Going postal

Inca crosses I brought home for everyone.

Last week I wrote about making it to Aguas Calientes in my travel blog here (by the way, I'm sorry I'm not updating that as fast as I'd like to, I've been pretty busy with classes lately). Tara and I missed the train in part because I was late getting back to the hostel so we could leave early (though, we did make it to the bus station by the time we had decided on, but not the time that Tara changed her mind to and didn't tell me about). I wrote that I had cut it close, but I knew we'd still make it to the bus station on time.

The reason why I had cut it so close was because I was trying to finish up my souvenir shopping. I decided to get everyone Inca crosses because they looked cool and were available all over Cuzco. I wanted to get them before we got to Micho Picco because I thought it would be cool to take them there with me. I was able to find everyone's Inca crosses pretty easily, expect for my sister Jacquelyn.

By this time, I had been in Cuzco for nearly a week and had gotten to know the city, or at least a good portion of it, pretty well. I searched though all the shops trying to find one I liked for my sister and eventually found a stone that I liked, but it wasn't attached to a necklace like the rest of them.

I took the stone to another shop and had the lady make a necklace for it, which took longer than she had promised it would, which led to me getting back to the hostel late.

I'm really bad at mailing people stuff. For example, last summer I was the best man at my good friend Trevor's (who's made a couple of appearances in this blog before) wedding. Before the wedding, I bought him and his new wife a card. That card is still sitting on my dresser.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I haven't mailed the necklace to my sister yet though I've been home from South America since late December. Remember the cute teddy bear I got Ryann Leigh two weeks ago? He's been sitting on my counter waiting for me to take him to the post office since then. I'm not sure I would have ever made it to the post office with him, but I had a friend over the other day and she pointed out that if I didn't hurry and mail him, he wouldn't be her first teddy bear.

I had to run a few errands today and decided I'd hit the post office up while I was down town. I waited my turn in line and when I got up to the counter, I placed a letter on the counter, with two necklaces on top of it (one for my sister and one for her husband) and the bear on top of the pile. I tell the clerk I want to mail those items to Hawaii, I just wasn't sure what the cheapest way to go.

He picks up the bear while asking me if I wanted to send anything fragile in the package. In doing so, he knocks (or drops) the necklaces to the ground on his side of the counter.

"Apparently that necklace is," I say pointing to my sister's, "it just broke in half."

He asked how much it cost, which I said wasn't actually that much, but I had to go to Peru to get it.

He asked if someone there could send me another one, I told him it was no big deal, I'd just pick her up another one the next time I'm down there (which, might sound sarcastic, but Peru is the only South American country I want to visit again).

He then told me I could insure my brother-in-law's necklace for up to $50, but that I wouldn't be able to insure my sister's and a note would have to be placed inside the package indicating it was broken before I mailed it.

HOWEVER, IT WASN'T BROKEN BEEFORE I WALKED INTO THE POST OFFICE AND SET IT ON THE COUNTER!