Well, here we are in Peru after quite an adventure to get here. We spent our last night in Ecuador in Quito at the same guest house as before we went to Otavalo. It was quite awkward arriving there and finding they had not got two rooms for us and even though this was sorted out by us swopping with someone else, we discovered next morning when we went to pay for the shared room that they were telling Rosalind she had to pay for three nights as she had not turned up the night before - this after us explaining we had two rooms booked, a double for one night, a single for 3 nights!Luckily they accepted that the fault was theirs and to make quite sure, Rosalind paid for two nights and two breakfasts upfront.
Having been told the approximate arrival time of our bus was 4.30 pm, a message came in around noon telling us it would arrive around 2.30 - this meant our last couple of hours in Quito were pretty hectic as we wanted lunch before embarking on our long bus journey, had to get our stuff out of storage, rearrange our cases etc. Luckily we had not gone out when that message came in as we were planning to!
Finally just after 1 pm we were in a taxi and what a performance that was with all my luggage. At the bus company the luggage had to be weighed and it is incredible to think I started out in England with 20 kilos and in less than a month my luggage weighs 41 kilos. I had to pay 20 dollars extra because of it which I suppose isnt too bad although I dread to find out how much extra I will have to pay on the internal flights later.
Finally the bus arrived about quarter to three. Luckily the man in the bus company looked after us and made sure that we were sitting together. The luggage compartments were all full and getting our four cases in proved a task and a half. In the end the four suitcases went into four separate compartments of the bus. We were pleased to find the seats were comfortable and reclined quite alot too. By five to three we were on our way, with a 28 hour journey ahead of us. In no time at all I was asleep and so passed the first three hours. Layla was fascinated by everything as we drove along and I was glad she had the window seat as I managed to sleep off and on a fair bit of the journey whereas she was avidly watching the passing scenery and even taking photos on the way.
When I woke up 3 hours into the journey, I recognised where we were and a few minutes later we were driving past Tinalandia!!! Yes we were on that Panamerican Highway once again, driving in the direction of Santo Domingo de Los Colorados, although this time the traffic was a bit calmer, not the frightening journey we had from Tinalandia to Quito at the end of July. This time on the way to Santo Domingo I looked at the scenery from Laylas point of view and I must admit it was very poverty stricken and depressing. It is hard to imagine anyone wanting to live there out of choice and we were praying that the rest stop for dinner would not be in that province. The best of the scenery was seeing flocks of egrets, white birds, in the meadows and some were perched on trees in their 100s, like exotic white flowers, especially where cattle were grazing - and some cows were on such steep terrain on the hillsides it seemed the miracle they could keep their footing.
About an hour after passing the part we knew, the bus pulled into a layby with an open sided restaurant. At first we were relieved to have a rest stop and at the prospect of dinner but as soon as we descended the bus the mosquitos plagued us with a vengeance and there was no escape from them. In order to protect as much of myself as possible I had on a thick alpaca jacket with the collar up - this in a hot and steamy jungle atmosphere. Dinner was awful too. Normally I love Caldo de Gallina which is a hen soup with vegetables and different types of potatoes but there it was a quarter the size and the hen uneatable! I complained but did not get any joy. Whilst eating we befriended a lady called Carmen who was travelling with her grandson and thereafter she chatted to us at the rest stops and other stops. She had been on the bus since it left Venezuela 4 days previously. Some people were going as far as Buenos Aires which was a 6 day journey from Quito, so anyone going the whole distance would be 9 or 10 days on that bus. Amazing.
Luckily for me I managed to sleep the next part of the journey, until the bus stopped at 4.25 next morning. We had arrived at Huayquillas, the border town, and we all had to descend the bus for the passport control on the Ecuadorian side. Then we all piled on again and 4 kilometers later had to descend the bus and go through immigration on the Peruvian side. All this took up a fair bit of time.
