Advertisement
Published: August 28th 2006
Edit Blog Post
going solo
my lonely but lovely room at Sol y Mar Hostal in Mancora Peru. When I sat in the bus terminal for three lonely hours waiting for my stinky, snoring filled and sweaty bus ride from Trujillo to Mancora in Peru to begin, it came to me that this indeed was the first time I was traveling all alone. This new awareness of my solo situation frightened me and thrilled me at the same time. When I arrived to Mancora I took a wasp looking ‘moto taxi’ that buzzed me directly through Sunday morning traffic to the Sol y Mar hostel without robbing me, (which I had anticipated happening after hearing dozens of stories of solo women travelers in Peru being mugged by taxistas). Although I was disappointed with the instant coffee and bad morning music (20 Fingers’ ‘I don’t want no short dick man’… come on now.), I was glad to be safe and sound in the sunshine in Peru. I went to the beach and met a wonderful young TV reporter and my new traveling friend, Carolina. We read our books, watched our new friend Arturo and the English boys play futbol on the beach. We soon picked up another solo traveler at the vegetarian joint ‘Angela’s place’, Derek, from Queensland in Australia,
SPF 30
on the beach in Mancora Chris from LA, and later that day another Derek, but this one from KELOWNA! (my little home town) - (His little sister is friends with Catherine Lund’s sister Anna!! small world or what?). So in just a matter of hours I went from feeling (with great humility I say this) lonely and quite sorry for my solo self for no reason, to part of a group of solo travelers that quickly turned into a supportive and wild family of fun that swam together at sunset, drank pisco sours together late into the night and ate fruit salad with our instant coffee’s every morning around 10:30.
Mancora Peru : Sunny, funny moto taxis, yummy Mexican food at Hotel Palmero, delicious Maracuya y Pisco at Iguana Bar, no surfable waves, actually no waves, bad choices of music in the morning at Sol y Mar but a good place to stay, and don’t forget the raw but ‘rico’ chebiche for non vegetarian travelers (it’s Peru’s much-admired national dish - raw fish and lots of onions in a lemon sauce with bits of corn and sweet potato on the side … )
Border Crossing: The Dereks and I saw Carolina off on
Friday night and we headed on Saturday to Cuenca Ecuador, or should I say, we headed toward the border and later to Cuenca. What a nightmare. I had to have a little cry after the whole fiasco was over, not because we arrived safe and not robbed, but because we were sucked into an obvious trap and that I wasn’t clever enough to spot a scam right from the start. They didn’t have guns, they didn’t steal our cameras, and they weren’t even mean. But these three guys who wanted to help us across the border because a protest was planned to close to border for the next twelve days and because two Dutch guys were robbed there recently, turned out to drive us, yes across the border, but through a smelly market and into a parking lot where a young guy with a security Halloween costume on asked us for $20 US dollars for security fees and our passport numbers. Well, there are details and specifics but I don’t feel like telling this tale, the end of it is, our three sole (Peruvian currency) taxi ride to the bus station, cost us $60 US dollars, and $20 soles for
Beautiful Cuenca, Ecuador
Jenica, Rei and Derekote in Cuenca. the taxi ride and tips for our ‘guides’. Grrr. What a frustrating time. I don’t want to ever talk about it, so don’t ask. (please)
Cuenca: We arrived $60 dollars poorer and me still sick to my stomach since Huanchaco, but safely and hungry. We ate delicious Colombian beans with tortillas and chutney; we drank great coffee and Cuba libres. We ran around Cuenca searching for a bar that didn’t play techno, and the next day (Sunday) we ran around looking for any place open, (both quests ended in disappointment). Fortunately I loved Cuenca, mainly because of two things. First, because it was where a good friend of Lindsay’s and mine, Hailey, lived for one year on a rotary exchange and still had contacts willing to show me around. Her best friend Kris took me to the best coffee shops and on a great night tour. Of the party streets, the look out points, the universities, the neighborhoods where Hailey lived and the historical city center. I also loved Cuenca because I finally found time to read, write and think. Reflect on my last six months in Argentina, my last two weeks running up to Machu Picchu and back
knocking on heaven's door
Outside the Catedral in Lima's main square. Plaza de Armas (the same name as all Peru's city squares) to Cuzco, up to Huanchaco and sailing through Mancora. Cuenca held for me exactly what I was searching for since I left Buenos Aires, peace and quiet. Yeah, good times in Cuenca for me. (The Dereks left the next day in search for parties and Colombian girls, ooh, the Dereks, so sweet). I stayed for a couple more days, like I said, reading and writing, hanging out with Rei learning card games and about the Israeli compulsory military service and then headed to Lima, via Guayaquil.
Lima, Peru: Carolina and her family welcomed me into their apartment in Lima where I spent two wonderful days and nights before heading back to Buenos Aires. Lima was as honk filled as Buenos Aires but not nearly as dirty, as in way less garbage on the streets, and generally cleaner, not counting air quality, which definitely is just as bad if not worse than Buenos Aires. Lima, was sunny while I was there, filled with many histories and faces, the (debatable) good universities are terrible expensive and everyone calls you ‘amigo(a)’, especially if you consider buying something or sharing your spare change. Lima was fun because I was with my Mancora family
red eye flight peaks
sunny morning arriving in Buenos Aires and not wandering aimlessly around wondering why and what all the men (and sometimes women) hanging out of ‘buses’ (vans) were yelling about (turns out, they help the driver to fill his or her bus by hollering the direction the bus is going, and collecting tired pedestrians, obvio).
I boarded the fourth plane I took this month (I really should start collecting air miles), and left for Buenos Aires, where I am now. The daily midnight exhibition of the national anthem just passed on the radio and I suppose it’s time for bed. Lindsay and Michelle are still in the north of Argentina and will be back in Buenos Aires in a couple of days. I still have a few amigos e amigas kickin around BA, some serious ice cream to eat, and a grand challenge I must defy before Friday, (changing 65 kilos of luggage into 50 to meet Air Canada’s standards). Hopefully I’ll put up another blog and some more pictures my adventure to Tigre today with Alwin and the last glimpses of my querido Buenos Aires, a place I have really come to appreciate and love after spending some time in other south American cities.
carolina!
sunset on the beach in mancora taking silly fotos Hasta MUY pronto,
(we’re heading back to Canada on September
second after seven months in Argentina and area)
Jenica
Advertisement
Tot: 0.065s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 9; qc: 23; dbt: 0.0375s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
m
non-member comment
sweet