Barcelona Diary 2025

Taxi at 8:45 PM, onto bus at 9:25. Smooth overnight trip to Barcelona, with one rest stop in the middle.



Arrived Sants Estacio after 6 AM, lugged all our baggage a couple of blocks to the taxi rank, home by 6:50. Apartment is fine.

I'm up at 6:30; Dora was up all night. Taxi before 7.

Smooth flight to Paris. As usual, the legroom is terrible.

Next flight delayed 1 hour. Which is fine, because connecting here takes a long walk, passport control, an elevator down to a bus, to another wing and then another longish walk, then the gate. And I almost missed the plane because Dora and I got separated at passport control (different lines for EU and non-EU), and I came out and started waiting for her, but she had come out earlier and didn't wait for me. By the time I figured out where she was, it was going to be very close. In fact, what saved me was that the next flight was delayed another half-hour. And I found out that Dora lost her boarding pass somehow and had to get another one.

Long flight to Lima, again with cramped legroom. A guy nicely moved over so I could have an aisle seat, so more options for legroom. But Dora's seat was so cramped that her knee started hurting badly and she had to get out of her seat and stand. Eventually she complained and they moved her up to a different section. Some pretty strong turbulence several times.

Long immigration line in Lima, but it moved along. Got our luggage, into a taxi, to a hotel somewhat near Dora's house here. 22.5 hours of travel, door to door.

Then Dora tells me she forgot to bring some of the legal papers she was supposed to bring. Which were the main point of this trip. Fortunately, one of her sisters will be coming too in a couple of weeks, so (with some hassle in Spain) can bring the papers with her.



Dora out at 8:30 to meet locksmith at house.

She picked me up at hotel in a taxi around noon. To house, which is in pretty good shape (clean, at least). Workers replacing locks.

Met Dora's friend at the house. Into car, stopped for a snack, then to main municipal tax office. Spent all afternoon there, 3.5+ hours. Paid about $900 of house-taxes on my credit card.

To another tax office, but they were closing. Nice dinner in a restaurant.

Taxi to house. Dora spent hours talking to worker, then to neighbors.

In the house, most things are working, except no hot water on 2nd floor, and microwave not working, and we need to get a washing machine.

Finally out of the house around 11:30. Walked out to main street and caught a taxi, But we're out of cash (paid all of it to the workers), and this is a gypsy cab and cash-only exact-change-only. To an ATM, where still my cards don't work, but Dora got some cash. To a pharmacy to buy a few things just to get change. Finally into hotel room after midnight-thirty.



Dora out at 7. I did breakfast downstairs in the hotel.

Took taxi to house around 1. Got charged a gringo price even though I negotiated it down a bit, still not bad (about $8). Paying was tricky because we're still just about out of cash: most of our ATM cards don't work here, ATMs won't let you take out much in one shot, and workers and many taxis are cash-only. Partly my bad: just before the trip, I found that my USA ATM card had expired a month ago, and it was too late to get a new one.

Found that workers have disabled water on the first floor, so no hot water at all.

Zoom call with family in USA.

To a neighbor's birthday party at 5:30 or so. Nice people, and nice food and drink. Out at 7:45 or so.

Taxi to other birthday party, in the NE of Lima, far from house and hotel. Arrived about 9:20. 1.5 hours in the taxi, a grind.

Party was fun, nice people, good food and drink, they hired a singer who brought 3 big speakers and a sound board to this smallish apartment. Dancing. A piñata.

Left party at 12:45, into taxi. Some places with thick traffic stopped, even at 1:30 AM. Into hotel room at 1:50. Showers.



Up at 9:30, feeling tired and hung-over. Did breakfast downstairs in the hotel.

Packed up, checked out of hotel, into a taxi around 11. To house, where I got out with all the luggage, and Dora got back in the taxi to go to a tax office.

Dora spent all afternoon doing errands, home at 6:30 or so.

Apparently the water on first floor is working now, a matter of an unpaid bill. So hot shower should be possible.



Picked up and to lunch with some of Dora's friends. Nice food. Afterward, across street to a very nice park, Parque De Las Amistad. Pics.

Took a hot-ish shower downstairs. One bathroom is not working. Another has hot water only, but no shower curtain or curtain rod.



Workers downstairs chipping paint from bad spots on walls, all day.

Dora was out all day doing errands, came home at 8:30 or so with a patient to do a treatment to.

Went downstairs to take a hot shower, and found almost no water-pressure. Back upstairs and took a cold-ish shower.



Dora out all morning.

Out with Dora at 3:30 or so. Walked to main road, took a tricyclo to express bus stop, took express bus up to NE of Lima. To neighbors Dora had when she lived there in childhood. Nice people, nice dinner with them. Did business at co-op bank next door. Back to neighbors for coffee and a little dancing. Then express bus back, and the connection was slow and the 2nd bus was jam-packed. Out, got groceries, tricyclo to home. In by 9:45, sweaty and tired. Cold shower.



