Close encounter with Bill Gates in Peru?
Since I returned from Peru, I've been corresponding via e-mail with "Dennis of Cusco," one of the street kids we met there. I received the following note from Dennis yesterday. I have no idea if it's true. These kids can be pretty crafty, and in the same note about Bill Gates, Dennis makes an appeal for financial help with his education. But with that caveat, here's his account:
"I was selling postcards June 24 at about 8:00 p.m. I was at the Plaza de Armas, and I went to the " Hotel Monastery " to sell postcards for a moment, and four people went out of the hotel. I did not offer them anything, but I decided to discreetly follow them, and they walked first along a few places that are not very touristy and went away later to the " Plaza de Armas."
And in the Plaza de Armas, I tried to sell them, I recognized one of them because I read a bit of his life on the Internet, and he was Bill Gates. I tied to sell them, and I told a few jokes, as when you and your friend Jackson were in the Cusco, but only three persons laughed, two women and man. But Bill Gates did not, and later for a joke I bought myself two postcards for 10 Soles, but I wanted to try to sell Bill Gates, but I was treated like he did not seem me, he was very quiet, but I wanted to speak to him, and I spoke to him.
"But he was not saying anything, and later the woman said I could take a photo with him (but I did not have camera). The woman was very nice, and later I said to her that he was a good person, and I went away, and when I went away, there were two persons who him who were continuing for a long time, because when I was in the Hotel Monastery, it should try to sell first two persons, were one of the UNITED STATES and I believe one was from Peru, but they were very discreet, and when I went away, the Peruvian said to me " molestoso you are ", and I went away.
"I think, I am a very lucky person because not even the press could find Bill Gates in thePlaza de Armas of Cusco, and I was the only one trying to sell postcards to the famous Bill Gates.
"You can believe that Bill Gates walked along the " Plaza de Armas " of Cusco, and I was the only person who recognized him.
"Until another day dear friend Bob.
"Your friend dennis del Cusco."
(This translation is pretty mangled, since it was run through an online translator. I tried to smooth it out some, but my Spanish is very elementary. Here's the original:)
Yo el 24 de junio fuí a vender postales. Aproximadamente a las 8:00 de la noche, yo estaba por la plaza de armas, y fuí al "Hotel Monasterio" a vender postales por un momento, y de ese hotel salieron cuatro personas, y yo no les ofrecí, pero algo me decia que les siga, y yo discretamente les seguí, y ellos pasearon primero por unos lugares que no son muy turisticos y se fueron después a la "Plaza de armas" y en la "Plaza de Armas" yo trate de venderles, yo recocí a uno de ellos, porque yo leí un poco de su vida de esa persona en internet, y era Bill Gates, yo trate de venderles, y les hice como unos chistes, como cuando usted y su amigo Jackson estaban en el cusco, pero solo tres personas se rieron, dos mujeres y hombre, pero Bill Gates no, y después y una de las mujeres por el chiste me compro dos postales por 10 soles, pero yo quería tratar de venderle a Bill Gates, pero el trataba que no le vea, él era muy callado, pero yo quería hablarle a él, y le hablé, pero el no hablaba nada, y después a una de las mujeres les dije que si podía tomarme una foto con él(pero no tenía camara) , y la mujer me agarro del brazo, y no se que me dijo, pero ella era muy amable, y después le dije que él era una buena persona, y él se volteo, y no se que les dijo, y yo me fuí, y cuando me fuí, había dos personas que le estaban siguiendo durante mucho tiempo, porque cuando yo estaba en el Hotel Monasterio, les trate de vender primero a dos personas, era uno de los ESTADOS UNIDOS y el otro creo era de Perú, pero eran muy discretos, y cuando me fuí, el peruano me dijo" molestoso eres", y me fuí.
Creo creo yo soy una persona muy afortunada, porque ni la prensa pudo encontrar a "Bill Gates" en la "PLAZA DE ARMAS del cusco, y yo fuí el unico vendedor que trato de venderle postales a un famoso como Bill Gates.
Usted puede creer que "Bill Gates" se paseo por la "PLAZA DE ARMAS" del cusco, y yo fuí la unica persona que le reconoció.
Hasta otro dia querido amigo Bob.
Tu amigo dennis del Cusco.
Posted by Bob Benz at July 16, 2007 8:45 AM