http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Peru , Piura , Máncora en-us Wed, 22 May 2013 06:07:10 +0000 Wed, 22 May 2013 06:07:10 +0000 After a busy period of moving from place to place every few days we decided it was about time we took a break to recharge our batteries. While it39s incredibly rewarding travelling can also be really hard work early mornings long arduous bus journeys dealing with illness careful and thorough planning all this takes its toll and so from time to time you just need relax. And what better http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-784579.html After a whole month in Salta I finally had all of my replacement credit cards and was ready to continue travelling. As I had been delayed for so long it meant that I needed to do a massive trip from northern Argentina to northern Peru in one hit to be able to meet up with James in time for Easter in Mancora. I set off at 7am with the plan to cross the border and be in Calama Chile in time for the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-781045.html Road miles to date 22903After arriving in Quito we realised we had crossed the Equator without stopping for necessary photographic evidence that we can one day regale tales of to the youth of tomorrow. So the next morning we jumped aboard the Aga and ventured back camera in hand to Mitad del Mundo Middle of the World. With dust blowing dramatically off the surrounding mountains near blindin http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-766489.html Mancora marked my reaquaintance with motorrickshaws see first photo which I had last seen over forty years ago in India. India is more prosperous than when I was there and I wondered where they would have sent their surplustorequirements taxis that did not accord with their new image.The beach boasted schools where you could learn to surf and also a variation where the board was pulled along http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-749509.html Hola mis amigoseigentlich mag ich jetzt gar ned viel schreiben aber ich bin doch hinten nach mit meinem Blog. Daher werde ich mich eher kurz halten und mit Details sparen. Denn Details gab es auch in Mancora genug.Nach der sentimentalen Verabschiedung meiner Gastfamilie meines 2 woechigen HuanchacoAufenthalts hat es mich gleich in das naechste peruanische Surfmeca genannt Mancora verschlage http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-743642.html The next country on the list was Peru and a little beach town called Mancora. We had been told the easiest way to cross the border and then onto Mancora was to catch a CIFA bus which would take us the entire way. It was pretty simple but add in the travellers bug that I picked up and you have an uncomfortable bus ride counting down till the next bathroom stop. This time it was me on the t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-737227.html This is good. But as far as I can tell it39s still heavy as hell when it39s good. And I do like the road but I39d be better at home.This will be my last entry from Mancora.Wow that39s a weird thing to type for me. I39ve been here over a month and it feels like so much longer. It39s surreal to imagine myself not in this beach town. I walk around either in a bathing suit or bra http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-727131.html So I have exactly a week left in this paradise. And I39m starting to just itch to leave. I39ll miss this place and much more so the people here so very much but I39m ready to continue on my travels. Actually correction I39m ready to be back home I39m not even sticking around Victoria for long before another month of adventure but oh I long for seeing the inner harbour of wal http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-726664.html We left Cusco for Arequipa Peru39s 39White City39 and a place that contained something that elicited more excitement in Andrew than Macchu Pichu the Salt Flats or Lake Titicaca a food court containing a McDonalds a Burger King AND a KFC. We spent a few days there doing little other than watching the England v Sweden game and visiting 39Juanita39 a fascinatingly well preserved http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-726488.html The days are a blur. As they should be. People come and go most saying they39ve booked in for 3 nights and wind up staying a week or more. The goodbyes are rough some more than others.Yogi left a week or so ago that one sucked. He was the only remaining bar staff member from when I started a month ago. So now I39m the one who39s been here the longest. WEIRD.Then Theo left on Sunday. Oh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-726295.html Day 247 Thursday 14th JuneWe have had such a nice time in Cuenca that we decided to stick around for another day. After breakfast we headed down town in search of a hairdresser or barber that could hack away at my thick growth. Found a tiny hairdresser down a back street where two women at once attacked my head. Traudy if you are reading this you can appreciate how after about 8 weeks how bad my h http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-724778.html Sigh.It seems every time I write a blog recently I am semi intoxicated.But alas they seem to turn out alright anyways.Today I went to town. Exciting hey Ok not really that fascinating. But I saw this bikini I instantly fell in love with. So I went to the bank to grab some money to buy it.But.......... my debit card. My debit card was not there. That39s right boys and girls in the span of http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-724160.html As you can see I remain happily in Mancora.It39s funny how things come about. This was not remotely the trip I had planned. The plan went as followsGo to Bogota fly to Leticia boat to Iquitos... ok I got that far. From there I was to do 2 weeks in the jungle deep jungle shit just me and my guide then off to Cuzco to do Machu Picchu. Those far from happened. Then I was to head to Lima http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-722961.html Nothing in this blog can be held against me.I packed up my tent and bags and went to sit on the side of the highway to wait for a collectivo van to roll up. It only took about 15 minutes before one arrived. I hopped in and an hour and a half later... I was grinning beyond belief in Mancora again.This is my 4th time here.The plan hardeeharhar was to stay in a different hostel where I could cook http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-719109.html For days I craved leaving I awaited anxiously my debit card. UPS lied a bit but eventually it arrived funny 4 business days from CANADA to PERU then another 4 business days until it crossed Peru to me. Oh Peru. But as soon as I got it... I was ready to stay another few days. It39s funny when you stay somewhere a week or so you really form a little community. It happened in Huanchaco an http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-717246.html Well I39m not sure I have much to write really.Again I39ve just been being lazy. I arrived in Mancora on Thursday and started bartending that night. I worked again the following afternoon and all was well fun and great.But then the evening fell and once again I began to feel off. The boss man wanted me to stay 2 weeks and I started realising I39m not sure I want to even stay a week. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-716455.html P kvelden av dag to overnattet vi i en litt strre landsby. Der var det til og med et diskotekutested som vi dro p etter middag. Det var frste gang jeg gikk ut ifrt lpetights og drifit tskjorte hehe. Men det var kjempegy og vi danset i timevis. Da klokken var rundt 2 var de fleste i seng og vi hadde heldigvis den luksusen at vi ikke trengte st opp fr klokken 8.30 dagen de http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-697126.html Our plan for new year was always to return to Peru and spend a few days celebrating at the beach bungalows with our not very sane amigo Carlos. So with this in mind we departed Banos by bus and after 8 hot and bumpy hours arrived in Guayaquil where we only had enough time for a meal a beer and a sleep before getting up early to catch another bus that would take us to Peru a ten hour journey.I http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-681111.html We are heading further north along the coast and our last stop in Peru was Mncora another fishing village turned surfer paradise. When we arrived in town after a shaky nightbusride we were picked up by the owner of our hostel in an old white VW beetle. Our hostel Kon Tiki Bungalows sits enthroned on a hill over the city and we had a great view of all of Mncora and the surroundings.Mnco http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-669237.html To mark the end of our time in Peru we chose to stay in a small fishing town on the pacific coast. The place is called Los Organos and our accommodation was the most spectacular beach bungalow. We shared it with Neil and Nilla and several litres of rum and beer. Your correspondent has some hazy recollections of our stay here and will try to recall some for his dear readers.The bungalow is owned b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/M-ncora/blog-666811.html