I needed to do a couple of Spanish bank-transfers, but my Spanish bank's web site wouldn't let me do them because I'm in Peru, and their English-language support phone line didn't answer all day. So I called the Spanish-language line and managed to get the transfers done. An achievement, although made easier by just copying previous transfers, didn't have to re-speak all the info. And I'm very familiar with the steps to do a transfer, the steps the agent was doing for me.

Dora out all day, home just before 2 AM.



Online, bought tickets and reserved hotel to go to Puno, at Lake Titicaca. Flights very expensive, hotel very cheap.

Later, reading up about Puno, I found it's at 12,500 feet ! Altitude sickness is likely.

Dora out all day, home maybe 9:30.



Got out of the house after 9, but Dora didn't call for a taxi. We walk toward the main road, and find one. But then Dora spends 15 minutes getting cash from an ATM.

Finally off, and traffic is not bad. Dora has forgotten her eyeglasses. We're to airport around 10:30. Check in, deal with the luggage, plenty of time for our 11:40 flight.

But then Dora tells me there is paperwork she MUST do today, and someone is coming from the co-op bank to the airport to bring paper to her. That person shows up at 11:05, still enough time to make our flight.

But Dora has received a big check, and wants to deposit it NOW into a bank. So off to a bank branch in the airport, where she does that. Now we're completely out of time, and not through Security yet.

Fortunately there's really no line at Security, and we get through. Dora wants a bathroom, but there's no time. To the gate, and we're beyond last call. But fortunately they're waiting (anxiously) for us, and a whole busload of passengers has been delayed for us. We get through the gate and onto the bus and it goes.

Nice seats on the plane, and drinks. Smooth flight, I see some snow-topped hills.

Land at Juliaca, get off, and suddenly I can't find my passport ! I'm panicked, searching everything. I start to go back to the plane, which is already loading for next flight, I'm violating security rules. An agent intercepts me and tells me my passport has been found, and agent in the terminal has it. Phew ! I don't how it got lost, when boarding or during flight or when deplaning, but someone turned it in.

Back into terminal, have to wait 20 minutes or so, but finally I get my passport back.

Into waiting pre-arranged taxi. Short ride, then stop at a farmacia so Dora can buy pills. We take anti-nausea pills, something to ease breathing, and ibuprofen. Already I'm feeling a little weak. But it's not as cold as I feared, it's pleasant.

Long ride from Juliaca to Puno. Sheep, cattle, a few horses. Dora is feeling dizzy and headachey; I feel okay. Taxi driver tells us that the big festival we came to see (Candelaria) is NEXT weekend, not this weekend. Oh, well.

Out near the tourist center of Puno, which is pedestrian-only, nice. Soon find the hotel and check in. Into room by 3:30 or so. Dora still feeling bad, so she takes an infusion of coca-leaves that they have downstairs.

Electric outlets here are USA-style, not Spanish, but I have one adapter. And the tapwater is not safe to drink.

Out at 5:30 or so. To a bank for a while. Then to dinner at a restaurant which turned out to be a mixed bag. Dora's soup was good, mine was mediocre. My pizza was good. Dora ordered cuy (guinea pig), and when it came I tried a couple of bites and didn't like it. She tried it and said it tasted of fish, and we suspect they fried the cuy in used oil that had been used to fry fish. She sent it back, there was some mild argument, and she ordered something else which turned out to be mediocre.

Found out there was a comedy of errors when "we" gave house-keys to the neighbor, and the workers are locked out. They had planned to work the whole time we were on this trip, and now they'll miss 3 days of work.

Out, and to nearby plaza which is nice (our hotel's location couldn't be better). Into a drugstore for a while. Out of the pedestrian area for a while, and that was not so nice. Back to the pedestrian area.

Dancers in the plaza, some in costume, some groups in everyday clothes and practicing routines. Entertaining.

Back to the hotel room by 10. Tired. Chugging water to wash down a lot of pills.

Took only a few pics today: pics.



Heard some drumming around 0500; I guess they start early.

By 6 or so, I was feeling bad, just couldn't get comfortable in bed. Around 6:30, Dora fed me about 10 pills and some coffee from downstairs, and within minutes I felt much better, my breathing was better, my headache started going away. She took about 10 pills too.

Still tired and feeling weak. We got out around 11, and I felt weak.

Around corner, saw a performing group for a bit, then into the church. Quite nice inside, and they've just started a Mass. So we stayed for that.

Now Dora is feeling bad, so we went back to the hotel for a while.

Out at 12:30 or so, and walking down toward the lake, but it's a long way away. Hoping to get a taxi to the stadium or venue where there are performing groups, but no one will take us, they say they can't get near the place. And I think they're sold out today anyway; we looked online for tickets.

We keep walking, and eventually into a very cheap non-tourist restaurant for a mediocre meal. Dora is falling asleep after the meal.

Out, and soon we find a big parade on a main street. We pay to rent good seats under an awning shading us from the sun, and start watching the parade. Lots of groups in traditional dress, and dancing. But the music is plain, and many of the groups seem the same somehow. The parade keeps going and going, it's huge.

