Due to some passport complications I’ve had to turn my Brazil trip into a Peru trip. While this means I won’t be able to practice my Portuguese or use my frequent flyer miles (United doesn’t fly to the west coast of South America), I will get to see more of what I wanted from this vacation, which is mountains, jungles, and wildlife. Unfortunately two weeks is not nearly enough time, but that’s what I’ve got to work with. I should be able to fit in a trip to Manu National Park (jaguars!), Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca. I think it is extremely unlikely that I’ll post anything while traveling, but I will try to keep a journal and take some pictures for later digitization.

I have also been greatly enjoying my freedom here in Berkeley. Today I hiked up the fire trail in Strawberry Canyon, which winds from near the swimming pool all the way up to Grizzly Peak, very popular with runners. Fascinating ecological transitions, from a wet riparian zone in the clay at the bottom of the canyon through open pine and redwood woods up to scrubby brush in the bright sun and rocky soil near the ridge. The upper reaches of the trail are particularly gorgeous right now, with wildflowers of every color in bloom (lupine and paintbrushes are the only ones I really know names for). Butterflies everywhere, lots of American Painted Ladies, but I also saw a Red Admiral, a huge swallowtail, a tiny perfect gem with powder-blue wings, and two yellow-white butterflies who engaged each other in a ferocious dogfight that sent them spiraling up into the perfect California sky.

(cdm | Peru2005)