Channel flicking in my room before I fell asleep for the last time in October was weird.
There were the usual films either half way through or in Spanish, the obligatory games of football ( it seems that Brazil isn't the only country madly in love with the beautiful game ) and regretably enough coverage of the US presidential elections to bore me to tears, but it was the other news articles that caught my attention.
Despite being in the end of 2008, and supposedly in a more peaceful and civilized world, there were bombings in India, naval battled between the Sri Lankan goverment and the Tamil Tigers, a holding temporal ceasefire in the Republic of Congo, ongoing battles in Iraq and the Indonesian government was preparing for a backlash following the imminent execution of two convicted terrorists of the 2002 Bali bombings.
There was also a story about a high ranking Japanese official who is having to resign after publicing an article stating that he felt Japan was not an aggresive participant in WW II, which of course has greatly angered China, both North and South Korea and a number of Pacific Island nations. This is a bit like some German professors stating that the Holocaust never happened and is all a huge Western post war conspiracy made to damage the Germany's public image.
But the article that put a smile on my face was about the fact that the guiness book of records has just had another of its records broken by the recent successful additon of the worlds largest pair of jeans. It is so large that it requiring a construction crane to lift up one end, and a pair of large inflatable tubing pipes running down each of its legs, and judging from the look I would say that it is of average proportion and not a drainpipe or flairs style.
It is sad to think that there is still so very much aggression and violence in todays society and it's the main reason why I chose not to watch too much news coverage these days as its always so depressing.
Friday 31 October 2008
A few days in Piura
Way back when I was in Prague, I asked my friend there 'what she did first whenever she first visits a new town or city' and her reply was immediately go to the centre and try to see as much of it as possible right away.
This to me seemed a little bit of a rushed technique and without proper information and research you are unlikely to get the most out of each city by doing so, however I found out today ( on day three of my visit to Piura ) the logic behind her reasoning.
My friend in Piura has a small baby and also a couple of law exams on my first two days here, so instead of rushing into the city centre and wandering around on my own I chose to wait for her on the night of day two and all of day three.
The time in Piura I spend tinkering with photos, getting mundane stuff done like laundry, photo cropping, blogging, etc, etc and with the heat during the day and the blue skies high above I was sort of saving myself for Halloween day and night.
After a huge chinese from the place across the road, that was big enough for a family for only PES 25, and watching a few movies back in my hostel room in English and in Spanish to pass the time it was finally time to meet my friend.
She was unsure as to how much Spanish I could speak or understood, she arranged to meet me with one of her friends and together we took a taxi to a nearby local restaurant to try out some local food.
Piura itself doesn't seem like a huge town on the map or from walking around, and from going in all four directions I have learned that the centre of Piura has the nice flat roads and the further you go away from the centre the more the side roads become more and more wil, eventually being nothing more than a large gap between the rows of houses. The centre of Piura is very dry, with hardly any rain all year round, and this has a huge effect on the fact that once the government cleared it for building and for roads the green vegetation of the land never really seemed to be able to come back.
It is a dry and dusty place, where the locals are happy despite the conditions being basic and I am amazed at how nice certiain places are on the inside as from the outside the whole place looks it hasn't seen a lick of paint in fifty years.
The restaurant was a nice quaint place, near her house, that served local food and they give you a free drink that is called Tiger Milk, but it is actually warm fish water and so with the confusion in names, the strength and the heat of it I just couldn't manage to swallow much and had to pass. The main course was a little better, in that it was a rice and prawn sort of dish although the accompanying hot salsa sauce was enough to knock my socks off and would give a Thai Red curry a run for its money in the heat stakes.
During the meal we chatted and my friend was relieved that I could in fact speak a very little Spanish, and also understand a lot more as long as she spoke slowly and kept it simple without too many complex words of local points of reference.
After the meal she had to go back for her final exam, so I returned to my hostel to freshen up, grab a bit of sleep and prepare for a night with her and her friend.
We grabbed another taxi to her friends, after stopping by a local store to pick up a bottle of vodka and some orange, and I was midly dissapointed that Smirnoff Vodka was not that much cheaper hear than back in the UK, with a bottle costing well over PES 25, but then I guess that local produced vodka would be cheaper than imported stuff, but then I didnt want to risk my stomach with anything foreign and with a strong alcohol content.
Her friends place was a bit further out of town than I had expected and the taxi took a few minutes to get there and once we were there I was impressed by how well he had decorated the inside of his apartment that he considered small, but was easily big enough for an entire family in other places I had visited.
We chatted for a few hours past midnight, mostly a weird hybrid of them talking to me in broken English and me replying in broken Spanish, but we always seemed to understand each other and get our message across. I was glad that I had been studying some words and phrases and they were coming in handy and so although I have not got my proper text books my leaning was still continuing to progress slowly.
The taxi home was the scariest part of the day as once he dropped my friend off at her place he continued on to take me to mine but midway through the journey he spotted an obstruction in the road so swerved to avoid it, however he failed to see the side of the road and almost bumped the car right onto the high raised curb, which as you can image shocked us both and had him paranoidly looking in his mirror and at the side of his car for the remainder of the journey.
The next morning I had arranged to meet my friend at a sensible time at my hostel and we were going to go to a nice place just a few miles north out of town to an old town that had a lot of historical importance.
I was glad that I had earlier been able to pass my first solid excrement for a good week and so was feeling happy, however for some reason, be it the food, the heat, the vodka, the fact that I double dosed on my anti malaria pills after missing them for two days or a combination of a little bit of all of them, but after less than five minutes in the cab I was urgently requesting that they pull over for me to use a gas station toilet.
I have never liked throwing up, I have never liked public toilets and I hate using toilets that are neither clean, have no paper, no working flush and no toilet seat so you might be able to imagine the hell that I was in hurling into the smelliest toilet bowl that I have ever used, and getting my trousers wet from the mess on the floor in the process.
Unsure as to what caused my sudden vometting attack and further more unsure if it was just the start of something worse, I regretably chose to cancel the days planned trip and make back to my hostel post haste to curl up and try to forget the scene of that grimey toilet.
Thankfully it seemed that it was not the start of a long series of vomitting attacks but just my bodys urgent rejection of something in my stomuch as after a sleep of a few hours I felt as right as rain, all except I was more accutely aware of noise and could not really face going out again just yet.
I planned on sleeping the day away, waiting for the night when my friend would come back and together we could go out and celebrate halloween, however hunger drove me out after a few hours and I walked until I reached what seemed to be the city centre, but unwilling to risk my body with yet more strange local food I was on the search for a simple burger, fries and a coke. Unfortunately either I was not far enough int othe city centre or Piura has no American style burger bars as I saw no McDonald, Whimpey or Burger King and dejected I returned back to my hostel.
However I could not go without food so I walked a little further and stopped at a bread store, where I grabbed a bag of rolls and some ham, enough for the most basic of sandwiches but also sure that my body would not find to much objectionable to plain bread and ham, thus it was unlikely to trigger another vomitting attack.
More bad news was in store for me today though, as my friends mother decided to not return home at the agreed time and this my friend could not leave her house and her baby unatteneded, and I didnt feel like going out and celebrating on my own, so instead I just grabbed another bottle or coke and settled in for watching a horror movie and then an early bed, hoping that tomorrow would bring better luck for me.
And back to my friends logic, I wasted a couple of days waiting for my friend to arrive at my hostel, sure that together we would have a great time, but because of bad timing and as sudden desire to chuck up, our time together has been both limited and localised to only a few places, hardly the epic exploration that I have done in most other cities, but again all my own fault.
Thus I agree that you should not put off tomorrow what you can have fun doing today, as you never know what is going to happen in the future, so enjoy it while you can.
Thursday 30 October 2008
Arrival in Piura
It is 1am and I am sitting in my hostel room, about to fall asleep and reflecting upon the day that's just come and gone.
It started with a great breakfast, complete with two fried eggs which made me a little nervous as I am still on the tail end of my current bout of salmonella, but it was kindly prepared and it might seem rude to say no, so I ate it and enjoyed eating it.
In the airport I found myself paying for Peru's most expensive bottle of Inca Cola, not to mention the leaving airport tax that cost more than the taxi fare to the airport, and tryiing but failing to receive a signal while in the airport wifi zone, despite having bought the best wireless receiver for my latop ( that comes with its own crappy one anyway, but thats another issue.
The flight across was complete with its quick trip out across the ocean for some reason, its own inflight snack of crackers and a cake and watching an episode of just for laughs, a series that makes you've been framed seem positively in good taste by comparison, ( one 'gag' had the victim see the grim reaper standing over then in the cctv screen, about as funny as a heart attack or open surgery without the anaesthetic ).
Landing was great as the airport was tiny, with only not so much a arrivals hall, more like a large shed where you can actually see the portiers load up the mini luggage revolver through the plastic wall, all set against a wonderful vista of green bush shrubs on one side and eager taxi drivers out to fleece unsuspecting passengers on the other.
Having already been to Lima, I knew that the taxi driver would try it on and it is funny that they will haggle over a difference of PES 2 for a ten minute taxi fare, PES 2 being about 30p to me, and I almost didn't bother to haggle except that they must want to haggle seing as the always set their prices up so high from the off.
The taxi ride was nice and not too bumpy, especially as the driver would slow to almost a complete halt before each and every bump or crack in the road. It is funny that in my travels I have noticed that taxi drivers are either totally paranoid about the road or the complete opposite and treat their vehicles with a lack of respect that as a passenger is freightening. Luckily for me my hostel was more a 2 star hotel than a hostel and my room is fairly well furnished and decorated when compared to other places I have seen in poor small South American towns and villages.
It was kind of fun to check in, as while I was waiting a slender young female came knocking on the hostel door, and after being let in had a nice long debate with the owner about whether she should be allowed up into the rooms or not, as she said she was in a room with a single guy waiting for her but the room number she gave was occupied by three women travelling together. I couldn't make up my mind if she was an opportunist thief, an opportunist hooker, a bit of both or a hooker that had arranged to meet a guy in his room but had memorised the wrong room number.
My room had the nice cool tiled flooring effect, that makes your feet hard and dirty but is very easy to mop up in the mornings, and some plug sockets that only seem to work if you work really hard at pushing the plugs into the socket as hard as you possibly can.
The walls of the rooms are thin enough for me to hear my neighbouts enjoying themselves quite a lot, and through the grilled open window I chanced to spot a nice little lizard crawl all over the outside of my window, that was until I opened the window to get a clear shot with my camera. Thankfully the red anti-glare beam didn't scare the little guy away and I got a couple of good shots before I closed the window and let him continue on his was unmolested.
Grabbing the hotels only decent map, I made my way the ten blocks down to the bus terminal, passing the three wheeled taxiettes that were whizzing about at 10 miles an hour or parked so close to each other that it was impossible to pass between any two. The cashier said that he understood a little English, and with my recent practices I could understand a bit of what he was saying, however he seemed intent on using hand guestures to explain everything and repeat himself at least four times, even though I usually got it after the second and told him so, even repeating it back to him a couple of times.
On my way back to the hostel I passed a night club called Relax, which advertised itself as a huge womens face right across the double doors and a red lips above the door. The place itself is fairly close to my hostel, but to get there I would either have to take a cab or walk the five minutes along some rather sandy and ill lit side roads, which I am not too keen on doing, so I have decided to give it a miss.
Just before I reached my hostel I stopeed to but a huge bottle of pepsi and a couple of bananas, mainly to break a PES 10 note, the smallest note there is, so I was a little surprised when even at 3pm the cashier had to run next door for change.
Back in my room I was able to bash out a few quick emails before running downstairs to send them, as my room does not have a good enough intenet signal to send it, and then went back up to see Oceans 13 in English on HBO, after handing over my washing to be laundered. All except for the single sock that had fell halfway down the stairs, why is it that that always seems to happen to me?!?