By 3, I'm tired and cold (a wind has come up). We leave our seats, soon find a taxi, and home by 3:15 or so.

Out at 6:15 or so with Dora. There's a procession going from one church to the cathedral, and we join it. The street is packed. We get separated. I watch the ceremonies at the cathedral (with fireworks, nice) but never see Dora. I phone-call her afterwards, but we miscommunicate about where she is. Back to the hotel.

We meet at hotel room, then out to a restaurant for dinner.

Pics.



I thought we were heading for a 10 AM ceremony at the cathedral, but we didn't get going until 11 or so. Both of us feelng weak. We head down there, and stop in a hotel to use the bathroom. Coming out, Dora briskly walks about 2 blocks somewhat uphill and barges into a crowd to get Communion from a head priest, and that is a mistake. The effort leaves her weak, dizzy, with a headache. She rests for a while in the entrance of a police station. I'm weak too; I'm careful to walk slowly and for short distances. I buy a bottle of water which we share.

The ceremony ends, and we hook up with a friend of Dora's. To a farmacia with her to buy oxygen for Dora.

Turns out she's a tour-guide, and she promises to show us the waterfront later. She leaves, Dora and I have a reasonable lunch in a restaurant (she has cuy again). Dora says the oxygen really works. On the TV, they're playing performing groups in the stadium, and I'm glad we couldn't get tickets, it looks just like what we saw for free in the parade.

We go back to the hotel, and soon it's time to meet the friend again. 4-block walk and we find her and her son. Turns out we're going on a boat to the floating reed-islands. Eventually into a taxi. Which screwed us by taking us only halfway to the waterfront, because again there's a big parade, essentially the same one we saw yesterday, on the same street.

We walk across that street and then the 8-10 blocks to the waterfront. Turns out our boat left without us, but turned back to pick us up. We just had to cross about 8 docked boats sideways to get into it.

Out into the lake, which is shallow on this side. First some true reed-islands or peninsulas, then we get into manmade floating islands with huts and houses built on them. We stop at one, have a nice lecture about how they're constructed and maintained, and see the inside of a hut. Then the "sell things to tourists starts", and Dora is a sucker for that stuff. She spends ALL of our local cash (which in fairness came out of her ATM card) ! Now how are we going to pay for other boats here, at the restaurant on another island, for the taxi home ?

On the boat to the restaurant island, kids singing charmingly, then demanding money. Again Dora is the sucker, emptying out her coin-purse to them.

Turns out they do exchange Euros at the restaurant. But while Dora is doing that (with MY Euros), a front blows through, with strong winds. So the tour operators cancel the "eat at restaurant" plan (fine with me) and we get back onto the boat that first brought us, just in time to avoid the rain.

We sit there for 15 minutes or so, then the boat shoves off. Plenty of rain and wind. And when we get to the main channel between the true islands, we find another tour boat that has been blown aground into the weeds. So we back up to them and take their passengers onto our boat.

Some difficult navigation through dark and rain and wind, but they get us home. Raining and windy as we go down the pier and find a moto-trisky and all 4 of us get in.

We get to the parade, and I think it ends as we're waiting. Across that street, and soon we hit jammed traffic, really bad. Eventually guide and son get out, and then we turn out of the traffic, and up to where Dora and I get out. And the rain has stopped.

Pics.

To our hotel by 7:15 or so. Didn't feel like going out for dinner.

Dora was sick all night, probably from the cuy she ate.



Up at 8 or so. Checked out of the hotel in Puno and into a taxi after 9. We're both feeling weak.

Long ride to Juliaca airport. Got there with plenty of spare time, which Dora proceeded to eat up with shopping and then a meal, much of which she sent back or didn't like. Then we get through Security, and Dora says she can't walk any more, she needs a wheelchair and oxygen. Which she gets (her pulse-oxygen is 88, mine is 87), but there's only time for a couple of minutes of oxygen, they're doing last call for our flight. Which then spends 15 minutes just sitting without moving.

To Lima after 2, into a taxi, long ride to the house. An additional padlock has been added to the front door, and both (big, sticky) bolts have been slid across, so it takes a little while to get in. In by 4, then Dora has trouble finding the key to our bedroom door. Finally in.

Nice to be back near sea-level, where there's oxygen.

Dora showers and goes out to do errands. I collapse. Later a (cold) shower.

Dora out until 1 AM or so.



Dora out at 6:30 AM or so. Back at 7 PM or so, soon out again.

This train wreck keeps getting worse: Dora's father and niece will be arriving tomorrow night, with one of her sisters. May be father's last chance to reunite with his sole surviving sibling before they die. And he needs to do some pension paperwork in person. Still a bad idea to bring him and niece here, IMO. Long trip, we have no hot water or laundry in the house, getting cash is a chore, going anywhere is an ordeal, more.

Dora home at 4:45 AM.



Dora says there IS hot water, I just haven't been running it long enough.

SNAFU: Sister and father and niece missed their connection in Madrid, are stuck there (with a ton of luggage, too). Later found out they got onto another flight.

