20 Nuevo Soles for 2 New Soles*
* The title is a play on words: The currency in Peru is the Nuevo Sol.
I have a pair of sandals that I have had about 10 years and I love them! At home, it is just about impossible to find a shoe repair shop, and even when you do, the repairs are sometimes as much as a new pair of shoes.
I just about threw them away in October when I left Hawaii, and again in January when I left home. But instead, I wore them on the plane to Peru. Those of you who know me, know how hard it is for me to throw things away.
Now, as luck would have it, just a few blocks away from my guesthouse in Arequipa, there must be 20 shoe repair shops—some no larger than a closet. I decided I did not have much to lose, so I entrusted my very special sandals to Charle. He very generously let me watch and take photographs.
The cost? 20 soles—about $7.
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Camino: Day 19
Soon, I came to the place where the Camino Primitivo splits from the Camino del Norte. It is a weighty decision for me to choose to do the Primitivo. Most pilgrims who start on the coastal path, stay on the del Norte all the way; some choose the Primitivo. The official start of the Primitivo is actually in Oviedo (two more days walking), but this is the place where pilgrims coming from the del Norte must decide.
Quest for Fiber: Alpaca and Acrylic and Títeres
On my third day in Arequipa, Adela took me to Michell’s Fiber Mill. There is an outlet store there with all kinds of alpaca yarn at very good prices. Adjacent to the mill is Mundo Alpaca, a museum showing the process of preparing alpaca fleeces for market—both by hand and by machine.
Courage?
This blog entry is especially for all those people who have commented to me about how brave I am for travelling on my own. Occasionally I have these experiences that put me in my place where so-called “courage” is concerned. And what is courage, after all?