My hostel is on one of the main strips in Piura, aledgely along for the shops and local cinema, and directly opposite is a Chinese restaurant that opened after about 5pm. Following the advice of only go where there are loads of locals, I felt sure that I was chosing wisely when my table for one was right at the very back of the place, the only table that was currenly unoccupied, and right next to the fride and kitchen.
For a tiny sum of about PES 19 I was able to buy the largest plate of rice that I have ever seen, along with a huge plate of chicken curry and a Inca cola, seing as I had previously noticed that it was what all the locals were drinking. My one order would easily have fed me three times over and I thought for a second that I had somehow mis-ordered the family sized portions, that was until I saw the plate that came for the table next to me that drwarfed mine by comparison. I guess I managed about half, being the greedy glutton that I was feeling and thought that the rest would be dumped in the garbage for tramps to feed off for the next few days, when instead they came back with my bill and the remains in a takeaway box.
Back in my room I decided to look over the tour guide brochures til it was bedtime, however it was so hot that I could not sleep and so back on came the television. At 1am it amused me to find that although there was meant to be a couple of adult channels that they were scrambled, however the 5 religious channels were all clear as were the other sixty for sport, news, film and at least a dozen mail order shopping channels, not to mention a couple of really dodgy japanese films ( one being abad manga cartoon ).
Finaly, before I managed to drift off to sleep for the last time tonight ( this morning ) I look about my bed to see that there is a familar painting of a young man and a female youth clad only in a whispy veil of see through silk covering her complete nakedness.
Yes, all in all today I like Piura a lot. It has got enough familary concepts and themes that even before I was unpacked I felt somehow comfortable and not at all like a stranger in a strange land. I just hope that I still feel as relaxed and at ease when I go investigating on the city tour tomorrow.
It started with a great breakfast, complete with two fried eggs which made me a little nervous as I am still on the tail end of my current bout of salmonella, but it was kindly prepared and it might seem rude to say no, so I ate it and enjoyed eating it.
In the airport I found myself paying for Peru's most expensive bottle of Inca Cola, not to mention the leaving airport tax that cost more than the taxi fare to the airport, and tryiing but failing to receive a signal while in the airport wifi zone, despite having bought the best wireless receiver for my latop ( that comes with its own crappy one anyway, but thats another issue.
The flight across was complete with its quick trip out across the ocean for some reason, its own inflight snack of crackers and a cake and watching an episode of just for laughs, a series that makes you've been framed seem positively in good taste by comparison, ( one 'gag' had the victim see the grim reaper standing over then in the cctv screen, about as funny as a heart attack or open surgery without the anaesthetic ).
Landing was great as the airport was tiny, with only not so much a arrivals hall, more like a large shed where you can actually see the portiers load up the mini luggage revolver through the plastic wall, all set against a wonderful vista of green bush shrubs on one side and eager taxi drivers out to fleece unsuspecting passengers on the other.
Having already been to Lima, I knew that the taxi driver would try it on and it is funny that they will haggle over a difference of PES 2 for a ten minute taxi fare, PES 2 being about 30p to me, and I almost didn't bother to haggle except that they must want to haggle seing as the always set their prices up so high from the off.
The taxi ride was nice and not too bumpy, especially as the driver would slow to almost a complete halt before each and every bump or crack in the road. It is funny that in my travels I have noticed that taxi drivers are either totally paranoid about the road or the complete opposite and treat their vehicles with a lack of respect that as a passenger is freightening. Luckily for me my hostel was more a 2 star hotel than a hostel and my room is fairly well furnished and decorated when compared to other places I have seen in poor small South American towns and villages.
It was kind of fun to check in, as while I was waiting a slender young female came knocking on the hostel door, and after being let in had a nice long debate with the owner about whether she should be allowed up into the rooms or not, as she said she was in a room with a single guy waiting for her but the room number she gave was occupied by three women travelling together. I couldn't make up my mind if she was an opportunist thief, an opportunist hooker, a bit of both or a hooker that had arranged to meet a guy in his room but had memorised the wrong room number.
My room had the nice cool tiled flooring effect, that makes your feet hard and dirty but is very easy to mop up in the mornings, and some plug sockets that only seem to work if you work really hard at pushing the plugs into the socket as hard as you possibly can.
The walls of the rooms are thin enough for me to hear my neighbouts enjoying themselves quite a lot, and through the grilled open window I chanced to spot a nice little lizard crawl all over the outside of my window, that was until I opened the window to get a clear shot with my camera. Thankfully the red anti-glare beam didn't scare the little guy away and I got a couple of good shots before I closed the window and let him continue on his was unmolested.
Grabbing the hotels only decent map, I made my way the ten blocks down to the bus terminal, passing the three wheeled taxiettes that were whizzing about at 10 miles an hour or parked so close to each other that it was impossible to pass between any two. The cashier said that he understood a little English, and with my recent practices I could understand a bit of what he was saying, however he seemed intent on using hand guestures to explain everything and repeat himself at least four times, even though I usually got it after the second and told him so, even repeating it back to him a couple of times.
On my way back to the hostel I passed a night club called Relax, which advertised itself as a huge womens face right across the double doors and a red lips above the door. The place itself is fairly close to my hostel, but to get there I would either have to take a cab or walk the five minutes along some rather sandy and ill lit side roads, which I am not too keen on doing, so I have decided to give it a miss.
Just before I reached my hostel I stopeed to but a huge bottle of pepsi and a couple of bananas, mainly to break a PES 10 note, the smallest note there is, so I was a little surprised when even at 3pm the cashier had to run next door for change.
Back in my room I was able to bash out a few quick emails before running downstairs to send them, as my room does not have a good enough intenet signal to send it, and then went back up to see Oceans 13 in English on HBO, after handing over my washing to be laundered. All except for the single sock that had fell halfway down the stairs, why is it that that always seems to happen to me?!?
My hostel is on one of the main strips in Piura, aledgely along for the shops and local cinema, and directly opposite is a Chinese restaurant that opened after about 5pm. Following the advice of only go where there are loads of locals, I felt sure that I was chosing wisely when my table for one was right at the very back of the place, the only table that was currenly unoccupied, and right next to the fride and kitchen.
For a tiny sum of about PES 19 I was able to buy the largest plate of rice that I have ever seen, along with a huge plate of chicken curry and a Inca cola, seing as I had previously noticed that it was what all the locals were drinking. My one order would easily have fed me three times over and I thought for a second that I had somehow mis-ordered the family sized portions, that was until I saw the plate that came for the table next to me that drwarfed mine by comparison. I guess I managed about half, being the greedy glutton that I was feeling and thought that the rest would be dumped in the garbage for tramps to feed off for the next few days, when instead they came back with my bill and the remains in a takeaway box.
Back in my room I decided to look over the tour guide brochures til it was bedtime, however it was so hot that I could not sleep and so back on came the television. At 1am it amused me to find that although there was meant to be a couple of adult channels that they were scrambled, however the 5 religious channels were all clear as were the other sixty for sport, news, film and at least a dozen mail order shopping channels, not to mention a couple of really dodgy japanese films ( one being abad manga cartoon ).
Finaly, before I managed to drift off to sleep for the last time tonight ( this morning ) I look about my bed to see that there is a familar painting of a young man and a female youth clad only in a whispy veil of see through silk covering her complete nakedness.
Yes, all in all today I like Piura a lot. It has got enough familary concepts and themes that even before I was unpacked I felt somehow comfortable and not at all like a stranger in a strange land. I just hope that I still feel as relaxed and at ease when I go investigating on the city tour tomorrow.
Wednesday 29 October 2008
Last hours in Lima
After waking up and finding a few family photos had been kindly sent to me from my sisters, I didn't fancy doing much yesterday outside, and I felt that I should really try and up my spanish vocabulary so I spend the entire day with a notebook and my laptop trying to think of as many sentences as I could think of that would help me in the day to day living that I do.
Easier said that done and I was so eagre to do this that I plumb forgot that Spanish is different to English at a basic structural level and went about creating sentences that I could easily modify, or so I thought.
I forgot that whereas in English we have words for mini phrases like "I will" or "I have" but in Spanish all they do is add an ending to the key word like "-amos" or "-ir" and so all my learning was a bit of a let down, and when did I learn this, the second that my friend came over in the evening and took one look at it.
It was felt like a child or six or seven after handing in a homework assignment and having the teacher take out a big red pen and scribble all over my effort, it was a little bit crushing. However it was also funny, as my friend does not speak much English so we spend longer trying to understand what I was trying to write than it took her to correct it in Spanish.
However, I still say that I have got a half decent accent in Spanish, enough to be understood, and a very limited vocabulary, but to go much further will take a whole lot of lessons, movies and books in Spanish, things that I just wont have time for on my trip, well at least not if I want to spend any time outside.
Once my friend left I cursed myself quietly for forgetting to get her to sign my book, especially as I have spent more time here than with everyone else put together, but then I am not perfect and cannot get everything right all the time.
I also got to meet my other friends other grandmother and with the help of her grandson as a partial translator I was able to talk to her a bit about my travels and learn that many years ago she had survived an earthquake that devestated the region and she believes that it was the power of god that saved her life.
Later, flicking through my emails I saw that the change of my plans to visit Lima and then Piura ahead of schedule had clashed with a friends exams and so I would probably spend my time in Puira alone, worse still as Piura was another of the in between cities that I could cut short and leave early, however on this occasion it would have been better to remain in Lima for longer. It does have a nice beach, is hot and sunny and so I will probably need my tanning lotion again, but apart from that it will be more time to tour a small town, watch movies and plan my time in Guayaquil as best I can.
I am sure that Piura will have more for me that I first think of, and of couse life is all about going out and making the most of it, so I think Piura watch out ... Springates coming !!!
I will be on a jet plane out of Lima around midday, and I didn't even have a chance to print out the reservation form, so I hope it all goes to plan.
My friends in Lima helped me get some change and packed me off to the airport in plenty of time, with the knowledge that if ever I was to revisit Lima I must come and visit them again. The saying that "my house is your house" does not go far enough to explain the friendliness of the Peruvian mindset, it should include an adendum "my friends are your friends and my family is your family".
I will miss Lima and my new friends here a lot, I just hope Piura and the border crossing do not spoil things now. Another thing that I might have forgot to mention is that everyone has their own friendly taxi driver that they trust and have exchanged numbers with, ones that they call if they need to go anywhere, and so having local friends is again an added level of security that most tourists would not have the benefit of, and another reason to be grateful.
The trip to the airport was a bit wierd, and only costed PES 13, which again shows that the first taxi you pay in the city will also be the highest and as long as you can avoid being ripped off on this one trip then the rest of the trip taxi fares will be a doddle. I have noticed that almost everyone here is very religious and even the taxi drivers cross themselves when they go past a church, as did my friends.
The airport leaving tax was US $6 or whatever the local exchange rate is, and so again I was glad that I changed up some money in the city centre. Avoid buying anything else at the airport as the cost is like nowhere else in the country and goes to show that the logic is if you can afford to go to the airport then you have money to burn.
Easier said that done and I was so eagre to do this that I plumb forgot that Spanish is different to English at a basic structural level and went about creating sentences that I could easily modify, or so I thought.
I forgot that whereas in English we have words for mini phrases like "I will" or "I have" but in Spanish all they do is add an ending to the key word like "-amos" or "-ir" and so all my learning was a bit of a let down, and when did I learn this, the second that my friend came over in the evening and took one look at it.
It was felt like a child or six or seven after handing in a homework assignment and having the teacher take out a big red pen and scribble all over my effort, it was a little bit crushing. However it was also funny, as my friend does not speak much English so we spend longer trying to understand what I was trying to write than it took her to correct it in Spanish.
