1. Don Anibal, The Gentleman

An 83 year old gentleman who looks no older than perhaps 65, Don Anibal was seated in my window seat when I appeared at my row on the San Salvador-Lima leg of my arrival. I told him that I did not mind but, when attempting to stash my only bag under the middle seat I found that it would not, in fact, fit. Hence, in return for the change of seats, Don Anibal instructed me to instead place my bag under his seat.

And it was thus a lovely four hour acquaintanceship was born.

We were immediately served migratory and customs papers to have filled out for our passage into Perú and Don Anibal, in showing me into the only visible manifestation of his true age, apologetically asked me to do him the favor of completing his forms as he could not see well enough to answer the necessary questions.

He has children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren in the United States and travels frequently so as not to let those descendents feel at all lacking in their attention from the family patriarch. He also has family in Lima so he does not feel that he is amiss in his duties but rather he sees the logic in his traveling to the family rather than having the family coming to him.

"It keeps me young. It is a state of mind, and it is a motivation for me to keep taking care of myself. Nobody believes me to be 83," Don Anibal said with great pride in his words and a twinkle in his eye. His secret? "Everything in moderation."

He is a retired businessman who lives in the district of Surco with his wife of fifty years. He is a man who enjoys sharing conversation, listening as much as speaking yet who has been intimidated from learning English by "teachers who just are not pleasant."

I, of course, told him he needs to take a class with someone like me.

He smiled and said that yes, it would probably make a big difference.

Our conversation made the four hours separating Central and South America fly quite rapidly. He has a lifetime of stories to tell, and it was a sincere pleasure to sit back, listen and learn from a man who is so wise. We conversed of just about everything, from politics to the values governing the raising of children to work and family. As the beaches of Chimbote came into view we both started to understand our time as companions on this leg of our journeys was to end soon.

We disembarked the plane, boarded a bus to the terminal and parted ways at the migratory control. As if old friends, Don Anibal embraced me and gave me a besito on the cheek and a blessing for a good trip.

Little does he know how much I appreciate having made his acquaintance.