Somehow I managed to pull some muscles over left side of my ribcage.

Still no hot water for me in the shower, and now Dora says maybe it's just warm sometimes. But Dora says there is hot water downstairs again, shower down there.

Dora out at 11:30 PM, going to airport to try to pick up luggage that arrived on an earlier flight than the people. She was out all night.



Sister, father, niece arrived at 9:45. No sign of Dora. I think most of their luggage will come on a later flight, didn't come on an earlier one.

Dora arrived at noon, soon gone again, came back around 3. Big dinner together.

Later others out to retrieve luggage from airport, and maybe to meet relatives, and they were gone for a long time. In the evening, Dora crashed and slept.

Others arrived at 11 with luggage; I had to carry four 20-kilo suitcases and two smaller ones upstairs.



Dora out to do errands. Niece and sister went out with friends. Zoom call with family in USA.

Progress: Dora got her national ID card renewed.

In late evening, Dora out with friends to do some dancing. I didn't want to go. She was back at 2, up again at 5:30.





Others out all day, meeting with relatives etc.



Dora gone all day, then stayed up all night, doing a medical treatment to someone.



Dora gone all day, home at 10:30 with lady to do medical treatment to. And the lady is a nurse, she'll do some treatment to Dora too.



Dora out all afternoon and to about 9. Light rain in afternoon and evening.



Dora out all day. In the evening, she sends a message that she's flown to Puno to stay there for several days !



Dora not doing so well in Puno: it's cold and rainy and she has altitude sickness.



At 16:45, the father niece sister into a taxi and off to the airport, back to Spain. So I'm all by myself in the house, for a day or so until Dora gets back.



I thought Dora was coming home today, but no sign of her. Finally got messages and a phone call saying she's very sick in Puno, has an IV and oxygen, planning to come back here Tuesday.



In the evening, Dora says she's feeling better today than yesterday.



Dora home at 4:30 via taxi, and stopped just long enough to dump luggage, then off in another taxi.

Dora home at 3:30 AM.



Dora decided to switch internet providers just before we leave, and so today we're without internet.

Walking around the neighborhood, couldn't find any free Wi-Fi.



Dora out at 10 or so. Still no internet.

Dora gone all day and night.



Around 9:30, a taxi delivered Dora's bags etc, but no Dora.

No other sign of Dora all day and all night. Don't know where she is.



Worker arrived at 7, and waited for Dora. Cleaning lady arrived at 10:30.

No sign of Dora, and we're supposed to fly to Barcelona tonight.

Finally she arrives at 2:30. She's been staying at a friend's place, and she's sick.

Soon we're agreeing that I will fly tonight, and she will stay here. Apparently her doctor says she can't fly, and anyway she has more things to do here with lawyers and workers and such. I'm too depressed to stay here any longer.

Later in the afternoon, Dora is doing everything she can to annoy and confuse me, saying she's cancelled our tickets, etc. Then she's just furious that I'm leaving.

Just before we leave, I find many of my clothes lying around, and find that Dora instead has stuffed my suitcase with big cheeses and cookies to take to Barcelona !

Into a taxi at 6:30. Dora can't find her keys, so we just close the house door and hope she finds them later.

To godmother's house, but Dora forgets the address and we can't find it, so onward to the airport.

Arrive with plenty of time to spare, re-arrange the suitcases and get them shrink-wrapped. Go to check-in. The lady there is able to open medical documents on Dora's phone, which she didn't tell me about. And the lady finds out that Dora is diagnosed with TB and not allowed to fly, but also as the husband I'm presumed infected and also forbidden to fly ! So I'm stuck here for at least another week, have to get tests and scans.

They make us put on masks. But as soon as we get to the restaurant, we take them off. We have internet here, so I tell my family the situation, and do various internet chores I haven't been able to do for the last several days.

Later she tells me she had the TB blood test in Barcelona, more than a month ago, and just received the results two days ago. And was unable to read them, I think. But was told orally that she could not fly.

Back into taxi, and head to a hotel. Get there and into room before 11:30. Turns out Dora stayed here last night too.

Dora stayed up until 5 AM, studying, interfering with my sleep.



Since Dora stayed up most of the night, she slept late and we missed breakfast. Then the internet installer called, and we rushed to pack up and check out of the hotel and get in a taxi to the house to meet the installer there.

Installer is here for hours, what is taking so long ? Turns out to be typical Dora: she's doing a side-deal with him to put internet and phones and TV connections upstairs. And she's going out to do a treatment, leaving me to deal with the installer when he comes back to do it. And we have no cash to pay him for it.

She's into a taxi at 5:15 and off. I don't think she's eaten anything all day.

Installer showed up at 7:45, with a helper. Finally done before 1 AM. Everything seems okay except for the one thing I wanted: better Wi-Fi on the second floor. I can connect through Wi-Fi to the repeater they installed, but the connection has no internet. Ethernet ports on the repeater do have internet. I don't understand.

Dora stayed out all night.



Went to Makro for groceries.

Dora home at 7:30 PM, bringing tile and cement etc for workers.