However, I still say that I have got a half decent accent in Spanish, enough to be understood, and a very limited vocabulary, but to go much further will take a whole lot of lessons, movies and books in Spanish, things that I just wont have time for on my trip, well at least not if I want to spend any time outside.
Once my friend left I cursed myself quietly for forgetting to get her to sign my book, especially as I have spent more time here than with everyone else put together, but then I am not perfect and cannot get everything right all the time.
I also got to meet my other friends other grandmother and with the help of her grandson as a partial translator I was able to talk to her a bit about my travels and learn that many years ago she had survived an earthquake that devestated the region and she believes that it was the power of god that saved her life.
Later, flicking through my emails I saw that the change of my plans to visit Lima and then Piura ahead of schedule had clashed with a friends exams and so I would probably spend my time in Puira alone, worse still as Piura was another of the in between cities that I could cut short and leave early, however on this occasion it would have been better to remain in Lima for longer. It does have a nice beach, is hot and sunny and so I will probably need my tanning lotion again, but apart from that it will be more time to tour a small town, watch movies and plan my time in Guayaquil as best I can.
I am sure that Piura will have more for me that I first think of, and of couse life is all about going out and making the most of it, so I think Piura watch out ... Springates coming !!!
I will be on a jet plane out of Lima around midday, and I didn't even have a chance to print out the reservation form, so I hope it all goes to plan.
My friends in Lima helped me get some change and packed me off to the airport in plenty of time, with the knowledge that if ever I was to revisit Lima I must come and visit them again. The saying that "my house is your house" does not go far enough to explain the friendliness of the Peruvian mindset, it should include an adendum "my friends are your friends and my family is your family".
I will miss Lima and my new friends here a lot, I just hope Piura and the border crossing do not spoil things now. Another thing that I might have forgot to mention is that everyone has their own friendly taxi driver that they trust and have exchanged numbers with, ones that they call if they need to go anywhere, and so having local friends is again an added level of security that most tourists would not have the benefit of, and another reason to be grateful.
The trip to the airport was a bit wierd, and only costed PES 13, which again shows that the first taxi you pay in the city will also be the highest and as long as you can avoid being ripped off on this one trip then the rest of the trip taxi fares will be a doddle. I have noticed that almost everyone here is very religious and even the taxi drivers cross themselves when they go past a church, as did my friends.
The airport leaving tax was US $6 or whatever the local exchange rate is, and so again I was glad that I changed up some money in the city centre. Avoid buying anything else at the airport as the cost is like nowhere else in the country and goes to show that the logic is if you can afford to go to the airport then you have money to burn.
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Another day in Lima
My friends here in Lima are proud of their city, despite the river being infamous for its dirt and lack of purity, and they were all keen that I visit the city centre and downtown to see it for myself.
So I got a taxi to meet my friend in her house and then we caught a bus into the city centre. The first thing that I noticed was that there was a lot more traffic going into the city than an any other direction and also that the bus was fully packed instead of just half full as my previous journeys had been.
Although I had not noticed it myself, my friend reminded me that the thing she missed most about Lima buses when she was travelling in Spain was the music, and for the first time I realised that in the background clear and loud was the music, a light rock and pop of the 80's playing through the radio, mixed with recent tunes and latin songs that were unfamiliar to me.
I guess I had not noticed them before as I was always distracted with the view outside and with my friends being beside me, but now that it was pointed out I cannot think of many short bus journeys between stops anywhere else where you can listen to Bon Jovi pumped through the speakers. Maybe on a long journey sure, but just around and about town I'm not so sure.
Lima is a real mix of old and new, rich and poor and on a journey if you stay in a taxi or on a bus long enough you will go past both Spanish colonial buildings, burnt out factories, modern casino complexes, rluxury apartments and everything in between.
I have also not mentioned that since I arrived in Lima the weather has been a moderate temperature, with little or no chance of suntanning, the occasional spot of rain but mostly it has been light grey overcast most of the time. It is a shame as there are some great places to visit in Lima, but the quality of the photos taken will be less through lack of actual sunlight.
Our first stop took us into the centre of town and here my friend was moved to remind me that this place was full of thieves and pickpockets and that I should not take out my camera in public, or even show it unless I was about to use it and then as quickly as possible. Once off the bus we went to a huge cathedral that was all decked out in Purple and filled with a huge congregation that were singing and praying together. Aparently there is a whole story about a painter that survived a earthquake untouched while the rest of the residents died that explained it all, but I will have to check up on the internet later for the full story in English.
My friends English is good, but there are some words and ideas that are unique to Peru and also some that you just never seem to come across in the text books or studies and so even the simplest things can be impossible to properly explain to a tourist, but she did a very recommendable job of trying.
We walked through the town and we both spotted a buy lightly pat another mans open flapped satchel as he went past, but they guy with the bag was oblivious, so it was lucky that it seemed there was nothing of interest as the man went past, but to be honest he would have had to be super quick to get in and out travelling in the opposite direction as he was, so I think it was more out of habit than a genuine attempt to rob him.
My friend also wanted to show me the central plaza, where the president lived and the Catacombs where the bones of over 70,000 poor souls rests, but fate was against us this time. I was still feeling a bit iffy on the belly, day 4 now and counting, but I felt better than the previous days. However, once we reached the plaza there was a sign saying that it was closed for restoration only today, so any other day and it would not have been so bad.
The place was most famous for holding the bones of the Spaniard who found and conquored Peru, but I am more interested in the statue of the guy that liberated Peru from the Spanish years later.
My friend had to return home in order to prepare for her job starting tomorrow, so we took a brief walk down by the poluted river before we caught another bus back to her neck of the woods, and the finally I took a taxi down to Miraflores again to see what the place looked like during the day.
There seemed to be plenty of restaurants, casinos and places to shop, but the prices were so much above the normal for Peru that I could tell that this place was tourist central without even having noticed that there were plenty of signs in English as well as Spanish. I was going to try and grab something to eat, but then I remembered my friends advice that I should only eat in a place that had plenty of locals, but the only places that were like that were the small diners that were serving foods that I could neither recognise not pronounce from the menu.
So I wandered around for an hour, spotted a few night clubs and a bowling alley that I almost went into til I rememebred that it was expensive by anyones standard so decided against it and then just returned to my friends house to catch up on my emails and watch a bit of television.
So I got a taxi to meet my friend in her house and then we caught a bus into the city centre. The first thing that I noticed was that there was a lot more traffic going into the city than an any other direction and also that the bus was fully packed instead of just half full as my previous journeys had been.
Although I had not noticed it myself, my friend reminded me that the thing she missed most about Lima buses when she was travelling in Spain was the music, and for the first time I realised that in the background clear and loud was the music, a light rock and pop of the 80's playing through the radio, mixed with recent tunes and latin songs that were unfamiliar to me.
I guess I had not noticed them before as I was always distracted with the view outside and with my friends being beside me, but now that it was pointed out I cannot think of many short bus journeys between stops anywhere else where you can listen to Bon Jovi pumped through the speakers. Maybe on a long journey sure, but just around and about town I'm not so sure.
Lima is a real mix of old and new, rich and poor and on a journey if you stay in a taxi or on a bus long enough you will go past both Spanish colonial buildings, burnt out factories, modern casino complexes, rluxury apartments and everything in between.
I have also not mentioned that since I arrived in Lima the weather has been a moderate temperature, with little or no chance of suntanning, the occasional spot of rain but mostly it has been light grey overcast most of the time. It is a shame as there are some great places to visit in Lima, but the quality of the photos taken will be less through lack of actual sunlight.
Our first stop took us into the centre of town and here my friend was moved to remind me that this place was full of thieves and pickpockets and that I should not take out my camera in public, or even show it unless I was about to use it and then as quickly as possible. Once off the bus we went to a huge cathedral that was all decked out in Purple and filled with a huge congregation that were singing and praying together. Aparently there is a whole story about a painter that survived a earthquake untouched while the rest of the residents died that explained it all, but I will have to check up on the internet later for the full story in English.
My friends English is good, but there are some words and ideas that are unique to Peru and also some that you just never seem to come across in the text books or studies and so even the simplest things can be impossible to properly explain to a tourist, but she did a very recommendable job of trying.
We walked through the town and we both spotted a buy lightly pat another mans open flapped satchel as he went past, but they guy with the bag was oblivious, so it was lucky that it seemed there was nothing of interest as the man went past, but to be honest he would have had to be super quick to get in and out travelling in the opposite direction as he was, so I think it was more out of habit than a genuine attempt to rob him.
My friend also wanted to show me the central plaza, where the president lived and the Catacombs where the bones of over 70,000 poor souls rests, but fate was against us this time. I was still feeling a bit iffy on the belly, day 4 now and counting, but I felt better than the previous days. However, once we reached the plaza there was a sign saying that it was closed for restoration only today, so any other day and it would not have been so bad.
The place was most famous for holding the bones of the Spaniard who found and conquored Peru, but I am more interested in the statue of the guy that liberated Peru from the Spanish years later.
My friend had to return home in order to prepare for her job starting tomorrow, so we took a brief walk down by the poluted river before we caught another bus back to her neck of the woods, and the finally I took a taxi down to Miraflores again to see what the place looked like during the day.
There seemed to be plenty of restaurants, casinos and places to shop, but the prices were so much above the normal for Peru that I could tell that this place was tourist central without even having noticed that there were plenty of signs in English as well as Spanish. I was going to try and grab something to eat, but then I remembered my friends advice that I should only eat in a place that had plenty of locals, but the only places that were like that were the small diners that were serving foods that I could neither recognise not pronounce from the menu.
So I wandered around for an hour, spotted a few night clubs and a bowling alley that I almost went into til I rememebred that it was expensive by anyones standard so decided against it and then just returned to my friends house to catch up on my emails and watch a bit of television.
Despite my intention to take another long bus journey to Piura I failed to take into consideration that the bus was not only a stopping service, but was also needed to be booked a few days in advance and so I have been unable to take the bus on the day I wanted and not to muck up further my plans I chose to book online a midday flight of the 29th instead, which gets me into town just after when I was meant to via the bus.
I got a good nights sleep and I still cannot believe that I am staying with the relatives of friends that hardly know me or can speak my language. I wonder how my sisters or uncle would react if I sent them a text saying that a friend was coming to visit their city for a few days and would they mind meeting them, giving them a place to stay and showing them around the city ... oh and that my frends do not speak English. It is a completely different way of living out here, everyone are potential friends of everyone and they are so open and trusting that it will be hard for me to adjust back again to being a bit cagey and paranoid when I have to leave.
Monday 27 October 2008
Book in advance
I have just learned that even the long and medium buses between cities have to be booked as far in advance as the agent will let you, less you find that the bus is full and you are unable to board it.
As I had already pushed my trip forward by a few days I cannot now change the dates back again, as the reservations are cancelled, so I have had to instead purchase a flight that will get me into Piura at the same time as the bus would have done, at a cost of about ten times the cost, thus the advice is if you have a long distance journey of any description, book it or visit the terminal and buy it in at least three days advance if at all possible.
As I had already pushed my trip forward by a few days I cannot now change the dates back again, as the reservations are cancelled, so I have had to instead purchase a flight that will get me into Piura at the same time as the bus would have done, at a cost of about ten times the cost, thus the advice is if you have a long distance journey of any description, book it or visit the terminal and buy it in at least three days advance if at all possible.
A different kind of homesick
It is weird to sit here, in my friends house, surrounded by happy smiling people and say that I am still a little bit lonely and homesick, and what is weird is that having been scared and in a panic to get home in Brazil homesick, this isn't even the same kind of homesick.
Perhaps it is looking at all the photos of other peoples family and being so far away from my own, perhaps it is the time difference that means that most of the time when I am awake all my friends are asleep and so out of contact, or maybe it is just that I was not prepared to be away from home for months at a time, or maybe its a little bit of all of them.
