an open letter to the country of peru

dear peru-

thank you so much for the time that we spent together. you are truly one of the most beautiful countries i have ever met. thank you for your bright green mountains and colorful indigenous people. i can't tell you how much in enjoyed learning of your rich history and ancient culture. i will always look back on our time together with amazement and great fondness.

true, we had our moments of disagreement. but, i believe that is all part of getting to know each other. it would be naive of me to think that it would all be sunshine and roses, but i can certainly say that i learned a lot from you. and, i can only hope that you learned a little something from me.

what i don't understand is why, when we were parting, you had to go and make leaving you so difficult both financially and physically. it's not that i blame you for charging a ridiculous exit fee. or for making a simple task like immigration a mind-numbing annoyance. i want to be very clear. i was angry, yes. but that does not mean that i think any less of you. i forgive you for your shortcomings. i embrace you for them.

oh, and if you talk to bolivia, make it known that i enjoyed the time we had together as well, however brief it was.

all in all, i can only hope that you took the same experience from our meeting as i did. i feel richer and more aware of the world having met you. this past week has been everything i would have dreamed it to be. thank you again for your generosity. your warmth. your eccentricities. your faults. you should be very proud of who you are and what you have to offer the rest of us.

it has truly been a pleasure.

sincerely
cade

ps. if you happen to come across my mp3 player, could you send it back to me? if not, i understand. but it would be great to see it again.