Dora stayed up all night, downstairs cleaning and playing music.



Workers arrived about 6:30 AM and started doing lots of noisy stuff, demolishing tile and making a hole through an outside wall.

Dora doing a medical procedure to a neighbor.

Delivery of more parts and materials, and I paid balance of about €800 on them.

Finally some progress on the TB front: at 6:15 we're into taxi, with driver and his wife. Turns out this is Dora's normal driver, and his wife is a nurse who has been nursing Dora. So they need TB-testing too.

To a hospital where Dora used to work, and she knows the chief of the ER. So we get good treatment, at least at first. Things are slow, and our supposedly-international insurance doesn't work, so I have to pay for everything. But prices are reasonable.

Driver's wife leaves before doing anything but incur the ER-fee; she's going on a trip !

Eventually the driver gets an X-ray, then he leaves.

Dora and I are scheduled for CT scans: 2 for me, 3 with contrast for her. Down to Radiology. Pretty quickly I have my two scans.

Prices: the ER cost about €40/person, the X-ray cost about €15, each CT scan costs about €160, the contrast cost about €7.

Turns out we can't get the TB scratch-test here; we have to go somewhere else. If we fail that, we have to get (fairly expensive) blood tests.

SNAFU: it turns out Dora is dehydrated and has high creatine level, so they need to fix that before doing contrast. They take her somewhere, and I wait. I assume she is sleeping while they do IV for saline and contrast.

But after waiting more than 1.5 hours, I start searching for Dora. Turns out she's back up in the ER, sleeping, and they've done nothing for her. No saline solution, no contrast. We decide to leave and she'll come back tomorrow. It's midnight.

We have a long walk to get to a street where we can find a taxi. But we find one, and home by 1 AM.

Dora refuses to drink water and go to bed: she just slept in the ER, she has things to do, if she sleeps now she won't awake at 6 to go back to the hospital, etc. I give up trying to persuade her to take proper care of herself.



Dora out at 8:30 or so, back to the hospital for scans.

Went to Makro for groceries.

Dora out all day and evening.

Finally messages from Dora at 4 AM. She went to another clinic, and ended up getting admitted because of dehydration. She was sedated and slept until now.

She says my CT scans were negative for TB. They showed kidney stones (a recurring problem I've had), and enlarged prostate.

She says I should go by myself to get the TB scratch-test, but I don't know where and I don't have small bills for taxi and I don't know if I can communicate once I get there. Have to wait for her.





Dora showed up at 7:15 AM and right back out again, in a hurry to go out to another hospital to have scans done.

Dora home at 4:30 or so. Turns out the hospital she went to was having a 150th-anniversary party today, so no work was being done, she didn't get any scans. We'll go somewhere nearby to do TB scratch-tests tomorrow morning, I hope.



Confusing day, not sure when we're going. Eventually at 5:30 PM we load a ton of Dora's stuff into a taxi and off to a hospital. But it turns out Dora doesn't know exactly where it is. We find a clinic, but they're closed, and the guard says the hospital will be closed for normal testing too, come back on Monday.

Fortunately I get them to let me out of the taxi and I walk home. Dora is going to do a medical treatment on a friend. Later I found out she's taken my laptop with her, not sure if it's by accident.

Dora home at 11:30 or so.



Dora out at 11 AM or so, home at 9:30 PM. She has to pay a largish amount to the taxi, but none of our payment methods work, and their credit-card reader doesn't work.



Up at 7:30, out at 8:15 or so. Dora is bringing along a heavy small suitcase and a heavy computer bag. She wants to go to the central hospital, not the local one, and then to a lawyer and then a govt tax office. A death-march day. I should have said no, but I want a TB-test.

Walk to Makro, and worker and I wait while Dora goes inside to use ATMs. She's back about 45 minutes later with no cash, her cards don't work. I think she spent much of the time writing up a denuncia against someone, I don't know who.

How can we go with only 50 cents in cash in her pocket ? She brushes that off and we get into a taxi. They won't take credit card, which is all I have.

Long hot ride to central hospital. Dora calls a friend and has them pay for the taxi through the Yape app.

It's a hot day, and I'm lugging the heavy bags, and wearing long pants. By the time we find her doctor friend, up a flight of stairs, I'm sweating and tired.

He takes us to Pneumology, and we're seen by another doctor. Really all he does is take Dora's history, and write prescriptions for us to get TB-tests (and Dora to get scans, I think). We'd have to come back on Wednesday to get the actual tests.

Somehow after that, Dora fritters away another 1.5 hours, chatting with people, maybe scheduling the scans, I don't know.

By then heat and stress and lack of food have given me a headache. I want to go home, but Dora won't help me get there, and says none of the taxis here will take credit cards. We find a crowded cafe in the hospital and Dora pulls her Yape magic again to pay for the food.

Out, and get a taxi. The driver is not happy, but Dora gets another friend to pay, and first we drop Dora and bags off at a Metro station, and then the taxi driver takes me home. I get in at 3:45, wrung out.