It is not a depressive or regretful blackness like the last time, as I am still happy, cheerful and eager to get on the bus bound for the next destination, but there is definetly something small nagging at my ease and comfort, like a thief that has stole the cherry on top of the icing on my cake.
It is hard to find the right words, as I do not want to give the wrong impression and I do not want to cut my trip short and come home by any means, but I am just thinking that perhaps a solo RTW trip would have been better if I had somehow managed to slip in a week each month back in the UK with my family and friends.
I guess I just want the best of everything, the travel, the adventure, the new friends and the comfort of home and my old friends and family, which of course is impossible, but then humans are just breathing wish making machines and so I guess I have got to get used to it.
I have enjoyed my time in Lima and the friends I have made here I feel I will keep or years to come, and I have made a promise to myself that, asuming I am back in the country myself, if they were to ever visit the UK then they would have the best guide that I can be for them for the duration of their visit.
But for now, I have to plan for a new city and a new journey ... ever onward :o)
Perhaps it is looking at all the photos of other peoples family and being so far away from my own, perhaps it is the time difference that means that most of the time when I am awake all my friends are asleep and so out of contact, or maybe it is just that I was not prepared to be away from home for months at a time, or maybe its a little bit of all of them.
It is not a depressive or regretful blackness like the last time, as I am still happy, cheerful and eager to get on the bus bound for the next destination, but there is definetly something small nagging at my ease and comfort, like a thief that has stole the cherry on top of the icing on my cake.
It is hard to find the right words, as I do not want to give the wrong impression and I do not want to cut my trip short and come home by any means, but I am just thinking that perhaps a solo RTW trip would have been better if I had somehow managed to slip in a week each month back in the UK with my family and friends.
I guess I just want the best of everything, the travel, the adventure, the new friends and the comfort of home and my old friends and family, which of course is impossible, but then humans are just breathing wish making machines and so I guess I have got to get used to it.
I have enjoyed my time in Lima and the friends I have made here I feel I will keep or years to come, and I have made a promise to myself that, asuming I am back in the country myself, if they were to ever visit the UK then they would have the best guide that I can be for them for the duration of their visit.
But for now, I have to plan for a new city and a new journey ... ever onward :o)
A third day in Lima
This moring I woke up and knew that I would have to try and juggle my time, as I had many things today that I wanted to do as well as fit in with other peoples plans
The hostel I was staying in was in a rather Industrial part of town and not the best to take a wander, and was far from Lima centre and Miraflores, thus being no good for going anywhere with friends either. I wasted a little too much time being lazy in the morning and watching morning TV and drafting up emails before I went down to the reception area where the wifi signal was and found that I had many semi-urgent messages that it would have been much better to reply to first thing rather than an hour before midday.
The news was all good though, as my friend from Madrid had been in contact with her family back in Lima and together they had agreed and arranged for me to stay with them for a couple of nights, a treat that further went to show their open and friendly hospitality, and would not only save me money but give me the chance to spend some quality time with real Peruvians and share their daily lives.
I also had to try and rearrange the next few hostels and cities, as I did not really think that it was making the best use of my time to spend over a week in Lima and then only one day or two in each of the next few cities as was originally planned, at least not now that I was in Lima four days earlier than originally planned.
After a few hurried emails back and forth we arranged for me to catch a taxi over to my friends house where we would have a meal before heading over to where I would be staying for the next couple of nights. The area around where my friend lives was very pretty and filled with public gardens and parks, and the local government was clearly trying their best to modernise it also as the roads in almost every direction had construction men working on them, much to the distress of the taxi driver who was not on a meter but a fixed price to my destination.
Once there I met all my friends immediate family, including her grandmother who was a true gem and could speak also the Ketchuan language, in addition to Catillian Spanish, and I guess I never before appreciated the difference between Castillian and Catalunian Spanish til I met people that knew both and could explain in English some of the differences.
After the meal we looked at some family photos and I was a little embarrased and dissapointed in myself that I had not saved more of my own family photos onto my laptop, but then I had to remind myself that my main PC had not been working for most of my trip preparation time and also that my laptop was brand new only a month of so before I left the UK. I also got a chance to recharge my cellphone for the first time in weeks, and this was a relief as trying to organise to meet people purely by email is very hit and miss as it is frustrating in having to wait for them to get around to reading the emails and replying.
After the meail we headed on over to where I was staying for a few nights, also in a nice part of Lima, and here we dropped off my stuff and looked at a few more photos before we took a bus ride into Lima. All of my Limean friends had been going on at me to take a bus ride for ages and once I was in one I understood why. At only PES 2 a fare they would take you on a journey to the city limits if you required it, although the buses were nothing more than large minivans converted to holding passengers, with one employee doing the driving and another as both ticket seller and advertiser as he would bellow out the destinations and try to drum up business at every lull in traffic.
They don't really have bus stops in Lima, just roads that are frequented by buses and you never have to wait too long for a bus although there doesn't seem to be a proper organised timetable and I could not quite figure out if the buses were all privately owned or rather all a part of a larger firm that sort of subcontracted or franchised out the running of the each bus.
After a few phone calls, which to be honest I just handed my phone over to one Limean friend to call and arrange with the other a time and place, we all met in in Lima and I was glad to see that as soon as they met the two friends got on well enough for me to feel the outsider, but happy that I had brought these two nice people together as friends. I do hope they continue to keep in contact with each other after I leave, and I am sure they will as one is a dance teacher and the other wants to learn.
I tried to eat a toffee apple that was on sale in one of the stalls in the central park, however my lip was still pretty cracked and sore from the dehydration and so this only helped in stripping me of my lower lip skin and I had to give up halfway despite it being yummy and the first sweet indulgence in many a week.
Together we all took a trip to a nice area called Barranca, that I was reliably informed was very much like Andalucia, however my memory of the time I visited this regoin of southern Spain was many years old and I could not quite picture it as well as they could. One thing I did spot, in amoung all the street performers was an artist who was using spray cans and a lighter to make some very incredible artwork right in front of out eyes, and at only PES 20 each I saw one and instantly knew that I had found a perfect gift for a friend back home who will go mental when they see it.
I do nor normally make a habit of buying things for people, as this can get very expensive and time consuming, plus it leads can often lead to a few people asking why someone else got one and not them, but the second I saw this I knew that it was just absolutely perfect and the price was so fair that I could not resist.
One of my friends had to go and meet her other friends around seven, which left me alone with the other friend very near Miraflores centre, so we returned there for another drink and another movie, this time my choice before getting a taxi home again. We saw a proper action flick this time, Max Payne, and it was pretty good even if it did sort of get all arty and play on a devil and angels theme a bit too much for my liking, though tastefully done. The story was basic and you could tell what was going to happen from the start, but in an action flick this is never really a surprise and you go for the fight sequences and dialgoure rather than final plot twists.
Finally home I had a chance to get some rest and plan in my head the next few days.
The hostel I was staying in was in a rather Industrial part of town and not the best to take a wander, and was far from Lima centre and Miraflores, thus being no good for going anywhere with friends either. I wasted a little too much time being lazy in the morning and watching morning TV and drafting up emails before I went down to the reception area where the wifi signal was and found that I had many semi-urgent messages that it would have been much better to reply to first thing rather than an hour before midday.
The news was all good though, as my friend from Madrid had been in contact with her family back in Lima and together they had agreed and arranged for me to stay with them for a couple of nights, a treat that further went to show their open and friendly hospitality, and would not only save me money but give me the chance to spend some quality time with real Peruvians and share their daily lives.
I also had to try and rearrange the next few hostels and cities, as I did not really think that it was making the best use of my time to spend over a week in Lima and then only one day or two in each of the next few cities as was originally planned, at least not now that I was in Lima four days earlier than originally planned.
After a few hurried emails back and forth we arranged for me to catch a taxi over to my friends house where we would have a meal before heading over to where I would be staying for the next couple of nights. The area around where my friend lives was very pretty and filled with public gardens and parks, and the local government was clearly trying their best to modernise it also as the roads in almost every direction had construction men working on them, much to the distress of the taxi driver who was not on a meter but a fixed price to my destination.
Once there I met all my friends immediate family, including her grandmother who was a true gem and could speak also the Ketchuan language, in addition to Catillian Spanish, and I guess I never before appreciated the difference between Castillian and Catalunian Spanish til I met people that knew both and could explain in English some of the differences.
After the meal we looked at some family photos and I was a little embarrased and dissapointed in myself that I had not saved more of my own family photos onto my laptop, but then I had to remind myself that my main PC had not been working for most of my trip preparation time and also that my laptop was brand new only a month of so before I left the UK. I also got a chance to recharge my cellphone for the first time in weeks, and this was a relief as trying to organise to meet people purely by email is very hit and miss as it is frustrating in having to wait for them to get around to reading the emails and replying.
After the meail we headed on over to where I was staying for a few nights, also in a nice part of Lima, and here we dropped off my stuff and looked at a few more photos before we took a bus ride into Lima. All of my Limean friends had been going on at me to take a bus ride for ages and once I was in one I understood why. At only PES 2 a fare they would take you on a journey to the city limits if you required it, although the buses were nothing more than large minivans converted to holding passengers, with one employee doing the driving and another as both ticket seller and advertiser as he would bellow out the destinations and try to drum up business at every lull in traffic.
They don't really have bus stops in Lima, just roads that are frequented by buses and you never have to wait too long for a bus although there doesn't seem to be a proper organised timetable and I could not quite figure out if the buses were all privately owned or rather all a part of a larger firm that sort of subcontracted or franchised out the running of the each bus.
After a few phone calls, which to be honest I just handed my phone over to one Limean friend to call and arrange with the other a time and place, we all met in in Lima and I was glad to see that as soon as they met the two friends got on well enough for me to feel the outsider, but happy that I had brought these two nice people together as friends. I do hope they continue to keep in contact with each other after I leave, and I am sure they will as one is a dance teacher and the other wants to learn.
I tried to eat a toffee apple that was on sale in one of the stalls in the central park, however my lip was still pretty cracked and sore from the dehydration and so this only helped in stripping me of my lower lip skin and I had to give up halfway despite it being yummy and the first sweet indulgence in many a week.
Together we all took a trip to a nice area called Barranca, that I was reliably informed was very much like Andalucia, however my memory of the time I visited this regoin of southern Spain was many years old and I could not quite picture it as well as they could. One thing I did spot, in amoung all the street performers was an artist who was using spray cans and a lighter to make some very incredible artwork right in front of out eyes, and at only PES 20 each I saw one and instantly knew that I had found a perfect gift for a friend back home who will go mental when they see it.
I do nor normally make a habit of buying things for people, as this can get very expensive and time consuming, plus it leads can often lead to a few people asking why someone else got one and not them, but the second I saw this I knew that it was just absolutely perfect and the price was so fair that I could not resist.
One of my friends had to go and meet her other friends around seven, which left me alone with the other friend very near Miraflores centre, so we returned there for another drink and another movie, this time my choice before getting a taxi home again. We saw a proper action flick this time, Max Payne, and it was pretty good even if it did sort of get all arty and play on a devil and angels theme a bit too much for my liking, though tastefully done. The story was basic and you could tell what was going to happen from the start, but in an action flick this is never really a surprise and you go for the fight sequences and dialgoure rather than final plot twists.
Finally home I had a chance to get some rest and plan in my head the next few days.
A couple of days in Lima
Lima is not only the capital city of Peru, but a city where I have a few friends and I hope that since being here I have made a few more.
After arriving on the long bus journey from Cusco I was a little tired, but also happy that my friends Cousin from Madrid, and hopefully now my friend also, was able to meet me and show me around Miraflores.
We took a taxi down to central Miraflores, which is a nice area on the east of Lima, right on the coast and near where most of the tourists come to visit as it is where it is happening and liveliest. Casinos, restaurants, bars, shops, cinemas are all here, in bright colours and clean swept stores.
