Peru South

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Well Peru, reading the first lines about our Peru-experience you might think it sucked! Read it to the end! We started early morning in Arica, lucky for us David joined our way up to the first town after the boarder, Tacna. Customs and the boarder went well, although it took ages to get it done. Arriving in Tacna we got the feeling that there is something wrong with the car, a couple meters later it got really hot and we stopped immediately! Water ran out, steam all over the place, in one word broken. David, who speaks Spanish, arranged a taxi which brought me (Nik) to a mechanic-workshop. Sabine stayed by the car meanwhile. The guy owning the workshop was supposed to tow us away; however he didn't feel a hurry! I had a really bad feeling leaving Sabine alone, especially because it seemed that we didn't stop exactly in Perus Beverly Hills! Anyway, we couldn't help it and two shop owners took care of her. Finally we got the car there, the guy checked it and promised us it would be done the next day. He also brought us to some other guy who owns a hotel, yeah well it wasn't the Marriot either and they send us to our room with the words 'Don't leave it during the night'. In the beginning the place made a quiet impression, however at night the hotel turned in a living organism and we wouldn't have left the room for 1000 dollars. In the middle of the night suddenly a guy knocked at our door, which terrified us for a second (then we realized that some muggers or thieves probably wouldn't knock ;-))! Turned out that the owner just offered us to get some food. Next day we started with full hope that the car is going to be fixed. The mechanic told us that the cooling is broken and it is 800 Sol (approx. 220 Euros) to fix it, we went to the city picked up the money, returned and faced our engine on the floor of the workshop. It was also broken and the price was now 2000 Sol, what a nice surprise! In addition he would not be finished for another day or so. After back checking with the owners of our car, who were really supportive, we accepted it. Drawing pictures and using everything we had, we explained that we go to Cusco with the bus, return and pick up the car 5 days later. The bus ride was, let us put it that way, interesting, and went on for 20 hours. Totally exhausted and also a little pissed because of the car we arrived in Cusco. Cusco is an amazing city, with a KFC (first time fast food for ages ;-)). After a day of sightseeing and window shopping, finally the Machu Picchu day had arrived. Starting at 4am from Cusco it was a 90min bus ride and a 90min train ride to get there. How should I describe Machu Picchu, it is the most beautiful man-made thing I have ever seen in my life!!!!!!!!!!!! Sabine thinks the same way! Forget about cars problems, smelly buses, unorganized Peruians and other annoying things, this is it!!
Next day we took a tourist bus to Puno which stopped for sightseeing and was more comfortable, the night bus from Puno to Tacna was again not very pleasant. Arriving in the morning we went to the workshop which was closed. After 4 hours of waiting the guy showed up with quite a hangover, now we knew exactly that he ripped us of big time, since he celebrated it with alcohol for two days...Whatever, there were not really other options and at least he was nice! Further it turned out that going to Cusco by bus was not the worst thing, driving there would have been too dangerous with all the stuff in our car. So back to Arica, Chile...

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