We were hoping there would be a rest stop for breakfast but the bus drove on another hour or so, and when it stopped it was at a custom point. Here everyone had to get off the bus and after having our hand luggage checked had to stay in one area while all the luggage in the bus was unloaded and opened and checked. This took almost two hours and the only snacks available were cold drinks and crisps, biscuits etc. We were ravenous by this time! But our driver remembered our luggage was scattered and asked us to identify everything so it could be loaded in one place. About an hour further up the road the bus stopped again and we thought {at last, breakfast! But no, it was a stop at an Ormeno bus depot and we all had to get off while the bus was cleaned. Here I asked the driver when we would be stopping for breakfast and he said not for at least another three hours as there was nothing, no place to stop sooner.
After the mountainous scenery leaving Quito, here the outlook was so much different. For a long time we were following a coastal road, endless beaches and lots of birds we recognised as being the same as we had seen in the Galapagos, frigate birds, pelicans and mocking birds among others. Fleets of fishing boats, little fishing villages, which gave way to miles of sand dunes and sand as far as the eye could see. Coastal peru is very much like being in the desert. This gave way to scenery like being in canyons, with vultures and other large birds flying overhead.
Finally at 10.30, 6 hours after the first border crossing stop, we pulled into a restaurant for breakfast. This was a vast improvement on the previous evening, the sun was shining and it was a dry warmth, much better than the intense heat and humidity of the previous evening. We enjoyed ham and eggs with bread rolls and coffee for breakfast and felt much better for a proper meal.
After that we were driving all day without any more rest stops. Again I managed to sleep off and on, so all in all it did not seem that long a journey. Latterly the films on the TV were in English with Spanish subtitles which gave us something different to do. I got out my iPod at one point and connected two sets of headphones for us but unfortunately before on album had finished the battery gave up the ghost. Even though I had been conserving it until we could get from 110 to 220 voltage, it must run down even when not being used. The main towns we passed through in Peru from the border were Tumbes, Piura, where Carlos Saldana comes from, Chiclayo and finally Trujillo - in beteen were mile after mile of desert and the odd small community. Finally at 7.30 the driver stopped for the dinner rest stop - this was about 45 minutes before arrival in Trujillo, and the stop was for almost 2 hours which delayed our arrival. By this time it was getting dark and I was getting anxious about arriving in darkness with all our luggage. When I spoke to our driver he kindly rang the guesthouse where were would be staying and they said they would come and collect us from the bus terminal. We arrived at 10 pm, and our driver told us to wait until we were collected. Within moments Vanessa, the landlady of the guest house with whom I had been in contact, was there, greeting us warmly with a hug and we were soon in a taxi and on our way to Mochicas guesthouse. We were so glad to finally arrive and after unpacking and having a much needed shower we were soon in our beds with the lights out and sound asleep.
This morning we woke and had breakfast at 10.30 - unfortunately only a continental breakfast, but later on we were told we could buy our own food and use the kitchen if we wanted to. There was free internet and a lounge with a DVD library if we wanted to watch telly. Our first port of call was a nearby bank to change up dollars into soles, then to a laundrette where we left some things to be washed - at about a dollar a kilo to get things washed and dried this is a very reasonable price. We can collect the clean clothes on Monday and probably borrow an iron where we are staying to iron them. But one gets used to wearing very creased up clothes when travelling - even the worst creases drop out after a while. Next door to the laundrette was a coffee shop so we had large milky coffees accompanied by a delicious chocolate cake and then set off on the 12 block walk to the centre of town, Plaza des Armas. After a few blocks we came to a junction where we had to turn left or right and I stopped and asked someone the way. The guy was really friendly and helpful. We told him we wanted to go to Huanchaco beach afterwards and he said that at the next junction we could get a micro - minibus - to Huanchaco and that it would only cost 1.20 soles and we decided to do that and leave Plaza des Armas for later. In no time we were in a micro and on our way to the beach, about 7 miles distant. Had we gone in a taxi it would have cost 15 soles, so was an amazing saving and more fun too.
By the time we reached the beach the sun was out and it was a really hot day. We walked on the beach, paddling in the sea, went on the pier, and after a while stopped to rest on the beach. Layla went into the sea for a swim whilst I our minded our things and I was happy to read for a while until she returned. About then we befriended a lovely young girl who was accompanied by four young children aged between 4 and 11, took photos with them etc. About 2 pm we went off to find one of the seafood restaurants we had passed earlier, and in the upstairs part, overlooking the beach, enjoyed a delicious lunch with a 600 ml bottle of Trujillo beer each. I chose Parihuela which is a delicious fish and seafood stew and Layla chose Arroz con Mariscos which is very similar to a paella.
