Peru in numbers

Number of days spent living in Peru: not enough

Number of days I spent recovering from altitude sickness: 10

Number of times I have had what we call "Peru Tummy": 2

Number of conversations I've had with friends about our experiences with "Peru Tummy": 100+

Number of times I've been yelled at by a bus attendant for having "Peru Tummy": 1

Number of times I've been referred to as gringa on the streets by complete strangers: about 15

Number of times I've heard "tu eres grande" (you are tall) by a stranger on the street: 2

Number of carb portions received with one meal: 2 (potatoes and rice with every meal)

Number of spanish words I knew before living in Peru: 25

Number of Spanish words I know now: 1000

Number of cold showers taken because the water here is solar heated and it is not always sunny: about 30

Number of items of clothing I own with llamas on them: 3 (a jumper, socks, and gloves)

Number of times I have danced on the bar of my favorite pub: countless

Number of times I have played limbo and won in my favorite pub: 1

Number of bruises I have from dancing on the bar at my favorite pub: 50

Number of times I have slid across the bar at my favorite pub to songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody: about 20

Number of times I have fought with a bouncer on San Francisco street: 1

Number of times a policeman has tried to flirt with me as I walked past them: 50

Number of times I saw the sunrise: 6

Number of babies I have seen carried in a bag tied to someone's back: 300

Number of two year olds I have seen wandering the streets being completely independent and cool: 75

Number of times I believed 100% that I would die on a bus: 7

Number of museums in Arequipa: 15

Number of museums I have visited in Arequipa: 0

Number of piercings I had done in Peru: 3

Number of friends who also got piercings at the same time as me and we all were in pain: 5

Number of times I attempted to dance salsa: 1

Number of times I made a fool of myself in class: about 200

Number of students who refer to me as "meeeees": 100

Number of people I've been in a combie with: 18, the combie seats about 10

Number of children who frequently peruse the bars and clubs during the nights: there are about 6 regulars

Number of times I've said "que?" when speaking Spanish: 300

Number of times I have played with an alpaca or llama: about 12

Number of guinea pigs I've seen being kept for eating: Aroud 100 

Number of times I've eaten guinea pig : 0

Number of times i was warned what a dangerous place Peru is: About 30

Number of bad experiences I've heard have happened to people: About 20 (earrings being ripped from ears in
combies, rucksacks being sliced open so your belongings fall out without you realizing, taxis driving people to the middle of nowehere then stealing all of their things, people spitting on you to distract you then stealing your purse, thieves holding guests at gunpoint in a hostel whilst stealing everything they own)

Number of bad experiences I've had: 0

Number of people who walk around Arequipa pretending to work for a charity, getting gringos to give them
money and the keeping the money for themselves: 2

Number of times I have yelled "vete" (go away) or callate (shut up) at said people: 50

Number of times my students have asked me if i like Peruvian food: at least 80

Number of times I have lied and said I love Peruvian food: 10

Number of times I have been honest and said I don't like Peruvian food: 70 or more

Number of times my friends and I bought a bucket of fried chicken from KFC for one meal: 2

Number of times we went to Burger King for burgers: 20

Number of meals I cooked myself: 2

Number of times I drank cactus juice: 0

Number of times my friends drank cactus juice: 1

Number of times I have been to the cinema: 0

Number of times I have watched an illegal pirated DVD on the street while it was still in theatres: at least 100

Number of illegal pirated DVDs I bought: 63 

Number of kilometers I climed at Machu Picchu: 16 or more

Number of stairs I climbed at Machu Picchu: about 4000

Number of cold Cusquenas I enjoyed: 100+

Number of times I sandboarded: 1

Number of times I fell down when sandboarding: 10

Number of times my friends and I went to a wine and pisco tasting at a winery and accidentally got pretty buzzed: 1

Number of times a day that I went to the corner store to buy Snickers bars and Coca Colas: 2

Number of times I drank Inca Cola: 2

Number of times I drank Inca Cola and spit it out: 1

Number of times I wrestled with Amanda and Miguel at the pub: 4

Number of times I was offered cocaine during a walk to school at 630 am: 1

Number of days it took me to fall in love with Peru: 1