I Defer to Ian...

One of my personality traits makes me both a successful traveler, and destined to whined up in middle seat in a row of three with 300 pound people on either side. This trait is what leads me to the top of some of the most beautiful mountains in the world but fifteen minutes after sunset. This trait will provide me with the most affordable why to explore a new land but will leave me with a stiff back from rock hard beds. This trait is my only complete adherence when I adventure, explore, discover and wander. This trait allows me to trust something bigger, forget about the nuance of daily expectations and let experiences dictate discourse. It requires complete commitment but provides a pure freedom. It let´s me wake up each morning filled with wonder of what will come today. The trait is nothing more than...spontaneity.

Sitting on a small bench in Puno harbor, I found myself pondering a newly presented option...Should we get on a boat and venture off into the highest navigable lake in the world. With the carefully executed decision making that consistently provides us with either good fortune or comedic reflection, I say "Why not?" and away we go.
Piled into a boat with a dozen other gringos, we putter off into the glistening lake. We watch as the city of Puno, delicately tucked into the hillside, fades to just a small spec on the horizon. We marvel at our fortune when upon arrival in the city, we find a bloom of activity as it is day one of Puno Week. This is a celebration of the city that consists of children dressing up in there school uniforms and marching in totalitarian form through the city streets.
Earlier that morning, Ian and I had been impressed by our powers of deductive reasoning, we spent the some time figuring out the day of the weeks. Having completely lost track of the time, we labored away to determine the date. After coming up with different days, we voted and established that itcouldn ´t possibly be before Saturday. As we began walking the streets, school children everywhere were dressed in there uniforms and running to there respective schools. The only logical conclusion, it was a Monday morning. Concerned now that our trip was going by much faster than we both expected or remember. We talked of plans of moving on to the next city to ensure we covered the tentative highlights we had laid out. As we walked down the cobble street, we began to hear music in the distance. Turning the corner in the direction of noise, we stood at the head of the entire precession of school children. Hundreds of people lined the streets watching the students marching proudly, toward the befuddled tourists.
While I debated as to whether I should turn and join in marching or just them run me over, Ian pulled me to the side. Still grumbling over our lost days, Ian astutely pointed out that because of the parade, the students could be dressed for school and it not be weekday.Puno provided the circumstance to established the brains of our traveling duo. If anyone needs human shield for protection from a runaway stampede, I am your man. If anyone needs a Macgyver solution with any urgency, I defer to Ian.