Later, to Makro for groceries. They take credit cards there.

Dora home at 11, using the taxi driver that she's running a tab with.



Out at 8:30. Dora has cash from somewhere. Walk with heavy bags out to main road, and get a triskie. To nearby health center, but it turns out to be private. Walk 5 or 6 blocks to public health clinic.

I wait 45 minutes or so, only to find out they don't do TB-tests there. The nurse makes an appointment for me at some hospital at 3 PM.

Then we waste another 1.5 or 2 hours in the clinic. Dora has me get a pneumococcus vaccination that I don't need or want.

Finally we're out, trundling the bags, and Dora says let's get breakfast then go to tax office. But then she stops at a flower shop and buys a lot of heavy plants !

We make it another 3 blocks before I convince her to let me go home in a taxi with the plants. Home by 11:45. Breakfast.

1:30, and Dora and I are yelling at each other over WhatsApp. I want her home so we can take a taxi to my appointment. She wants me to come to her because somehow she's acquired two more bags of stuff. I fail to see how me going to her will solve anything; just one more body in a taxi or whatever.

1:45, and I go out to the main street to see if I can take a taxi myself to my appointment. I try 14 taxis, and none of them will take a credit card. I go back home. I miss my 3 PM appointment.

Dora stopped by at 7:30, long enough to dump stuff and go back out. She laughed at me when I said I missed my test appointment. I thought the main hospital does tests tomorrow morning, but she says no, it was this morning (later found I was right). In which case I've lost another week. I sent a WhatsApp to the hospital to ask, but it's after hours and they won't respond until tomorrow.

To Makro for groceries.

Installed the Yape phone app they all use here, but it won't take a Spanish cell phone number.

Dora home at 9:45.



6:15 AM, and Dora is screaming at me to get up, we have to be somewhere by 7. She's threatening to pour water on me. But I can be ready to go in 2 minutes; she takes 45 to get ready. And she's cleaning, not dressing. Then she's playing loud radio to annoy me.

Finally she settles down, workers come, police come about some past complaint about noise of the work I think, I don't know what Dora is doing. And we never do go out.

Before noon, I walk out to ATMs at Makro, then to the only bank within walking range. But nothing I do will get a cash advance on my credit card. The bank only does advances on their own-brand card.

1:55, Dora says we're going to clinic at 2:45. But then she's on the phone for 45 minutes, she's not even dressed at 2:45, we're not going today.

In the evening, Dora rushing out, says I have to send a lot more money to her via her son ? But I decide to send less instead. He's already sent the money (which also came from me) that is on its way through Western Union. [I've been financing most of the house work etc here. Something I'm not happy about.]

Dora home at 3:45 AM.



Dora saying she has to be somewhere at 7, I have to be somewhere at 8. But then we don't go anywhere.

Dora and me calling and WhatsApp-ing to some hospitals. A little progress. Surprising how few places do the tuberculosis scratch-test.

Dora out at 5:30, back before midnight.



Dora says taxi at 7, so I'm up at 6:30. But she's not getting dressed, she's doing things with plants downstairs.

11 AM, and we're not going anywhere today. Apparently the latest taxi-driver won't come because he hasn't been paid. Dora is raging for more money from me. She's inventing all kinds of stories to spur me, and contradicting things she said a couple of days ago. The other money I've sent has all gone to back-bills from taxi drivers, apparently. I guess I have no choice but to send more money to her.

Dora doing a medical treatment to the head worker, I guess in lieu of paying him cash. She did it all afternoon and into the evening, until about 10.

To Makro for groceries.



Dora says on Monday we're going to hospital where she knows people.

Dora doing a medical treatment to the head worker all day and into the evening. After 9, she's playing loud music to help herself stay awake. Kept working until about 3 AM. And then she didn't go to bed right away, she stayed up until 4-something.



Dora up at 6:30 or so. I don't understand why she is sleep-depriving herself.

To Makro for groceries.

Dora out after 3 to do Western Union and other errands. Home at midnight-thirty. And back out again after 1 AM, to sleep at a friend's house near the banks she needs to hit early tomorrow morning.



To Makro for groceries.

No sign of Dora all day and evening.



Dora arrives at 6:30; we leave in taxi after 7. She wants to stop for breakfast, but fortunately the place is closed. To major hospital in the south of the city.

At first it looks like things will happen quickly, we're right into the proper waiting room. But then Dora has to go upstairs to do paperwork, which takes hours.

I try to get comfortable and snooze. This waiting room looks like it might have been a madhouse during the COVID crisis: it has oxygen taps all along the walls.

Finally we get in to the room, and quickly I'm given the TB test. It's a subcutaneous injection, not a 4-pin or scratch test. Have to come back on Friday to have the results (rash or not) read.

Now Dora is hungry and falling asleep. It takes a while to get her out of the hospital.

We go to the train station, where I find out that Dora has literally 2 soles, almost no money. I don't have any money, and they won't take my credit card. She picked up about 1900 soles at Western Union last night, but handed ALL of it to a taxi-driver to pay off part of her debt. She kept NONE for daily expenses. We're stuck ! And we're far from home.

