There were movies for the 16 hour bus ride from Tacna to Cusco. One of them began with a scene where a South American bus slides off a road, crashes into a river and kills everyone on board. No one else seemed to notice the problem with this. But overall, the movie selection wasn't so bad. Usually it's direct-to-video action fare from the likes of Steven Segal, Van Damme, or Jackie Chan. Would you believe we kicked off movie time with Billy Elliot?

After several weeks of breakneck hurrying through Peru for my telescope tour reservation in Chile, it feels really good to not be in a hurry for a change. I didn't make it to Chile. I woke up oh so tired on Friday morning and just couldn't deal with the idea of a border crossing and a 12 hour bus trip to Antofagasta, only to have to hitchhike or sort out private transport for the two hour trip to the telescope the next day. I may try next month if they'll move my reservation. We'll see, but for now it's just nice to have plenty of time again.

"This would be because of the rainbow flags everywhere."
Cusco is Peru's version of Antigua, Guatemala or Kathmandu, Nepal. It's the big tourist city and the reason most people come to the

A Random Narrow Street in Cusco

country to start with. It was the Incas' capital city and at first glance would seem to top San Francisco for being the gayest city in the western hemisphere. This would be because of the rainbow flags everywhere. Hotels, city squares, public buildings. But don't make your travel plans... or pray for the city's deliverance from abhorrence... just yet. Turns out it's just the flag of this province and there's actually some controversy over who has the rights to use the flag.

Most people are here because of Machu Pichu, the famous Incan city on the hill, just a few miles away. I'm headed there on Wednesday. The easiest way there is to take the train to a small town near the ruins and a bus for the remainder of the way. I, of course, have chosen a more torturous path. There's also the grueling Inca Trail, which ascends over three high passes and takes three days to walk to the ruins. Since it's not yet the dry season, there's the possibility of being cold and wet most of the time. You're no longer allowed to do this alone. One must join an organized tour where porters carry most of the gear and food. They even cook for you.

"They pass you and disappear into the distance."
I've heard that while you're hiking, you eat breakfast and leave camp. The porters stay behind tearing down camp, pack up, and head off behind you. Sometime during the day, after killing yourself on the hills,

Peruvian Kids Hang Out Near Ruins

you hear footsteps behind you. It's the porters scampering up the trail in their sandals and carrying all the group's gear on their backs. They pass you and disappear into the distance, only to reappear at the end of the day with camp already set up and dinner almost ready. I wouldn't choose to do it this way, but if they're going to require it I think I'll enjoy it. It's $130 for the four night trip. So if I don't post something tomorrow, it'll be on into the weekend before you hear from me again.

Oh, and there's an observation I've been forgetting to mention. The United States has a pretty cool-looking flag. Of course there's a lot of political baggage that comes along with it. But I'm talking here purely about aesthetics. When you live in the US and don't have reason to travel frequently abroad, it's impossible to see the flag objectively. It's part of the landscape.

"That honor will always belong to the Brits."
But after months of being among other countries' flags, I can say ours is rather pleasing to look at. Bold colors, interesting patterns and no intricate seals that just get lost when viewed at a distance. Ours isn't the coolest, though. That honor will always belong to the Brits. I mean who can ever top the Union Jack for simplicity and boldness? Compare it to other European countries. France, Germany, Italy. They're just stripes. A kid could design those flags. Quick, without thinking, can you tell me the difference between the flags of France and Russia? They're both red, white and blue. But which one is vertical and which is horizontal?

OK, so in the age of Travel Channel's "World's Best" and all those other top ten shows, this must lead to a list of the coolest flags. Of course Britain goes first. Second is probably Nepal. The only country with a non-rectangular flag. Third, with only a little bias, I'd have to go with the United States.

Honorable mentions would have to go to Canada, Japan and Libya. I mean it took some guts for Libya to say, "We're completely out of ideas. How 'bout just green. All green. That's our flag."

"What is that thing anyway?"
As for the worst flag in the world. That's totally easy. Brazil. What is that thing anyway? A bizarre 3-D model of the stars of the southern hemisphere, I suppose. Along with some text in Portuguese that I defy anyone, Portuguese speaking or not, to read from ground level looking up at the flag without binoculars. And green and yellow? Maybe it's my red, white and blue sensibilities talking but the colors just don't work for me. I'm gambling here that there aren't a lot of of Brazillians reading this site.

I suppose it would be nice of me to put some images of these flags on here, but I haven't the energy. Here's a link to a great world flag site.