The beach area itself is the most up-to-date and well kept area and it would not look out of place in city twice its size in the States or even back in London. Most people here in Miraflores that are out and about seem to speak a little English as well as Spanish, clear evidence that many western tourists chose this spot to visit when they come to Peru.
As it was already pretty late when my friend arrived at my house, we only had time for a stroll along the boulevard, a trip to the waterfront and a few photo opportunities, however my camera is not very good at night shots so nothing worth showing to anyone who wasn't there and who could remember it clearly.
Miraflores also has a few love parks, where there are amourous statues and plenty of seats for couples young and old to sit and canoodle in semi privacy, complete with the wandering rose sellers who seem to be eveywhere in Miraflores but here most of all, and here just like anywhere else they seem to think that they can embarrase a man into getting his female friend / lover a rose despite trying to charge the earth.
In a city where you can have a complete meal for only PES 5 it is totally unreasonable that a flower seller thinks she can for onto you a single rose that also costs PES 5, especially when you see the state of some of the roses.
There is also a bridge where so many people have historically thrown themselves off, dashing themselves onto the rocks and water below, that they local government has decided to erect a plastic barrier around and over the bridge, furthermore some of the lovers names have been commemorated in collage art in the love parks seats and fountains.
By around ten at night it was time for us to leave and head on back to my hostel, which was fine with me.
The next morning I still was suffering with the bad tummy, so I decided to cut back on my eating as the internet doctor suggests and just try to wait it out til I can eat again, and eating in Peru is a real treat as they cook everything from fresh ingredients and are very proud of their culinary skills.
I met up with my other Limean friend shortly before Midday and the again we returned to Miraflores to take in the daytime sights, which gave me a few more chances to take photos that I couldnt take the previous night.
As my Limean friend speaks only a little English it was up to me to do my best to practice and speak in as much Spanish as possible and within a few hours I had got the hang of arranging the few words that I knew into enough sentences to convey most messages, with hand signals and basic English for the few times that my Spanish vocabulary was exhausted and even the mini dictionary that I purchased was not helpful.
In Miraflores, right in the mini shopping plaza there is also a small but interested Museum called the Gold of Peru, where you can use a headset set in several main languages to help guide you around the musuem and explain the way the Inca's and even pre Incan people of Peru called the Sican's, shaped and worked gold right up to the recent rediscovery of Manchu Picchu by an explorer in the early 1900's.
I was very amazed at how they were able to use human bellows and blowpipes to heat the gold, poured it into clay moulds and then with a smooth rock flattened til it was almost as thin as paper and very easy to the skulp and work on, often with very intricate and delicate patterns. The artisans of the past were clearly not stupid and used techniques that are almost identical to todays jewelry design, despite being all crafted entirely by hand as opposed to being automated in modern times.
There was also a mini film about a pyramid shaped temple that had been found in northern Peru, that might be good to visit one day, where they found a body of possibly royal birth that was all dressed in fine clothes but was buried upside down in a sitting position, surrounded by the usual offerings and female slave sacrifices.
Afte the musem we then took a trip next door to the cinema and together we chose to watch a gangster film called Crimen Oculto, which we thought would be great as we both enjoy watching action movies, however it ended up being a film called Paranoid Park in English, as was some directors weird vision of high art and clever filming to try and stretch out a relatively simple accidental homicide into a bizarre remake of Train Spotting using Skaters instead of druggies. Neither of us were impressed but I couldn't explain that I dislikedit enough that we should just walk out and do something more exciting.
After the movie we headed on back to my friends house, to meet her family and as very good luck and timing would have it, a family friend who had moved to the states and married an American who spoke less Spanish than I do.
My friends house was very modern and spotlessly clean, a contrast to much of what I had seen in Peru so far, as I can see why she was a little hesitant to taking a normal taxi to her house, as crime does exist in Peru and travelling to this part of town I guess could make a single woman appear like a very attractive potential victim to a desperate criminal. Sharing a meal and a conversation with my friend and her family was great and getting the chance to speak proper English again was a relief but also a bit of a bad thing as during the day I had sort of got used to understanding Spanish but barely more than an hour speaking only English to the American guy and quickly my mind went blank and lost all its Spanish when my friend joined in the conversation.
Around 1am I returned to my hostel, and the taxi had a hard time finding it, despite having the directions and so I am even more sure now that a map and compass is not only a good idea but almost a necessity.
After arriving on the long bus journey from Cusco I was a little tired, but also happy that my friends Cousin from Madrid, and hopefully now my friend also, was able to meet me and show me around Miraflores.
We took a taxi down to central Miraflores, which is a nice area on the east of Lima, right on the coast and near where most of the tourists come to visit as it is where it is happening and liveliest. Casinos, restaurants, bars, shops, cinemas are all here, in bright colours and clean swept stores.
The beach area itself is the most up-to-date and well kept area and it would not look out of place in city twice its size in the States or even back in London. Most people here in Miraflores that are out and about seem to speak a little English as well as Spanish, clear evidence that many western tourists chose this spot to visit when they come to Peru.
As it was already pretty late when my friend arrived at my house, we only had time for a stroll along the boulevard, a trip to the waterfront and a few photo opportunities, however my camera is not very good at night shots so nothing worth showing to anyone who wasn't there and who could remember it clearly.
Miraflores also has a few love parks, where there are amourous statues and plenty of seats for couples young and old to sit and canoodle in semi privacy, complete with the wandering rose sellers who seem to be eveywhere in Miraflores but here most of all, and here just like anywhere else they seem to think that they can embarrase a man into getting his female friend / lover a rose despite trying to charge the earth.
In a city where you can have a complete meal for only PES 5 it is totally unreasonable that a flower seller thinks she can for onto you a single rose that also costs PES 5, especially when you see the state of some of the roses.
There is also a bridge where so many people have historically thrown themselves off, dashing themselves onto the rocks and water below, that they local government has decided to erect a plastic barrier around and over the bridge, furthermore some of the lovers names have been commemorated in collage art in the love parks seats and fountains.
By around ten at night it was time for us to leave and head on back to my hostel, which was fine with me.
The next morning I still was suffering with the bad tummy, so I decided to cut back on my eating as the internet doctor suggests and just try to wait it out til I can eat again, and eating in Peru is a real treat as they cook everything from fresh ingredients and are very proud of their culinary skills.
I met up with my other Limean friend shortly before Midday and the again we returned to Miraflores to take in the daytime sights, which gave me a few more chances to take photos that I couldnt take the previous night.
As my Limean friend speaks only a little English it was up to me to do my best to practice and speak in as much Spanish as possible and within a few hours I had got the hang of arranging the few words that I knew into enough sentences to convey most messages, with hand signals and basic English for the few times that my Spanish vocabulary was exhausted and even the mini dictionary that I purchased was not helpful.
In Miraflores, right in the mini shopping plaza there is also a small but interested Museum called the Gold of Peru, where you can use a headset set in several main languages to help guide you around the musuem and explain the way the Inca's and even pre Incan people of Peru called the Sican's, shaped and worked gold right up to the recent rediscovery of Manchu Picchu by an explorer in the early 1900's.
I was very amazed at how they were able to use human bellows and blowpipes to heat the gold, poured it into clay moulds and then with a smooth rock flattened til it was almost as thin as paper and very easy to the skulp and work on, often with very intricate and delicate patterns. The artisans of the past were clearly not stupid and used techniques that are almost identical to todays jewelry design, despite being all crafted entirely by hand as opposed to being automated in modern times.
There was also a mini film about a pyramid shaped temple that had been found in northern Peru, that might be good to visit one day, where they found a body of possibly royal birth that was all dressed in fine clothes but was buried upside down in a sitting position, surrounded by the usual offerings and female slave sacrifices.
Afte the musem we then took a trip next door to the cinema and together we chose to watch a gangster film called Crimen Oculto, which we thought would be great as we both enjoy watching action movies, however it ended up being a film called Paranoid Park in English, as was some directors weird vision of high art and clever filming to try and stretch out a relatively simple accidental homicide into a bizarre remake of Train Spotting using Skaters instead of druggies. Neither of us were impressed but I couldn't explain that I dislikedit enough that we should just walk out and do something more exciting.
After the movie we headed on back to my friends house, to meet her family and as very good luck and timing would have it, a family friend who had moved to the states and married an American who spoke less Spanish than I do.
My friends house was very modern and spotlessly clean, a contrast to much of what I had seen in Peru so far, as I can see why she was a little hesitant to taking a normal taxi to her house, as crime does exist in Peru and travelling to this part of town I guess could make a single woman appear like a very attractive potential victim to a desperate criminal. Sharing a meal and a conversation with my friend and her family was great and getting the chance to speak proper English again was a relief but also a bit of a bad thing as during the day I had sort of got used to understanding Spanish but barely more than an hour speaking only English to the American guy and quickly my mind went blank and lost all its Spanish when my friend joined in the conversation.
Around 1am I returned to my hostel, and the taxi had a hard time finding it, despite having the directions and so I am even more sure now that a map and compass is not only a good idea but almost a necessity.
Saturday 25 October 2008
Leaving Cusco and missing out on Arequipa
When i woke up I went up to the internet room as usual and as I was checking through all my emails and planning the day ahead I heard a lot of noise from the other guests about the fact that the way to Lima was blocked by the locals.
The problems that my tour had told me the second day I was here had raised their ugly heads and the locals were protesting that the government has just recently sold off two power stations in Arequipa to foreign multinaional companies, and for the life of me I cannot understand why they would do this, as the long term losses far outweigh any potential short term gains.
Thus it is a shame and a frustration that I have had to change my destination and next port of call just to avoid a protest that I agree with and it also means that this is the first time during my route around the world that I have had to totally miss out a place I had planned.
It is a treble blow as Areuipa is meant to be one of the most beautiful cities in all of south America, and I also have a good friend who was going to show me around, but now this is not gonig to happen this time around.
At one point a few of the other guests were talking about trying to hire out a private bus to take us all the way, which is still around an 11 hour trip, but there were not enough of us wanting to go there and so the price for each of us would have been just way too much, thus the idea was scrapped.
A few of the deadset people who were refusing to change their plans said that they were going to keep going down to the bus station and just wait til a bus was leaving, but this option did not appeal to me, as the protest has already been going for over a week already and my time in Arequipa is only a few days, so to lose a couple here would mean that as soon as I arrived I would have to leave.
Thus it was that I made the slightly sad but logical choice to go direct to Lima and then see what happens when I get there. I have no strong desire to stay in a big expensive city for over a week, so I might move up all the dates a bit to spread out the extra time that I have gained through not visiting Arequipa, but it all depends on the other choices of hotels and of course I cannot change the date of any flights.
Getting down to the bus station was not a problem by taxi, though not having a map meant that I could not go for a walk when I got to the terminal early, but at least I got a chance to take a photo of the monument to the Inca King that was on the way, and was too far from the city centre to walk.
The bus fare to Lima rom Cusco was surprisingly cheap at only PES 105, which works out at about £8.50 for a 21 hour journey, which is good no matter where you are, and when you consider that the seats are recliners, that they show 4 movies and they give you a late supper and then stop off for breakfast at their own restaurant just outside of Lima then the price is even better.
The jouney was only meant to be about 19 hours, but I guess that over this distance a few hours can be lost just through bad traffic and not pushing the vehicle to its maximm limit the whole time, but after awhile I did not mind so much.
It is a fact that the Inca's didn't seem to agree with the Romans idea of straight roads and, so even accepting that the route had to go from high up in the Andes mountains to down to the coast, I feel that the road took a few to many curves, loops and bends for my liking and the quality of the road was adequate but not smooth enough to let me sleep peacefully without interruption.
