The Hawaiians have arrived...

and Peru will never be the same. Monica, my guide, and I made it to the airport late Sunday night and weren´t there 5 minutes when the sliding glass doors to customs opened and out strutted Kristina holding little Kanahe above her head as if to offer him in sacrifice to the throng. Her ploy worked as we spied her immediately, and she us. Riki, Malu, and Kristina all looked good for having flown from Maui to Oahu beginning Saturday evening, then onto Houston, where they suffered a six hour delay, and onto to Lima...but Kanahe was beaming. You´ve never seen a happier baby. And he´s stayed that way. At 4 months, he´s alert, chatty, and of course wants to stick everything in his mouth. This baby is incredibly laid back and pleasant ALL of the time. He spews of course, in incredible volumes and at times with amazing force, but it doesn´t faze him (I, on the other hand, have the occasional gag reflex, but what´s new). He is so cute you can´t stand to look at him too much...but I do. And I swear he understands me when I coo in his face.
We got to sleep for about 3 hours, made the bus (which was very plush and comfortable--two stories even--but for the unduly loud showings of some Drew Barrymore movie followed by one of those loud Disney animated things). We slept through most of it (including the bingo game played on the bus loudspeaker). And awoke to a bleak, gray desert. The closer we got to Nasca, the more hilly the landscape got, but it is really desolate stuff. Made it to Nasca in 7 hours (we told it would be 6)...walked to our cute hotel where Malu demanded a swim while the adults drank Cusequeno cervezas and watched Kristina do Pilades and some Germans eat giant avocadoes. Navigated the tiny town as the sun went down, and had dinner (grilled meat and french fries, the best I have ever had. Really.).
Off tomorrow morning to see the Nasca lines, and then to catch the 8 (!) hour bus to Arequipa.