 on the latest. that gives me just over 2 weeks in the rest of Peru, since afterward I'll definitely be hanging around in Cusco for 4 or 5 days (depending on whether it makes sense for me to spend an extra day at Machu Picchu - I've asked the tour operators). But from what I hear, you can't spend too much time in Cusco.

So I still have to make this reservation and my flight to LA. But I'm at a point now where I feel I can relax. The most stressful day was Monday, when I was frantically searching Inca Trail treks, only to realize that there was a frighteningly small amount of permits available for the dates I needed. I sent out a flurry of reservations, only to have them all rejected the next day for lack of available spots. It was nerve-wracking, but I feel all the stress is past me now.

At this point, my planning is going to slow down, so I can focus on other projects.

In the way of homesteading, my efforts have been:

-Repairing my pants. I fixed major holes in the groin area (very embarrassing). I'm going to do more work on them. I need good pants for travel. Sounds goofy, but it's true. Clothing must be comfortable to wear and functional.
-Watching my plants. The shiso sprouts seem to have peaked at 5. They seem to be growing slowly. Jesus suggests it's due to low temperatures, so that will change. My plants at the Shelter are surviving. The sage is okay; the oregano is just a stump; and the pregnant onions look a little bad. I want to get them outside as soon as I can, but the weather has predicted frost every so often, and I don't want to take risks. I think more research will go a long way with all these plants - I've got a great opportunity to focus on specific plants and enrich my knowledge through the narrowness of my study (as opposed to feeling overwhelmed at the amount of possible things to learn).

That'll do for now. More to come, especially more photos.

Good night, all.