Heading for Lima

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Okay people, from here on out, I am going to split my blog posts into smaller chunks (for faster processing) focusing on specific towns, locations or activities. So this one is pretty short and sweet with my entrance into Lima (the capital of Peru).

Now I didn’t really go straight to Peru... actually I visited a number of other towns in Ecuador on the way, including Latacunga, Ambato and Rio Bamba which are really quite pretty, with colonial architecture and churches etc etc . In fact I spent 4-5 days heading south, with a plan to climb Cotopaxi (5997m which is near Rio Bamba). However upon arriving in Rio Bamba, there were very few climbers and doing it solo was really expensive, so after some deep thought (and some research) I figured the climbing in Peru and Bolivia is better anyway, with many peaks over 6000m and given their respective currencies etc it is bound to be cheaper as well. So off I headed for Peru.

The easiest way (apart from flying) to get to Lima (Peru) from Ecuador is via Guayaquil. Taking an early (4.30am) bus from Rio Bamba to Guayaquil, (6 hours, crossing the Andes with climbs above 4500m) passing through cloud forest, incredibly sheer valleys and various very primitive kampongs (villages) I arrived in Guyaquil central bus station. From here i grabbed a taxi to the Ormeños terminal (this is a private bus company that specializes in international bus services, avoiding the change of busses across borders). Arriving at the Ormeño office, I discovered that the next bus was leaving for Lima in about 1 hour (a 24 hour ride). Excellent timing, as I really did not want to stay overnight in Guayaquil (not much to see really, industrial city).

These buses are really quite comfortable and there is no problem sleeping (big seats, with plenty of space combined with them being 1/2 empty). You can get a double seat to your self no problem and really spread out. The bus trip was really uneventful, with the most lax border crossing to date, I mean when we cleared customs we didn’t need to carry our bags and no one really even looked at the bus (or our luggage). I could have carried a thermo nuclear device across the border and no one would have noticed!!
The most noticeable aspect of entering Peru, and heading further south is that everything turns from green of banana and palm plantations (of Ecuador) to brown desert coast (of Peru).

Lima

Entering the outskirts of Lima, you are presented with a spectacular coastline with huge sand dunes (desert) on the left and sheer cliffs and dunes on the right (beach). Situated on the desert coast of Peru, with a population of about 9 million people, this metropolis is a serious sprawl. Picture over 50% of houses without running water, only the major / central city roads being tar (the rest are dirt) and a well no real sanitary infrastructure in place (even the power grid seems scattered, with various places not having power). People here practice a weekly water collection ritual from which this precious resource is used for drinking, cooking, cleaning and washing..... (and of course re-used - don’t ask)

The city, centre is more "normal" in that it has a central squares (such as Plaza De Armes, although it is called Plaza Mayor in Lima unlike every other town/city in Peru), some greenery/parks and so one. Arguably the most affluent suburb is Miraflores (beach front) which is somewhat cosmopolitan. However I didn’t get too many photos in Lima as it is not the sort of place, you whip out your Digital SLR and start taking snaps!! (a good way to "lose it” - really).

There is also this bizarre fog/clouds which hang around the city for 4-5 months of the year (thats all the grey you see in the background of those pics) which adds to the already pretty picture. However in the summer months this blows away to reveal blue sky.....

I guess this blog post is a “reality check” of big city life in Central and South America. You can draw parallels between Lima, Guyaquil, Mexico City, Guatemala City, La Paz etc. The Lima sprawl reminds me of parts of Mexico City and the various other cities i have visited during this trip, with the exception that Lima is situated in a desert which makes it kind of worse ( in my humble opinion). Regardless it is Peru’s centre for archaeological, history and art museums....

I stayed in Lima only one night, before heading for the mysterious Nazca Lines in South Peru, however I did return for another day much later on.....

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