The toilets on the bus were a hazard in themselves as the door was very stiff to open, the constant shifting and swaying of the bus meant that I knocked my head a few times just trying to sit down and get up again, and I went more by luck and desperation than any degree of comfort. But having said all that, it was an experience and much better than spending the equivalent of another £80 on a flight that would mean spending almost as much at the airport for the taxi as it would be for the entire bus ride.
The only real shame was that the route has some pretty spots and the mountains are of course impressive, but upon staring at nothing but then for 20 hours even their appeal seems to diminish somewhat.
I arrived in Lima and caught a taxi to my hostel, which wasn't too bad at PES 15 and once I arrived it was good to be able to throw my rucksack down and stretch my legs, plus free wifi access in the main reception was a bonus, just not as much as wifi in the privte room I had booked!
The hostel facilities are basic but they have done a good job of decorating it from its modest surroundings, and it is only a shame that the hostel is so far away from the city centre, the beach or from the Miraflores area.
After I checked my emails it was great to hear that the cousin on my friend from Spain was able to meet me tonight and show me around the place for a bit, though being nighttime it was too dark for me to take many photos. We took a taxi into the area known as Miraflores and planned to wander for a bit, looking at the sights, hostels and restaurants of the area.
All the drivers in Lima scare me at night, as they seem to think that they can filter through lanes like a motorcycle and at times our driver fought his way to a position through pure speed and getting their first rather than any fact that he had a right to be there, and at other times when reaching a cross roads he would slowly edge forward into sideways against the flow of traffic and thus eventually be far enough into the lane that the oncoming traffic would have to stop or else hit him, an even bet if you would have asked me.
Once We spend a few hours walking around the city before it got too late and dark and we had to come back, it was a shame to call an end to the evening but I was also a bit privately glad as I am feeling like a bit of a medical disaster movie at the moment.
I have still got a spot of food poisoning from Cusco, which means that I am dehydrated causing my lips to all busted up and crack, my belly and chest to throb whenever I put pressure on them ( so forget eating ) and my rear end, well teh less said about that the better.
But more than just these ailments, my left lower arm is mild constant pain and just flexing it or my wrist caused the pain to swell up and strike me and the skin of my lower legs seems to have reacted with something and has caused tiny red painful spots to appear at my hair folicles, again painful to touch and makes sitting or lying down a mini nightmare.
Tomorrow I hope to feel better as I want to see more of Lima and meet more friends, but who can tell how I feel when I wake up.
The problems that my tour had told me the second day I was here had raised their ugly heads and the locals were protesting that the government has just recently sold off two power stations in Arequipa to foreign multinaional companies, and for the life of me I cannot understand why they would do this, as the long term losses far outweigh any potential short term gains.
Thus it is a shame and a frustration that I have had to change my destination and next port of call just to avoid a protest that I agree with and it also means that this is the first time during my route around the world that I have had to totally miss out a place I had planned.
It is a treble blow as Areuipa is meant to be one of the most beautiful cities in all of south America, and I also have a good friend who was going to show me around, but now this is not gonig to happen this time around.
At one point a few of the other guests were talking about trying to hire out a private bus to take us all the way, which is still around an 11 hour trip, but there were not enough of us wanting to go there and so the price for each of us would have been just way too much, thus the idea was scrapped.
A few of the deadset people who were refusing to change their plans said that they were going to keep going down to the bus station and just wait til a bus was leaving, but this option did not appeal to me, as the protest has already been going for over a week already and my time in Arequipa is only a few days, so to lose a couple here would mean that as soon as I arrived I would have to leave.
Thus it was that I made the slightly sad but logical choice to go direct to Lima and then see what happens when I get there. I have no strong desire to stay in a big expensive city for over a week, so I might move up all the dates a bit to spread out the extra time that I have gained through not visiting Arequipa, but it all depends on the other choices of hotels and of course I cannot change the date of any flights.
Getting down to the bus station was not a problem by taxi, though not having a map meant that I could not go for a walk when I got to the terminal early, but at least I got a chance to take a photo of the monument to the Inca King that was on the way, and was too far from the city centre to walk.
The bus fare to Lima rom Cusco was surprisingly cheap at only PES 105, which works out at about £8.50 for a 21 hour journey, which is good no matter where you are, and when you consider that the seats are recliners, that they show 4 movies and they give you a late supper and then stop off for breakfast at their own restaurant just outside of Lima then the price is even better.
The jouney was only meant to be about 19 hours, but I guess that over this distance a few hours can be lost just through bad traffic and not pushing the vehicle to its maximm limit the whole time, but after awhile I did not mind so much.
It is a fact that the Inca's didn't seem to agree with the Romans idea of straight roads and, so even accepting that the route had to go from high up in the Andes mountains to down to the coast, I feel that the road took a few to many curves, loops and bends for my liking and the quality of the road was adequate but not smooth enough to let me sleep peacefully without interruption.
The toilets on the bus were a hazard in themselves as the door was very stiff to open, the constant shifting and swaying of the bus meant that I knocked my head a few times just trying to sit down and get up again, and I went more by luck and desperation than any degree of comfort. But having said all that, it was an experience and much better than spending the equivalent of another £80 on a flight that would mean spending almost as much at the airport for the taxi as it would be for the entire bus ride.
The only real shame was that the route has some pretty spots and the mountains are of course impressive, but upon staring at nothing but then for 20 hours even their appeal seems to diminish somewhat.
I arrived in Lima and caught a taxi to my hostel, which wasn't too bad at PES 15 and once I arrived it was good to be able to throw my rucksack down and stretch my legs, plus free wifi access in the main reception was a bonus, just not as much as wifi in the privte room I had booked!
The hostel facilities are basic but they have done a good job of decorating it from its modest surroundings, and it is only a shame that the hostel is so far away from the city centre, the beach or from the Miraflores area.
After I checked my emails it was great to hear that the cousin on my friend from Spain was able to meet me tonight and show me around the place for a bit, though being nighttime it was too dark for me to take many photos. We took a taxi into the area known as Miraflores and planned to wander for a bit, looking at the sights, hostels and restaurants of the area.
All the drivers in Lima scare me at night, as they seem to think that they can filter through lanes like a motorcycle and at times our driver fought his way to a position through pure speed and getting their first rather than any fact that he had a right to be there, and at other times when reaching a cross roads he would slowly edge forward into sideways against the flow of traffic and thus eventually be far enough into the lane that the oncoming traffic would have to stop or else hit him, an even bet if you would have asked me.
Once We spend a few hours walking around the city before it got too late and dark and we had to come back, it was a shame to call an end to the evening but I was also a bit privately glad as I am feeling like a bit of a medical disaster movie at the moment.
I have still got a spot of food poisoning from Cusco, which means that I am dehydrated causing my lips to all busted up and crack, my belly and chest to throb whenever I put pressure on them ( so forget eating ) and my rear end, well teh less said about that the better.
But more than just these ailments, my left lower arm is mild constant pain and just flexing it or my wrist caused the pain to swell up and strike me and the skin of my lower legs seems to have reacted with something and has caused tiny red painful spots to appear at my hair folicles, again painful to touch and makes sitting or lying down a mini nightmare.
Tomorrow I hope to feel better as I want to see more of Lima and meet more friends, but who can tell how I feel when I wake up.
Thursday 23 October 2008
Peru - Violent Strikes Getting Into Arequipa
Well If I wanted something exciting to happen then the civilian strike in Peru is what life has thrown at me.
Just like what my guide was telling me about, being pissed at the government for trying to sell off everything, some of the locals in Arequipa have begun to stone buses, trains and the airport, so the buses have all gone on strike and this has been going for the last week.
Now I am just sitting in the hostel, chatting with the other travellers who have all got plans to leave here today or tomorrow and trying to organise some private bus to take us, or face being either stuck in Cusco or to fly direct to Lima, but either way the chances of me staying in Arequipa are becoming slimmer and slimmer, which is a real shame as I have heard many good things about that city.
I am meant to be checking out in an hour and I have no idea what I am going to do or where I am going to do, but the weather here in Cusco is raining and I am really saddened that this protest against the goverment, which I agree with, is also going to stop me from travelling and thus spoil an otherwise great time in Peru.
Just like what my guide was telling me about, being pissed at the government for trying to sell off everything, some of the locals in Arequipa have begun to stone buses, trains and the airport, so the buses have all gone on strike and this has been going for the last week.
Now I am just sitting in the hostel, chatting with the other travellers who have all got plans to leave here today or tomorrow and trying to organise some private bus to take us, or face being either stuck in Cusco or to fly direct to Lima, but either way the chances of me staying in Arequipa are becoming slimmer and slimmer, which is a real shame as I have heard many good things about that city.
I am meant to be checking out in an hour and I have no idea what I am going to do or where I am going to do, but the weather here in Cusco is raining and I am really saddened that this protest against the goverment, which I agree with, is also going to stop me from travelling and thus spoil an otherwise great time in Peru.
A visit to Manchu Picchu
Having only arranged this trip the night before I was a little bit nervous that it wouldn't be all that I hoped it would be, especially as lots of the hostel mob had been swapping travel agent horror stories the night before and I was beginning to think that I should have just bought the train and bus tickets myself rather than relying on an agent.
The cost for the return train tickets, guide and entrance fee was PES 570, which is expensive anyway you look at it, but especially if you consider that this is Peru and you can get a good meal and a drink for only about PES 10.
My tour rep was meant to knock for me at just gone six so by half past I was pacing back and forth in reception and was seconds away from getting a cab myself to the train station when he knocked for me, and luckily he chose that we should get a cab and he picked up the cost, though it was only about PES 7 so it wasn't any big deal hunk of change.
The station itself was a mess of locals and tourists all trying to get tickets and I was so glad that I had remembered to take my passport with me, as for some reason they insisted that all us tourists show our passports as we entered the train, not that they were actually taking and notes or records of who was going where. I ended up sharing a carriage with a middle aged German couple ( at least I think they were German ) and a cool ex services biked American who he and I seemed to share a lot in common, not least our views of travelling and what to do when you get there.
Perurails train to Ollyantambo was a real experience, as I had never been on a train that made several switchbacks before, and we had barely been going more than five minutes when the train slowed and stopped for the first time. Further up the carriage a french tour guide stood up and made a joke that the trip to Manchu Picchu had been cancelled, which did nothing to calm my nerves, but then he started to laugh as we began again going back in the other direction but still climbing up.
All in all the train must have zigzagged about five times, each time going higher up the side of the mountain, before it finally reached an altitude where it could go up and over the crest of the hill and then on to run normally for a further hour or so. It was typical of my bad timing that I was just saying to my new American chum that I loved Cusco because it was so quiet when the train started blaring out it horn and it must have got stuck, as it honked on and off for the next hour.
I had not really checked into the geographical location of Manchu Picchu, and so it was a bit of a surprise to me when the train ran started to head into deepest dark rain forest, where the chance of rain is 75% during the dry season and 95% during the wet season. I am not sure if we were going to a lost Incan city, or trying to find Paddington Bears distant relatives, but wherever we were going it was wet and green and filled with strange weird plants that I had never seen before.
After a pause to let on more passengers at a midway town we finally got to Agua Calientes, which is the end of the train line in this direction, after about four hours and the rain was falling cold and heavy. However the rain did not prevent the locals sellers form being out in force, and one of the bargain buys of the whole trip so far was a plastic sheet waterproof poncho, for a mere PES 5, which meant that I did not have to get drenched while waiting for the fog to life, instead I just had to look like a purple telly tubby.
Following the train ride we caught a bus that snaked and slid its way up the side of the mountain, and it would have felt more mystical had the bus not been air conditioned and also had they not been blaring out some weird music through the stereo.
Once the bus ride was over we all got out and were a bit dissapointed when there was a thick fog bank covering all of the site and I was dreading the fact that I had come all this way not to be able to see anything.
