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Published: June 30th 2009
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Well... It´s been a while since I last logged on to this blog and I was surprised to learn that I still actually have an account and that my profile hadn´t become obsolete! I just assumed that with the increasing preponderance of new online social networks, I´d have to subscribe to the latest electronic medium to share and document my travel experiences... But this makes it much easier.
And obviously, please don´t feel obligated to read any of this stuff - it just helps me to keep an ongoing documentation of my travels and a good way to go back and appreciate the stories, anectdotes and overall experiences.
So here I am, 3 1/2 years later, still as obsessed with traveling as ever, and though I can´t say that I know exactly where I belong, geographically speaking that is, I still welcome the unknown and embrace the uncertainty. This writing hiatus is not at all indicative of the lack of events that have transpired since - far from it! I suppose the obvious have been the political, economic and largely speaking, the societal changes that have taken place... all of which somewhat mirror a great deal of psychological, structural
and emotional movements in my own life, some voluntary, others not so much...
Living in the great state of California now, I have effortlessly curtailed my international travels in exchange for more regional trips and discoveries, which, I´ve found to be just as rewarding. To put it simply, California´s been good to me! However, after 2 great years there, the need to dust off the old passport and set off on an international adventure finally crept in. With a new exciting job starting in a month, what better time to take off, clear my head and explore a new area... To make the timing even more auspicious, my two best friends, Paul and Jordan, also going through some transitions, were also eager to get some new stamps on their passports and join me, for at least part of the trip. After a few days of research, it became clear that Peru, with its incredibly rich culture, natural beauty, abundance of outdoor activities, great surf, friendly locals, and tasty culinary delights (and no shortage of Pisco) provided the perfect backdrop for 3 best friends to set off on an adventure and spend some quality time catching up in the process...
Unfortunately, Jordan and Paul could only take off a week from work, which meant that our time together had to be carefully planned. So that plan, for the time being, is for the two of them to meet me in Trujillo, a coastal village halfway up the Peruvian Coast, which happens to be the launch pad for Chicama, the world´s longest left point break!
In the meantime, I decided to get to Peru a few days earlier and headed up to Mancora, a small fishing village just south of the Ecuadorian border. When researching and reading about it, I vividly remember coming across a blog which discouraged anyone who did not like fresh seafood, sun and surfing to go to Mancora...Hmmmmmm, tough call - NOT! Dubbed the sun capital of Peru, this little coastal gem is also known as Peru´s ¨worst kept secret¨as more and more Peruvians and other South Americans find themselves making the pilgrimage to this remote location looking for a sunny escape. And a perfect escape it was - an ideal place to kick back for a few days, surf great waves, get some sun and refuel on copious amounts of the freshest and tastiest
ceviche I have ever had seriously, this stuff comes right out of the water a couple hours before landing on your plate, perfectly seasoned with fresh lime, onions, cilantro, and hot peppers - an abslute delight. And how could I leave out the Pisco, the national pride of Peru - a white grape brandy, which is most often served as Pisco sours, with a shaken egg white at the top to add some frothiness to this delicious cocktail... So good - so dangerous! To provide a quick, salivating glimpse of appreciation and envy, last night, I had a large plate of pulpo y pescado ceviche, followed by a fresh fillet of sea bass seved with rice and avocado, washed down with a freshly-squeezed passion fruit juice and a tall frosty beer to boot, all for under $3. I dont´t think it´s necessarily fair to compare prices when traveling, as everything is relative, the but the true, telling comparison, in this case is taste.... Claro que si!
The only thing that´s rivaled the gastronomy and the surf, so far, has been the genuine friendliness of the locals I´ve met. I say this with asbolutely no hesitation - the locals, at
least the ones I´ve met in Northern Peru have been incredibly welcoming, friendly and helpful. From the agents at the airport to the manager of the family-run hostel I´ve been staying at, Betty, to my surfing buddy, Alex, who has been showing me around for the past three days, taking me to all the local mom and pops restaurants and hole in the wall bars. I also met 3 guys who just graduated from Brown and who have been travling for about a month throughout South America. It was actually weird meeting other Americans in Mancora, as most tourists tend to be from either South America or the British Isles. It was actually nice to share traveling stories with these guys over beers.
Alex actually lived in the States for about 8 years (Seattle and Jacksonville), where he´s worked all kinds of jobs from roofing to waiting tables. He liked the States alot, but wanted to save enough money to return to Peru, where he wants to open up his own businss and spend the rest of his life.... and who could blame him! If he ever gets the impulse or desire to leave this little slice of paradise,
at least for a little bit, I hope that I can someday return the favor and hospitality and show him as good of a time as he´s shown me here in sunny Mancora. Until then, I guess I'll just buy him a few Pisco sours and share some waves with him...
All and all, this has been the perfect prefact to this new South American adventure.
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