Frequently Asked Questions
September 29, 2001

It has come to our attention that despite the consistent updates about Peruvian postcard salesmen or the author's floundering language skills, some questions remain. For you and you alone, Sarahhepola.com has compiled the following list of answers and vagaries. Why... more

The Places You've Been
September 27, 2001

On the first day of kindergarten, I wept. No, I wailed. I clung to my mother's skirt with little sweaty fists -- I wasn't letting go of that sucker. Of course, I had to let go eventually. When one is... more

To Marry a Gringa
September 26, 2001

Raoul is 15. Like the rest of the indigenous boys in Cusco, he sells postcards during the day and goes to school at night. His parents sent him to Cusco from some shack in the mountains to learn Spanish and... more

The Return of the Postcard Vendors
September 25, 2001

Hugo has short, black hair and toffee skin made chalky in the dry Peruvian air. Crust rings the inside of his nostrils. He wears the same sweater everyday. The sweater looks like a Christmas sweater -- red and green with... more

Maybe Tomorrow
September 24, 2001

A few days after the attacks in New York and DC, I am reading by myself in the city square in Cusco. I am reading, but I am not reading, because all the little boys who sell postcards are gathered... more

Burst Apart
September 11, 2001

It's awful news to get here. It's awful news to get anywhere. At 3:30pm in La Paz, the papers hit the stands and suddenly everyone is holding a copy, buried in the folds as they walk. "Terror en EEUU" "Pesadilla... more

The Formal You
September 11, 2001

I've been experimenting with the "Formal You" lately. I figured it was about time. For two months, I completely ignored the thing, treated it like an unsolicited phone call. "The Formal You? Umm, yeah, we already bought one." See, as... more

I am in La Paz.
September 10, 2001

I am in La Paz. I am in La Paz alone. I am outside a travel agency, talking to a big, clumsy guy I think works for the travel agency, but when he puts his face up to mine, I... more

La Paz reminds me of
September 06, 2001

La Paz reminds me of San Francisco -- you're either going uphill or downhill, and everything looks like it could topple at any minute. The streets are always crowded with vendors and businessmen and students -- most of them friendly... more

Common Census
September 06, 2001

La Paz reminds me of San Francisco -- you're either going uphill or downhill, and everything looks like it could topple at any minute. The streets are always crowded with vendors and businessmen and students -- most of them friendly... more

Kim & Sarah: A Playlet
September 06, 2001

for Kim, who left for Costa Rica yesterday SETTING Somewhere in South America, between here and there CHARACTERS Kim -- a beautiful, blonde Dutch woman. Looks 23, is actually 30. All lines must be spoken in cute Dutch accent, as... more

A PLAYLETfor Kim, who left
September 06, 2001

A PLAYLET for Kim, who left for Costa Rica yesterday SETTING Somewhere in South America, between here and there CHARACTERS Kim -- a beautiful, blonde Dutch woman. Looks 23, is actually 30. All lines must be spoken in cute Dutch... more

On the Inca Trail
September 01, 2001

There are at least a dozen ways to visit Machu Picchu, and I chose the hardest. I don't know why I chose the hardest, or why -- after choosing the hardest -- I actually followed through. Maybe I'd had one... more