Lima

Folks:
I believe that I left you as we were checking in with the young lady at the Hostel España in Lima. It was nice to see that security for the ceremonial changing of the guard at the Legislative Palace had been reduced. There were 5 very bored riot police, about the same number of guys with automatic weapons, no armored vehicles, and the public was allowed inside the gate. The ceremony has lost some of it´s military significance and format and now is a band and drill display. The last time we saw it the President actually took the salute. This time ¨nada¨. We did manage to find a ¨Churra¨(pudding filled deep-fried good thing) which made my day. We visited a very nice museo in the old national mint. The history of currency was educational. After watching a wedding and having a good night we were up and in a cab for the airport at 0430. Flew to Cusco with one airline (because the others rip off tourists and then changed) and arrived safely at El Alto airport obove La Paz (at 4000meters) to be greeted by Yumey, the executive director of the Ivor Mendez International Foundation (IMIF) and an old friend Paz, a delightful man, and the only safe driver in all of La Paz. They quickly got us bunked down in the Hotel Torino (5 stars minus 4.5 and therefore just our kind of spot). Although we had a chance at our old room (that we had the last 2 times) we decided on a new and better room and it is great!
Security is higher right now as the disabled have been demonstrating for a payment of some sort for about three months. The roads are now blocked by riot police and a metal barricade a block from Plaza Murillo in all directions including the block on which the Torino is found. I got $ from the safest ATM in La Paz as a dozen police watched. I had to ask them to get out of the way (permisso) so that I could get in.
Joy is much better although neither of us are operating at 100% at 3800 meters.
Jim