PERU

Peru has been an experience like none other. Everyone is trying to sell you something. There are absolutely no driving laws, just roads with tons of crazy, uninsured people on them. Left turns commonly come from the right lane, sometimes during a red light. Driving is like playing a lethal version of bumper cars.I have spent the days exploring the city, riding combes, eating empinadas, and trying to learn Spanish. Being an American makes everything easy, because it is so cheap to be completely comfortable in this city; however, you are always on your toes for fear of being robbed or mugged. There are two rectangular imprints on my back from sleeping on my wallet and passport.Scott and I have spent all our nights in the casino, and I soon realized that I was not good at poker. I had allotted 500 dollars for five nights of poker. Unfortunately, I lost 100 dollars the first four nights, and I went to the ATM to take out my final bit of money, if I lost this, the trip would be ruined. On my back, I pushed myself all in to call the Peruvian across from me. My heart was pounding, the last drop of money I had to my name... on the line... all resting on my pair of 7s. I called... and he had jack shit! After that double up I played like a demon, reading the odds with impecible accuracy and foresight. I folded three of a kind twice (when it would have lost) then agressively played a pair of 10s for the win. Quickly, I was up to 700 dollars. I cashed out 600 of it, converted 40 into soles, and went back in with 60 dollars. Through a couple wins I grew the 60 dollars into 140 dollars. Then I went all in with a paired jack and an ace kicker after the turn. The guy I went against, who was from Israel, had only a flush draw with the ace high. My his only outs were the 9 hearts in the deck of 45 remaining cards. I had an 80 percent chance of winning a pot of about 300 dollars. Here´s the reason idiots play poker... because sometimes they get lucky. On the river he got the heart. I lost. I didn´t feel at all bad about my loss because I made the right call, and the guy from Israel looked guilty as the dealer counted his money. I´m not mad, though. I have funded the entire trip off of poker, with profits, and I´m glad a guy who spent three years protecting US interests with his life in Israel is the one who got my money. Anyone who has put his life on the line deserves to get lucky, if there is any justice in the world. Scott has taught me that poker is an EXACT science, and there is no way to lose consistently, if you play the hand odds, implied odds, and the pot odds with accuracy. We are now working into reading the players better to predict what they have.Random fact: I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time a few days ago.Today we are going to a place called ICA to ride dune buggies for the weekend. YEAH!