By the time we came out the sun was hidden behind a haziness which rendered going on the beach less attractive so we browsed tiny little gift shops and walked a fair way along the seafront. Finally we were wishing we were staying in such a fantastic place and decided to check out hotels and guesthouses with a view to staying there in future. In one the landlady offered to show us the rooms and the first one she showed us was a double room with two beds, spacious, with its own balcony overlooking the sea. By this time the horizon was rosy as the sun was going down and we fell immediately in love with it. So much so that we have decided to move there for our last 2 nights in Trujillo, even though it is such a hassle moving all the luggage. It really is beautiful and we can move in at 11 am and do not have to leave until the evening of our last day so will have almost 3 days and 2 nights there.
This just leaves us tomorrow Sunday and Monday here in Trujillo. We came back by micro and were dropped within a couple of blocks of Plaza des Armas but will probably see it tomorrow or Monday having digressed into this local internet cafe instead. Once we leave it it will be dark, in fact it almost is, so we will get a taxi straight to Mochicas where we are staying and whether we venture out again depends.
Both Layla and I would love to go somewhere where we can watching Marinera dancing. Trujillo is famous for the Marinera which is a very elegant dance and beautiful to watch. If there is any possibility of seeing it anywhere tonight we will go out again going there and back in a taxi, if not we will probably stay in.
Tomorrow I think we are being collected around noon and having dinner with the parents of my Peruvian friend Jorge who lives in East Grinstead. That will only leave Monday to visit all the other friends - Johnnys family in El Porvenir, Gabriels family in another part of Trujillo and Oswaldos family who live close by. I have to go and visit them all as they are expecting us. Then Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we can enjoy Huanchaco beach and its warm weather. Once we leave Trujillo we will be heading for colder climes.
By now, Rosalind is in the air and on her long flight homeward and will reach Madrid tomorrow afternoon, and I hope she enjoyed her last couple of days in Quito. We were so sorry not to stay with her to the end, but had to leave when we did because it would have meant a 5 day wait until the next bus. At least with the 13 hour bus delay she had us with her an extra day. Rosalind is as laden with luggage as I am but luckily travelling on a Peruvian airline is allowed 40 kilos on both flights.
More later, probably in a couple of days.
LAYLA´S IMPRESSIONS OF THE BUS JOURNEY
THE NIGHT BUS
Wow - do you Harry Potter Fans remember the wild wizard bus that Harry rides, with all the lamp-posts, houses, trees moving out of the way as it careens into the night? I kept thinking of that bus as we rode away into the night, in my comfortable reclined seat, half asleep with eyes opening constantly, to take in every detail. We passed through many small villages, bumping and banging on unpaved, rocky dirt roads, twisting, turning and occasionally even backing up to turn around and go another way. It was in fact a phenomenal bus ride. We are now here in Trujillo, Peru, on the northwest coast. We crossed deserts, canyons, irrigated rice(?) fields, and descended many mountains to get here. Aprox. 32 hours it took, including ALL the stops for security, exit Ecuador, enter Peru, (all off the bus, line up for passport checks) luggage searches, clean the bus, and police checks (at least 4 times), as well as ¡COMIDA! stops (meal stops, with the 10 or so kids on the bus screaming out with delight when ever we had them!)
This bus I like to call the night bus is the Ormeño International bus that goes from Venezuela to Lima Peru, maybe even as far as Buenos Airies (which would take 10 days from V, we overheard in Quito it would take 6 days to BA - imagine !) It travels along the Pan American Hwy, except that in many places it appears there is no Pan American Highway yet, so we wound around in small villages on dirt roads till we found it again. Two men drive the bus, and I have to say, I am very impressed with their skill at getting us there safely, handling the baggage, and all the many many stops. The Peruvian Policia came on board no less then 4 times to randomly check local passprts, hoping to find someone without the proper papers, so they can extract fines and bribes from that individual. We were the only gringas on board, todos la gente mas pequeno y moreno then us! But after a few stops we all became one big family, all enduring and wanting to get where we were going. Most of the people were already on the bus when we got on. A woman named Carmen and her grandson joined us during the meals, she was comming from Venuzuela going to Lima, a journey that must have been about 5 days.