We beg 1 sole from someone in the station, and 3 is enough to get us on the train.

I'm wondering if I can walk home from one of the intermediate stations, but I think this train line is pretty far east of home, and I don't see the only landmark I'd recognize, the Makro sign.

Off at Grau station, Dora saying we'll go to a restaurant, then she has to go somewhere for an errand. But instead she goes to a pharmacy and buys a lot of medicines on my credit card ! I can't say no to her because she just gets mad, and I need her to get home. We already have two heavy bags to carry, we don't need more to carry.

Finally we're out onto the hot, noisy, crowded street. Look for a restaurant, there are none. Suddenly she's hailed a taxi and we get in. I don't know how she's going to pay for this.

Even better, we take the taxi not to a restaurant, but to home. Through hot weather and fierce traffic, with Dora continually passing out and sleeping. We get home by 2:45 or so. Dinner with the taxi-driver.

Dora going out again at 5:30.

I'm having the next batch of money sent to both me and Dora, so I can hold onto some.

At least I got my TB test today. Progress.



Dora calls and says she's in a hotel in the center for 2 nights.

3:30, friends of Dora's arrive to do cleaning. News to Dora and me. But there are things to do. Lots of things. They left before 9.

Dora wants to go back to that hospital tomorrow, a day too soon to read my test. And she still has no cash in hand. I won't go and get near-stranded again. We need to go to Western Union to pick up cash.



Dora and worker arrive separately at about 9:15. But then they have a big dispute, Dora disappears, worker is taking some of his tools. Dora messages me to prevent that, and I end up locking him out. But I don't know where Dora is, we need to go to Western Union today.

In early afternoon I'm stressed-out, needing to go to WU but wanting to go with Dora in case anything goes wrong. But I don't know where she is and when/if she'll be home. I'm imagining all the things that can go wrong, mainly WU not giving me the money and thus me not able to pay the taxi. My main backup is that I have some Euros, which I should be able to change to soles at WU in an emergency. I have a credit card, which might get me another taxi if the first one abandons me.

Around 2:30, I screw up my courage and go out. Out to main road, get a taxi after 5 minutes, I'm able to say what I want, we're off. Find WU without too much trouble, there's no line (!), and after answering a few questions and showing passport I get my money ! A large stack of cash. Quickly find the taxi again, home before 4. Easy !

No sign of Dora in the evening, she must be staying elsewhere.



0645, message from Dora to take bus to train station to meet her there and go to hospital.

So I go out and take bus and get to station and start waiting for Dora to arrive on train. And wait 2 hours. Finally I give up.

I get on a train, go to the hospital by myself. Served pretty quickly, and my test is negative. But when I say I need a document to show to the airline, that is complicated. I guess it's a doctor's letter. They give me directions to another office, which takes a long time to find, people sending me in circles. Finally I get there, and the procedure looks complicated, starting with name of a doctor which I don't have, I didn't come in through a doctor here. I'm hot and tired and confused, and I give up for today.

To train, 4 stops, into taxi, home by 11 or so. From messages, seems Dora never got going at all toward the train this morning.

In the afternoon, messages from Dora saying tomorrow evening she'll throw a party in the house for 50-60 friends and relatives and neighbors, in memory of her mother. I had heard rumors of this, and hoped to be gone before it happened. Another thing to endure.

Later afternoon: Dora mad at me, she thinks she can get a doctor's letter today and wants me to fly out tonight. She wants me to go to the airport now (for a 22:15 flight) and wait for the pieces to arrive. But the flight may be full, or the doctor's letter may not happen. Why should I make the long trip to the airport for nothing ? Then she's furious, she wants me out of the house right NOW, go to a hotel tonight. But I think I'll stay, I need to be here. If the doctor's letter comes, I'll go. But I pack my suitcase.

6:15 PM: no news about doctor's letter, I'm sure it's not happening today.

At 10 PM, a flurry of furious messages from Dora. She's coming home at midnight and she wants me out of the house.

But ... no Dora, all night. Nothing.



All morning, I'm expecting Dora and workers to show up and start doing party arrangements, but they don't arrive.

After noon, I go out to main street with suitcase, get a taxi, go to a hotel and check in. Nice to have a shower with strong hot water, and TV with football on it.

Dora's sisters talking to me over WhatsApp, trying to hook me up with someone here who can get a doctor's letter for me.

A friend arrived at 6:30, after a long trip of train and then taxi. He speaks little English, so I got a front-desk clerk to translate. I thought we were going to a nearby clinic, but they agreed no, it's useless on a weekend, they won't do non-emergency stuff. So instead we went to the airport to ask exactly what documents the airline requires to let me fly. As I thought, they won't accept test results, they need a "certification" from a doctor that I'm safe. Back to hotel by 8:30.

And the friend made an appointment for me for Monday afternoon at yet another clinic, to see if a doctor there will do the certificate. He'll go with me again, although I tried to say I could do it on my own.

