August 20, 2008
Kathy is attending her first Spanish immersion session this morning. T. Charles and I are roaming the streets of Arequipa, Peru looking for trouble. We ended up here, in an elaborate internet tiende (store) called Cibermarket where all the hip Peruvian and ex-Pat gringos hang. I´m in a glass cubicle listening to some hardcore Peru rock playing throughout the building. Tomas called me over to his cubicle to listen to the Monks, circa 1965, a group of U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany, who stayed behind after their enlistment and started a rock band. Great tune, very ahead of its time. Can´t believe I´ve never heard of them.

Last Saturday night in the canyon, we went to a small restaurant off the plaza (no sign, the locals know it´s there). After some heavenly soup, topped off by Colca Sours (a local variation on the national drink, Pisco Sours), the owner, Jennie had her significant other, Dante, put on a concert DVD of the Eagles from their first farewell tour. Man, I enjoyed that. ¨Life in the Fast Lane¨, ¨Take It To The Limit¨, ¨Take It Easy¨, ¨Hotel California,¨ it was a groovy taste of home. Tomas and I regaled Jennie and Dante with the inside scoop on the band (basically that they all hate each other) and the story behind the songs (Don Henley wrote ¨Dirty Laundry¨after his scandelous affair, a la Roman Polanski, with an underage girl). And the locals in Tommy´s village were especially taken with the goofy antics of Joe Walsh (¨Quien es, loco hombre?¨), who burned up the DVD with his take of the James Gang´s ¨Funk 49¨and Joe´s masterpiece, ¨Rocky Mountain High¨. Tommy and I were howling with laughter at the lyrics to ¨Life´s Been Good To Me So Far¨. I´m not sure they appreciated the hilarious irony of the words: Ï drive a Masserati, it does 185, I lost my license, now I can´t drive.¨

Interesting what travels this far south on the continent. And what doesn´t. I remember when R.G. Robertson wanted to narrow our reader´s poll to a choice between rock and country. His comment that ¨there is only one kind of music and that´s Country," kind of irritated me. I do like Country but I got news for R.G.: es nada aqui. No George Strait, no Dixie Chicks, no Willie, no Waylon. I´m now listening to ¨Video kiled the Video Star.¨Pop is huge here, some rock, but not all. Madonna, of course. Strangely, I haven´t heard one U2 tune.

More later. T. Bell has the video highlights of the U.S. Basketball game. We can´t hardly find out any details down here. It´s all soccer, all the time. Futball es muy major. That´s irritating to a norteo americano.