January 24 - Last Day in Trujillo

We say goodbye to Singapore Julianna as she prepares to leave for her trek to Machu Picchu. The Jersey girls and I meet up to go on a walking tour of the beautiful Spanish colonial buildings in Trujillo. The streetfront facades hide magnificent courtyards, balconies, fountains, and period rooms designed and built for such important figures in Trujillo's history as Pizarro.

The afternoon includes dinner at El Paisa with most of my roommates and the Jersey girls. Sarah and Julianna, great party planners, have the wine chilling when we arrive and we order several dishes to share. A lively discussion ensues as Mikey, a new volunteer on a break from Penn State, expresses his distaste for both Philadelphia Eagles football fans and dating Jersey girls. I seem to recall that we changed his mind on both counts. After all, Springsteen never wrote a song about central Pennsylvania girls, did he?

In the evening, the Jersey girls and I attend the Marinera Festival at the Coliseo. Marinera is Trujillo's annual week-long event with parades, Marinera dance competitions and parties. People come from all over to enjoy the festivities. We buy standing room tickets for Saturday evening and watch several performances of the "dance of courtship."

I join the roommates for one last drink on the roof deck before leaving for Lima in the morning.  How very fortunate I am to have fallen into such a perfect group. Tears roll down my cheeks as, again,  I laugh until it hurts.