It was our guides birthday today and so when he while he was giving us the brief of the area and the background history on its rediscovery we all sang him a bizarre multinational happy birthday celebration, al personally I think that a few more of us should have asked what his name was beforehand! The funniest part was that the fog was being blown by the winds and so every time it lifted enough to take a half decent photo everyone rushed to the side of the mountain and ignore the guide and then as soon as the fog dropped again we all sighed and then went back to the guide, who was patient enough and did not seem to mind in the slightest.
After about ten minutes the rain stopped and so we all removed out costumes and before too much longer we were blessed with glorious sunshine and some of the best views of the mountain you could possibly dream for. It was no surprise that the Spanish did not find the place as it was so very high up the mountain, the tracks were very well hidden and the fog was so thick that you could not see more than about fifteen feet infront of your face, so for their untrained soldiers to spot this high mountain top city without a definite set of directions would have been almost impossible.
When it was found, Manchu Picchu had been deserted for about 400 years and was heavily overgrown with weeds and trees, and their root system had damaged a number of the buildings, so to the Pervuians did their best to fix up the area to its former glory, however without the know how or experience of the ancient Incas you can tell a mile away which bits are the orginal walls and which have been renovated for tourists.
I would say that for the next three hours we walked, took photos, went "wooow". admired the views and respected anew the fearlessness of the ancient Incas for living and working in such a dangerous place,until it was time for us all to consider coming back or staying the night in nearby Agua Calientes.
The sights and buildings were every bit as impressive as I had seen on tv or read about in books, and the only thing that could have possibly made the experience any better is if they had also found time and money to replace the grass straw roofs or if some of the natives had dressed up in original clothing and acted out their daily lives throughout the city, although having said that there were so many tourists that there would probably be no place for them to do this.
Apparently they have a 400 person maximum limit for the city, which makes sense as even with this many I had to wait and be patient for many of my best photo opportunities, and I almost pushed some stupid american woman off the side as she was carrying the largest backpack on her shoulders and had no sense of spacial awareness and thwacked it into me at least three times in as many seconds.
A few funny highlights of the tour were the idea that there was a sacred inner temple where you could hear things from the other side of the room if you stuck your head one of the alcoves, which made for a nice photo, as did the hordes of people wanting to steal a little of the magic of the sacred rock by rubbing their hands together and then placing them just centimeters away, after the guide said that the acid from our hands would damage the rock.
Once the tour was over we had a little time to ourselves to explore, but with all the tourists milling about we just decided to go back into town, grab a bite to eat and then be there with plenty of time for the last train back to Cusco. Agua Calientes is much like a small Cusco, in that it is very much set up for the tourists and everyone seems to speak English, so we chose a nice local restaurant and had a tasty meal of Pig and Alpaca, which was the first time that I had tried that meat and it was like a mix between beef and lamb.
Back on the train I got separated from my American buddy by seat alocations, but as luck woul have it I got sat next to another, a real old timer from the deep south who had a lot of stories to tell and a few jokes about the Yankee War of Agression, a.k.a the American War of Independence, which was kind of fun as I had always had a fondness of the confederates anyway, right back to my Soskan days, and it sure helped to while away the four hours train journey back home.
I also shared the carriage with a couple of Argentinian women, who were nice but as I coud expect were very proud of their country and were a little surprised and dissapointed that I was not going to visit their Country on my tour.
Finally back in Cusco I managed to get almost lost for the first time since I arrived, before I retracked my steps and realises I just took a left instead of a right at the top of the hilland then from there it was just the long trek up the hill back to the Hotel.
Tuesday 21 October 2008
Sacsayhuaman
Looking back over my photos I keep remembering things that I should have mentioned, like almost being bitten by a black widow spider.
I was not aware that they were all over Peru and so there we were climbing and me using my hands as much as my feet, and all of a sudden one of the Canadian goes "Wow, is that a black widow spider right there" and sure enough it was, although I had no idea it was that, but they sure did.
Today I woke up early again, in quite a bit of pain through my sunburn and I resolved to do a much better job of looking after myself for the next few months and thus it was that I made sure that I was heavily covered with an inch thick of factor 50 suncream before I headed on out for todays trip to Sacsayhuaman.
I had arranged to meet up with the same guide as yesterday, not that it needs a guide to get there, but his insights and knowledge was very welcome and as he thinks that this place is his favourite of all Inca ruins he was doing this run for free, which just goes to show how kind Peruvian people can be at times.
When we out there it was only a few minutes by taxi and another PES 40 entrance fee, which you could probaly get around if you was to walk from a little further down the hill and not follow the road, but then that isnt quite the point of it all.
We wandered round the ruins for half an hour, taking plenty of photos and discussing how the ancient rock carving were not the works of the Incas desite whatever the tour books try and fob off of you and then he led me through a narrow dark passage that had absolutely no lighting at all and I was sort of grabbing hold of my guides shirt tail as he led the way through and up to the secret chambre, that I very much doubt I would have dared attempt to enter without a torch and rope.
The climb up was not difficult, apart from that it was pitch dark and had a low ceiling but once it opened out then it was all worth it. From the edge we emerged into a huge circular amphitheatre that had stones so large that they made stone henge look like a kinder garden effort and fitting together so perfectly that it was as if the creator himself carved the very stones and put them there to taunt us of his power.
These stones were about 5 meters high and wide and deep and yet they were fitted together without any motar and had withstood the test of time, the Spaniards best efforts to remove all unholy sites and numerous earth quakes.
After this I can see why people in the know say that although Machu Picchu is the most recent find and the most complete site, it is not necessarily the most impressive or the most important of all the Incan sacred places.
Before I came to Peru I was stupid enough to think that Machu Picchu was one of the only places left where you can see any evidence of Incan works, but the truth is that there are dozens and dozens of sites worth visiting and all with their own story and offering their own insights into the Incas and the other native indian tribes of the South Americas.
I was not aware that they were all over Peru and so there we were climbing and me using my hands as much as my feet, and all of a sudden one of the Canadian goes "Wow, is that a black widow spider right there" and sure enough it was, although I had no idea it was that, but they sure did.
Today I woke up early again, in quite a bit of pain through my sunburn and I resolved to do a much better job of looking after myself for the next few months and thus it was that I made sure that I was heavily covered with an inch thick of factor 50 suncream before I headed on out for todays trip to Sacsayhuaman.
I had arranged to meet up with the same guide as yesterday, not that it needs a guide to get there, but his insights and knowledge was very welcome and as he thinks that this place is his favourite of all Inca ruins he was doing this run for free, which just goes to show how kind Peruvian people can be at times.
When we out there it was only a few minutes by taxi and another PES 40 entrance fee, which you could probaly get around if you was to walk from a little further down the hill and not follow the road, but then that isnt quite the point of it all.
We wandered round the ruins for half an hour, taking plenty of photos and discussing how the ancient rock carving were not the works of the Incas desite whatever the tour books try and fob off of you and then he led me through a narrow dark passage that had absolutely no lighting at all and I was sort of grabbing hold of my guides shirt tail as he led the way through and up to the secret chambre, that I very much doubt I would have dared attempt to enter without a torch and rope.
The climb up was not difficult, apart from that it was pitch dark and had a low ceiling but once it opened out then it was all worth it. From the edge we emerged into a huge circular amphitheatre that had stones so large that they made stone henge look like a kinder garden effort and fitting together so perfectly that it was as if the creator himself carved the very stones and put them there to taunt us of his power.
These stones were about 5 meters high and wide and deep and yet they were fitted together without any motar and had withstood the test of time, the Spaniards best efforts to remove all unholy sites and numerous earth quakes.
After this I can see why people in the know say that although Machu Picchu is the most recent find and the most complete site, it is not necessarily the most impressive or the most important of all the Incan sacred places.
Before I came to Peru I was stupid enough to think that Machu Picchu was one of the only places left where you can see any evidence of Incan works, but the truth is that there are dozens and dozens of sites worth visiting and all with their own story and offering their own insights into the Incas and the other native indian tribes of the South Americas.
Review of Loki Hostel - by request
To get to the hostel from the airport just grab a taxi, but remember to haggle as it should be around PES 10 or 15 max but they will try it on and say 20 or more, saying it is a long way, but it isnt that much in the car.
It is up at the top of a hill, so getting to anywhere is easy as you just have to go downhill, but after a long day you might want to get a taxi back up again from the main plaza, that taxi fare should be around PES 5 or less, as it really isnt a long drive at all, just all up hill.
The hostel has lots of europeans, canadian, australians and americans so almost everyone in the hostel speaks English, as do all the receptionists and bar staff, but they speak better Spanish as its their native language.
The rooms are dorms of 8 to 10, with large lockers under your bunk beds enough for anything and also small mini lockers in the reception if you dont want to leave it in your room, but bring your own padlocks to save having to rent or buy them here.
They have free linen and a basic free breakfast, but the more luxurious ones you have to pay for, and you also get to run up a bar tab for everything so you just have to pay at the end for all you have used.
There are plenty of places to have your laundry done just down the hill and the small local shops do very cheap food and drinks.
Apparently some people have said that they have had bad problems with the food, but then milk and cheese are not very good for non-locals and the high altitudes can also muck up the digestion a bit too, so plan for that and be prepared.
The hostel also has hot water showers all day long, a bar, a mini restaurant, a pool table and 6 computers that are free to use, though they limit you to only half an hour.
Cusco centre is filled with tourist places, so if you have time and are a little adventurous, dont bother to book any activities here and just turn up and then take a stroll near the main centre and play them off against each other for a much better deal, also don't forget that a great haggling tool is to seem half interested and then walk away saying its still too much and see if they come after you, if not you can always go back after or if not then there are still tons of other ones to chose from.
In cusco you can arrange flights, train and bus tickets, tours to the various places ( but dont think you can do more than one in a day cos they are all over the place and it takes hours to reach each place by car or bus ) water rafting, climbing and even paragliding.
If you need extra money and can speak good english there are often adverts up for bar staff in the irisih bars in town, as there are in the hostel itself.
Hope this helps and I hope you end up loving Cusco as much as I do.
It is up at the top of a hill, so getting to anywhere is easy as you just have to go downhill, but after a long day you might want to get a taxi back up again from the main plaza, that taxi fare should be around PES 5 or less, as it really isnt a long drive at all, just all up hill.
The hostel has lots of europeans, canadian, australians and americans so almost everyone in the hostel speaks English, as do all the receptionists and bar staff, but they speak better Spanish as its their native language.
The rooms are dorms of 8 to 10, with large lockers under your bunk beds enough for anything and also small mini lockers in the reception if you dont want to leave it in your room, but bring your own padlocks to save having to rent or buy them here.
They have free linen and a basic free breakfast, but the more luxurious ones you have to pay for, and you also get to run up a bar tab for everything so you just have to pay at the end for all you have used.
There are plenty of places to have your laundry done just down the hill and the small local shops do very cheap food and drinks.
Apparently some people have said that they have had bad problems with the food, but then milk and cheese are not very good for non-locals and the high altitudes can also muck up the digestion a bit too, so plan for that and be prepared.
The hostel also has hot water showers all day long, a bar, a mini restaurant, a pool table and 6 computers that are free to use, though they limit you to only half an hour.
Cusco centre is filled with tourist places, so if you have time and are a little adventurous, dont bother to book any activities here and just turn up and then take a stroll near the main centre and play them off against each other for a much better deal, also don't forget that a great haggling tool is to seem half interested and then walk away saying its still too much and see if they come after you, if not you can always go back after or if not then there are still tons of other ones to chose from.
In cusco you can arrange flights, train and bus tickets, tours to the various places ( but dont think you can do more than one in a day cos they are all over the place and it takes hours to reach each place by car or bus ) water rafting, climbing and even paragliding.
If you need extra money and can speak good english there are often adverts up for bar staff in the irisih bars in town, as there are in the hostel itself.
Hope this helps and I hope you end up loving Cusco as much as I do.