Dora has sent a message at another hospital to try to get a certificate there. So we have multiple paths going. And there is another clinic I could go to, fairly nearby.

Out for dinner at arabian place next door to the hotel.

9:30: Dora sending a message that I should come back to the house and join the party she's throwing. Not interested, sorry.



Breakfast at hotel, then nothing to do. Getting confused with people trying to pull multiple strings for me. A family-friend doctor is traveling in Argentina, and called me from there. Some question about whether the doctor's letter has to come from a public hospital, or from a private doctor is good enough. Going to public hospital is an ordeal, and I think it would be slow, come back again in 3 days for letter.

Out for a stroll a few blocks to LarcoMar shopping center / park.

Later feeling bad and nervous, then realize I haven't eaten in a while. Out for a stroll and a very nice cheeseburger-and-fries.

Plans for tomorrow have changed; going out at 6 AM to public hospital instead of in afternoon to private clinic. So friend's son is getting up at 5:30 AM or something to meet me at the hospital at 7. I suspect it's going to be a waste of time, but maybe strings are being pulled behind the scenes.

Out again later to grab another good cheeseburger from another place, for dinner.

To bed, expecting to get up at 5:45. But then during the night, 1 AM to 2 AM Peru time, it's decided that: I need certificate from Ministry of Health, so the afternoon appointment at private clinic is cancelled. And Dora will do certificate through Hospital Dos de Mayo, so early-morning trip to Hospital Maria Auxiliadora is cancelled. I did everything I could to make sure they're telling friend's son that early-morning trip is cancelled.



No response from Dora when I ask about getting certificate; don't know what she's doing. And sometimes she doesn't have internet, so no WhatsApp.

After 1, suddenly messages from Dora that she wants me to go with her to hospital MA. No, it will take 2 hours to get there, and I thought her contacts at hospital DDM were doing the certificate for me. Then I get her on a voice call, and she's going to hospital MA by herself, to try to do things both for herself and for me. She says things at hospital DDM are delayed because the doctor is traveling.

I go online and buy a ticket on another airline, for flight on Wednesday morning. Maybe this other airline won't know about the TB issue.

Online, filed Spanish tax form 720 (foreign assets declaration). Feels good to accomplish something.

Slept badly, wondering about all the things that can go wrong with flight on Wednesday. Denied flight, denied entry to Spain, etc.



Changed my mind overnight, cancelled the ticket for flight tomorrow.

Dora is at the hospital MA. I'm going to go there.

Checked out of hotel, took taxi to house in Surco. Where I found the front door locked and my key doesn't work. Neighbor doesn't have a key. Did Dora change the lock ? Later, she said no. But I couldn't get my key to work, and I tried a lot.

Taxi back to hotel, checked in again. Left stuff in room, took another taxi to train station, train to hospital MA. Side entrance is closed, went around to main entrance.

By asking some people for directions, I found a shop where they would fill out and print a "ask for doctor's letter" form for me (for cheap). Got that and photocopy of passport, into hospital, to cashier (no line). Everything was too easy: got to office to file form, handed it in, and they said "you should get the document within 20 days" !

Looked for Dora, unlikely to find her in this big hospital. Almost gave up, but the second time I looked in pneumology consulta externa, there she was.

And she worked like a champ to get appointments for the two of us, pushing and arguing. Break for lunch. Back in, and finally we're in with a serious older doctor who can do things. Dora talks and persuades, and he examines both of us a bit (just stethoscope). Then he writes a little note saying I'm healthy, and apparently that should be good enough for the airline. Done at 3:30.

I leave, Dora is staying to schedule tests for herself. I go to train, then taxi to hotel. Long phone call with airline to make sure I can get a seat on tonight's flight, eventually it's done. Shower. Into a taxi and through fierce traffic to airport, arriving about 6:15 for 10 PM flight.

Check-in is smooth, and of course they don't mention TB or ask for the doctor's letter or anything ! But we had to plan for the worst. Done by 6:30.

Long but smooth overnight flight to Paris. I'm stuck in a middle seat, as usual. Cold on the plane but I have a blanket.



Made my connection in Paris with about 10 minutes to spare. Then we sat for 20+ minutes while a no-show's baggage was removed.

90-minute flight to Barcelona, stuck in a middle seat again, some turbulence. Landing was rough. Nice to be back in Barcelona.

Taxi to the apartment, arriving about 9. Fortunately son (and ecstatic dog) was there to open the door for me, because Dora had one more nasty surprise for me on this trip: she's had the apartment's front door replaced ! New door-and-lock-and-frame is nice but probably cost €1000, and the lock looks easy to pick. The €630 we spent putting a fancy un-pickable lock on the old door has been flushed down the drain, unless I can get the modern lock installed on the new door for a reasonable cost. There was nothing wrong with old door except that it was old and needed a coat of varnish/paint. But Dora likes shiny new things, especially when I'm paying.

Took the dog for a walk to try to get my blood pressure down.

I think I lost about 6 KG while on this trip. And the weather was nice, and prices in Peru are cheap. Best I can say for this trip.