Against all the odds, I made it to Moquegua in one piece. The bus had a flat tire in the middle of the desert. Half an hour to change it.
I was born in a green, rainy country, but I'm fascinated by the desert landscape. That's the reason I went to study in Arizona. Lawrence of Arabia is right... The desert is clean, almost sterile. Beautiful. I've never been, but I would love to spend a night in the dunes of Morocco. They say it's much colder there at night, but the stars are brighter than any other part of the world. Anyway, it's good to get away for a while. Funny, I wasn't even going to come. With my father -- it just seemed like it might not be the best time, but... Well, when is it a good time to go anywhere? Right? Anyway: I arrived in Moquegua, a small city near the volcano Huaynaputina, where I will be doing research for my doctorate.