I loved being up high, the bus was very tall, and I was above all the other traffic, even the mega trucks. And Mom, you know, we went all the way back down the mountains past Tinalandia, past what I am now refering to as the armpit of Ecuador, which is the area called Santo Domingo de los Colorados. It is kind of sad, that area is so poor, so miserable, also because of the constant clouds, dull grey light if any light. This part is past the dangerous trek down the moutains. The indigenous people must be the tribe of Colorados Indians, and there are not many of them left, they are the ones we went with Sergio to see. I took some photos to show the many huge trucks and curves coming down the mountain. But the trip was so much better than in a car, because I was up so high I could see so much more, including the river below and many waterfalls coming down the steep mountain sides.
We passed through Guayaquil, and later on the border town of Huaquillas. We had to all get out, line up and have passsports stamped to exit Ecuador, at aproximately 4:30 am, then about 15 minutes later, we had to stop, get out, line up, and get stamped to enter Peru. Each stop took about an hour or more. So at about 6 or 6:30 am, in dawns early light, Angela and I are sitting on a wall by the road just into Peru, waiting to board the bus again, and along comes the most charming little vehicles - small motorcycles fitted with carriages to pull behind them 2 or 3 people, some bringing folks into the town for work, some driviers calling out up passengers. It didn't take long for me to become totally charmed with Peru.
As we rode along, I saw many beautiful beaches (las playas) and villages. I had a window seat (!) and Angela was sleeping alot of the time. The beaches were swarming with frigate birds, pelicans, and vultures! Black and turkey vultures like on the USA east coast. It was really kind of spooky in a way, much as I like vutures, to see rooftops filled with them and to see flocks of them on a beach! All I could think of was how many feathers must be on those beaches. How I longed to walk on them, collecting feathers! They were very nice, clean, wild, expansive like South Carolina and Georgia, some with small villages full of inviting cafes, shops, and open air thatched roof tops with tables to sit at. But alas, we passed all those, me dozing off, and soon I woke again, looked out the window to see 2 huge white eagles soaring along over beautiful canyons we were passing through! I do not know what kind of eagles they were, don't think I have ever seen them before, they were white underneath with dark brown markings on top. Later on I saw another pair, not as close. We passed through many huge enormous and frightening deserts, some with beautiful crescent dunes, mountains, small pointed ones, off in the distance, and then very flat grey white sand deserts. I kept thinking, what if I found myself alone in the middle of this space with nothing at all? what would I do? keep walking slowly and carefully till I found something somewhere? Once I saw a radio tower and buildings, and occasionally deserted looking houses or walls. As far as the eye could see, 360% around, many times for hours, nothing. We also at some point passed through settled irrigated areas with cute little villages and what looks like rice fields of water with grasses in it, lined with palm trees. Not unlike taro patches in Hawaii.
As challenging and uncomfortable as that ride was, I really really loved it and will remember it forever. I won't even go into the uncomfortable part of it, except to say that many times the lyrics from one of my favorite Illapu songs, which the first line translates into "why are they here, those seagulls, so far away from the sea." came into my head. Moments when I truly did wonder why I wasn't still on Maui enjoying a fabulous tango festival going on there right now.
So we like the town we are in now, Trujillo. There is a very elegant partner dance called Marinera that thrives in this town, I hope to see some while we are here. Today went "a la PLaya" to the beach, nearby. Sad to say for me, no frigates, pelicans, or vultures, but it was very nice, fun with good seafood in the restaurants, and shops with inexpensive and beautiful things for sale. We made friends with a lovely young Peruvian girl and her little sister and 3 other children she was with, hanging out on the beach for awhile. Angela has friends here, we will visit some tomorrow, and for our last 2 of 6 nights here, we will stay in a beautiful little hotel on the beach there. Then we head for Araquipa, to go to the Colca Canyon to see the Condors.
