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Andean Mountain Range, Ecuador
Photos can´t capture the magnificient panorama. .
In Ecuador it costs about $1 per hour for long distance bus rides.
From Lojas, Ecuador (city near Vilcabamba) to Piura, Peru it took 8 hours.
It´s interesting to note the similarity of Peru´s flag to Canada´s (look in the margin).
Also, the population of both countries is similar.
The border crossing was easy unlike the Huaquillas border on the coast. Don't use that one!
I met a number of people who had been
¨mugged¨ at that border crossing by a combination of taxi drivers and guides and accompliced by bus drivers who didn´t want any trouble. Various charges at that border ranged up to $30 per person, whereas my border crossing was pleasant and free.
Peru
I´ve seen my share of views from the bus over the years but this was better than an IMAX movie. At times from the bus I was
looking down at mountain tops which were literally
in the clouds. Other times you could see mountains extending to the horizon and everything was so green. That was in the high cool Andes but within an hour when the bus descended to sea level
Andean Range, Ecuador
The bus is riding level with the clouds in the horizon. it was like standing next to a oven.
From the green in Ecuador to the brown scrubby desert of Peru it was quite a contrast and the rotting fish with plastic garbage littering the highway didn´t leave a good first impression of Peru. I´m certainly not about to judge all of Peru from this intro.
The bus journeys here in Peru have been problems in the past. People get on and rob the passengers. That´s why its better to pay a little extra and get a direct bus, especially at night. The better bus companies have security more strict than airports. The guard has a gun, he searches your bag, walks you through a metal detector gate, he scans you with a wand and then you put your fingerprint next to your seat number. I´m not sure if that´s to identify robbers that may get on the bus or they just had trouble identifying bodies in the past .
Piura
The popular hostal here has good ambience except for the small rooms which have the feel of a $2 Bangkok room. Windows from the porch can´t be locked and local transients outnumber travellers. For twice as much
at the end of the block is a modern hotel.
Trujillo
Half the traffic in the city consists of taxi cabs and at any one time half of those are blowing their horns. Hotel selection is poor so I didn´t stay long.
Waitresses make $5 per 8 hour day and Peruvians don't tip.
Lima
Lima has 8 million people. About one quarter of the population of Peru.
Again, the popular place for accommodation has great ambience, that of a museum (see photo) but the rooms are without bathrooms or windows. Single rooms are small. Dorms are over-crowded. The food and internet here are overpriced yet its packed with backpackers. This isn´t unusual. Once a hostal becomes the choice by the Lonely Planet guide book the hotel quickly takes advantage of their luck. Half a block away for the same price I rented a huge room (all four beds!) with a private bathroom at the same price.
Pisco
At the hotel bulletin board there´s a number of scams posted by previous travellers. Four Germans paid $250 for tours which included Ballestra Islands and The Nazca Lines. No one showed up and although they filed a police
Hostal in Lima
The reception and hallways are like a museums but the rooms are basic. report the hotel denied knowing the agents and they lost their money. Other people think it´s easier to book a package tour to get around Peru. Sometimes it is, but sometimes the tour ends unexpectantly halfway through.
Even though it's getting cold down here it's still considered the high season because of all the backpackers getting out of school I guess. Also, there's lots of old people, like myself, but in tour groups with cameras galore. Neither is my type of crowd. There are some nice places to stay but as a sign of the times, families are bringing their kids and the free spirited backpacker has a cellphone to make room reservations before they leave one place for another and to call for their taxis.
Arequipa
The bus from Pisco was a 12 hour overnight ride. One baggage compartment under the bus was full of luggage. Another was used for the alternate bus driver to sleep in. The third held a few bags, including mine on top of cases of smelly fish.
The listing of the hotel in Arequipa said it had rooms with ¨a¨ washroom. It didn´t say that those rooms plus the dormitory opened
up unto
¨a¨ single communal washroom. Kind of like in the TV series, Ally McBeal , but with shower stalls. Again, its nice in the dormitory. And to top it off the hostal offered free coca tea all day.
Puno
It's been -1°C to a hi of 10°C today. Very popular town with French tour groups who are visiting Cuzco and/or Lake Titicaca. The bus from here goes directly to Copacabana, Bolivia. Of course the bus companies didn´t mention there was a bottleneck at Copacabana because no buses were continuing on to La Paz due to a strike by the bus drivers in LaPaz.
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anonymous
non-member comment
hi
ur weird