A second day in Cusco
Yesterday I did not have enough time to charge my camera battery or book a tour for today, so I was not expecting today to be a busy day but then I was not expecting to bump into the three crazy cool Canadians.
I was just sitting in the computer / breakfast room updating my blog when I chanced to overhear that they were planning on visiting the Sacred Valley today, which is one of the places definetly on my list. They were a pair of sisters and a boyfriend, all having been travelling for a bit before reaching Peru and they seemed to be fun and cool people that it would be great to hang with, plus of course we will share a mutual dislike for Americans, ha ha.
I got chatting when then and as soon as they said that they were going to do a private tour, I reckoned that I could probably join in even at this late stage, and they were cool as it meant splitting the bill four ways instead of just three, so I just had enough time to finish eating my breakfast before grabbing my camera and dashing out the door with them.
Regrettably I did not remember to grab my suncream and although I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt I could not help my neck, forearms and face being caned by the sun again, which I will be regretting for the next few days.
We all met up with the giude in reception, officially he is a mix of spanish and Inca blood, the same as about 60% of the population, but he said his spirit was 100% Incan and because it was a small and private tour he was able to stop and give us a lot more background info and legends rather that just reeling off a typical tour script and then rushing us to the next location.
He seemed to have a lot of views on just about everything from magic, to aliens and the crimes the current Peruvian government are making against the land and the people, and at first I almost took him as a cook until througout the day and the sights I saw I had a chance to reevaluate a few misconceptions.
First off for the day we went to Pisaq, which was about an hours drive away and what I didnt realise was that as we were on a private tour we were going to actually trek up some of the Inca trails. It was a bit of a shock to learn that we need to buy a set of admission tickets for PES 70 each, which was almost as much as I had left on me, and I was thankful that later on even the smaller villages had at least one ATM machine that accepted european cards.
There are so many Inca trails across the mountains and valleys of Peru that it would be almost impossible for anyone to say that they had trekked them all, especially as new ones are being rediscovered every few years. Once we started trekking up one of these trails I could not help but instantly begin to have a whole new level of respect and appreciation for the Inca's as these trails were not large cobbled levelled paths going around the mountains but more like tiny footpaths that take a very direct route from one place to the other and after an hours trekking I feel that every Inca was a born mountain climber.
There were no guide ropes or wire mesh fences as protection and if these trails were in any country in Europe then the EU would have banned them for being far too dangerous decades ago. Try as I might I could not help but have to hold on the the cliff face at times, and come down on my arse at others, which made me feel all the more stupid when up in front all three canadians were walking the trail like they were born to it.
By the end of the first hour my knees and legs were getting wobbly and shakey so it was a great relief when we started coming down again, and I had decided that as we stil had two more places to visit today that I would be willing to skip the middle one if they were all like the first, but in the end this was by far the longest and hardest of the treks so I did them all.
Along the way we all excanged views on the Inca's and the Spaniards and the Canadians had clearly done their homework as they knew a lot more than I did or expected any normal traveller to have, and the more we talked about the Atlantian civilization the more I had to think that there must be some truth in the myths, especially when the evidence was all around me.
The stonework of the temples and walls were of a quality that show how pathetic our modern techniques are, as they were using stones as big as sofas and tables placed together so tightly that you could not even slide a piece of paper between them and no motar needed to hold them together. Plus the stones were shaped and cut very smoothly and flat and placed at angles that increase their strength and reduce any chances of damage from earthquakes.
Historicaly a massive earthquake hit the region and most of the spanish built buildings toppled like a deck of cards but the original Incan walls did not even crack let alone fall, and I think that it would take a massive determined effort to ruin the stones.
The second place we visited was Ollantaytambo which was equally as impressive if only slightly smaller in overall size. Here there were signs of advanced understanding of science and astonomy, as well as an accurate seasonal sun clock, which all again linked to the fact that the Inca's were not savages or ruthless killers of neighbouring tribes and needless sacrifices but an educated people who worked in harmony with the land around them.
Our guide was very emotional when it came to the fact that the Peruvian governement is trying to sell off most of the mining and tourist rights to foreign investors and acres upon acres of mountain and forest land has already been sold to multinational companies.
At the end of our tour on Ollantaytambo there is a rock where it is said the ancients would accend on ledges small enough to barely have a single foothold before reaching the very top of the peak before flinging themselves off as they transcend into giant condors and fly away. My three Canadian friends were all willing to see how far they could climb before t got too hazardous, or until they could become Condors themselves, but I felt that I still had some living as a human left in me so I chose instead to sit and become one with the spirit of the mountain at ground level.
The final place we visited as a group was Chinchero where we learned and witness the crafting of the woolen clothes that can be seen on most of the locals and even on some of the tourists. It was great to see how the locals used natural plants for dying both their wool and also as make up, and they were also good sellers who managed to see a few items to my Canadian friends although my budget and backpack do not really allow me the luxury of buying many souverneirs, so instead I just gave a tip and smiled a lot.
After the mini shopping trip we visited the sacred rock which predated even the Incan civilization and the thing that impressed me about the whole day was the spectacular views.
Finaly when the sun was setting it was time to come back, but as we were all pretty hungry and still wanted to chat a bit more about what we had seen during the day, we stopped off at a restaurant that they recommmended and I had a great meal of chicken on a bed of mashed potatoe with a mushroom sauce, costing PES 20.
It was a shame that they already had booked a four day trek to Manchu Picchu for the following morning as this is also another place that I will be visiting, but being on a tighter timetable I could not afford to spend another four days trekking, and to be honest if the first few hours of today is anything to go by then I don't think I would enjoy trekking for four full days anyway, so I had to say goodbye and goodluck to them and them head on down to my hostel bunk while they continued to pack for the morning.
Once I got back to my bunk I loaded up my skin with enough after sun to sink a battleship and repeated the process a few times during the night, but still when I woke the next morning I was not only sore but stiff and aching all over.
Luckily all I have to do today, is socialise, visit a few musuems in the centre of Cusco and book a day trip to Manchu Picchu for tomorrow, so no lengthy trips in the sun and a chance for my limbs to recover.
I was just sitting in the computer / breakfast room updating my blog when I chanced to overhear that they were planning on visiting the Sacred Valley today, which is one of the places definetly on my list. They were a pair of sisters and a boyfriend, all having been travelling for a bit before reaching Peru and they seemed to be fun and cool people that it would be great to hang with, plus of course we will share a mutual dislike for Americans, ha ha.
I got chatting when then and as soon as they said that they were going to do a private tour, I reckoned that I could probably join in even at this late stage, and they were cool as it meant splitting the bill four ways instead of just three, so I just had enough time to finish eating my breakfast before grabbing my camera and dashing out the door with them.
Regrettably I did not remember to grab my suncream and although I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt I could not help my neck, forearms and face being caned by the sun again, which I will be regretting for the next few days.
We all met up with the giude in reception, officially he is a mix of spanish and Inca blood, the same as about 60% of the population, but he said his spirit was 100% Incan and because it was a small and private tour he was able to stop and give us a lot more background info and legends rather that just reeling off a typical tour script and then rushing us to the next location.
He seemed to have a lot of views on just about everything from magic, to aliens and the crimes the current Peruvian government are making against the land and the people, and at first I almost took him as a cook until througout the day and the sights I saw I had a chance to reevaluate a few misconceptions.
First off for the day we went to Pisaq, which was about an hours drive away and what I didnt realise was that as we were on a private tour we were going to actually trek up some of the Inca trails. It was a bit of a shock to learn that we need to buy a set of admission tickets for PES 70 each, which was almost as much as I had left on me, and I was thankful that later on even the smaller villages had at least one ATM machine that accepted european cards.
There are so many Inca trails across the mountains and valleys of Peru that it would be almost impossible for anyone to say that they had trekked them all, especially as new ones are being rediscovered every few years. Once we started trekking up one of these trails I could not help but instantly begin to have a whole new level of respect and appreciation for the Inca's as these trails were not large cobbled levelled paths going around the mountains but more like tiny footpaths that take a very direct route from one place to the other and after an hours trekking I feel that every Inca was a born mountain climber.
There were no guide ropes or wire mesh fences as protection and if these trails were in any country in Europe then the EU would have banned them for being far too dangerous decades ago. Try as I might I could not help but have to hold on the the cliff face at times, and come down on my arse at others, which made me feel all the more stupid when up in front all three canadians were walking the trail like they were born to it.
By the end of the first hour my knees and legs were getting wobbly and shakey so it was a great relief when we started coming down again, and I had decided that as we stil had two more places to visit today that I would be willing to skip the middle one if they were all like the first, but in the end this was by far the longest and hardest of the treks so I did them all.
Along the way we all excanged views on the Inca's and the Spaniards and the Canadians had clearly done their homework as they knew a lot more than I did or expected any normal traveller to have, and the more we talked about the Atlantian civilization the more I had to think that there must be some truth in the myths, especially when the evidence was all around me.
The stonework of the temples and walls were of a quality that show how pathetic our modern techniques are, as they were using stones as big as sofas and tables placed together so tightly that you could not even slide a piece of paper between them and no motar needed to hold them together. Plus the stones were shaped and cut very smoothly and flat and placed at angles that increase their strength and reduce any chances of damage from earthquakes.
Historicaly a massive earthquake hit the region and most of the spanish built buildings toppled like a deck of cards but the original Incan walls did not even crack let alone fall, and I think that it would take a massive determined effort to ruin the stones.
The second place we visited was Ollantaytambo which was equally as impressive if only slightly smaller in overall size. Here there were signs of advanced understanding of science and astonomy, as well as an accurate seasonal sun clock, which all again linked to the fact that the Inca's were not savages or ruthless killers of neighbouring tribes and needless sacrifices but an educated people who worked in harmony with the land around them.
Our guide was very emotional when it came to the fact that the Peruvian governement is trying to sell off most of the mining and tourist rights to foreign investors and acres upon acres of mountain and forest land has already been sold to multinational companies.
At the end of our tour on Ollantaytambo there is a rock where it is said the ancients would accend on ledges small enough to barely have a single foothold before reaching the very top of the peak before flinging themselves off as they transcend into giant condors and fly away. My three Canadian friends were all willing to see how far they could climb before t got too hazardous, or until they could become Condors themselves, but I felt that I still had some living as a human left in me so I chose instead to sit and become one with the spirit of the mountain at ground level.
The final place we visited as a group was Chinchero where we learned and witness the crafting of the woolen clothes that can be seen on most of the locals and even on some of the tourists. It was great to see how the locals used natural plants for dying both their wool and also as make up, and they were also good sellers who managed to see a few items to my Canadian friends although my budget and backpack do not really allow me the luxury of buying many souverneirs, so instead I just gave a tip and smiled a lot.
After the mini shopping trip we visited the sacred rock which predated even the Incan civilization and the thing that impressed me about the whole day was the spectacular views.
Finaly when the sun was setting it was time to come back, but as we were all pretty hungry and still wanted to chat a bit more about what we had seen during the day, we stopped off at a restaurant that they recommmended and I had a great meal of chicken on a bed of mashed potatoe with a mushroom sauce, costing PES 20.
It was a shame that they already had booked a four day trek to Manchu Picchu for the following morning as this is also another place that I will be visiting, but being on a tighter timetable I could not afford to spend another four days trekking, and to be honest if the first few hours of today is anything to go by then I don't think I would enjoy trekking for four full days anyway, so I had to say goodbye and goodluck to them and them head on down to my hostel bunk while they continued to pack for the morning.
Once I got back to my bunk I loaded up my skin with enough after sun to sink a battleship and repeated the process a few times during the night, but still when I woke the next morning I was not only sore but stiff and aching all over.
Luckily all I have to do today, is socialise, visit a few musuems in the centre of Cusco and book a day trip to Manchu Picchu for tomorrow, so no lengthy trips in the sun and a chance for my limbs to recover.
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