The Panamerican Cruzers

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Today we were hitting the road again and moving deeper into the Peruvian countryside. We took a Cruz del Sur bus to Paracas and were very impressed with the service. We were most concerned about Lima's bus stations having heard so many bad travellers' stories but we needn't have worried at all. The Cruz del Sur bus depot was nice and enclosed with guards at every entrance. The security to board the bus was as strict as at any international airport and the staff were as professional and friendly as you would expect from any major airline. Not only was the second class seat very roomy and comfortable but we got stewardess service on board too. Lunch was included in the ticket price (45 Soles each, about £8) although I ended up only eating the dessert and having the free drink as it was rice with chicken with a meat filled potato croquet for the main course. We relaxed on the 4-hour journey as it took us through the desert with dust clouds sweeping across the landscape as we drove.

We passed through Pisco on our way here, where we had originally planned on staying but on arriving in Paracas, we knew we had made the right choice. We were met from the bus by Pablo from Zarcillo Tours who had possibly the coolest wheels in town. Can you believe our pick-up was a dune buggy? Awesome! He plonked our stuff in the back and we climbed in the metal cage of the beast and bounced around merrily across the rough desert to our welcoming little hostel, the Zarcillo Paradise. It seems we are the only people staying here at the moment so we have a nice big room with 3 beds in it and an en-suite for US$12 per person per night.

By the time we settled in, we had just missed sunset over the bay which was a real pity as the tail-end of it looked really pretty. We took a stroll to the restaurant area by the seafront and checked out a few possible eateries. Most of the restaurants here are geared up for sea food so finding a good veggie place took a few minutes but we soon discovered the El Delfin Dorada restaurant which had a few vegetrain and some western dishes on the menu, as well as a whole host of more traditional Peruvian fare. We tucked into some great food - the portions were enormous, delicious and great value for money. With a couple of large beers, the total for two main courses and two side dishes was just 39 Soles (about £6). As we ate, we watched the local kids having fun on the promenade playing with a good old-fashioned spinning top (can't imagine a kid back home doing that, can you?) and enjoyed the company of the friendly waitress, Mariana who gave us a kiss each on the cheek when we left!

Walking back to the hostel, we couldn't help but notice how quiet is was. There are hardly any cars in the main residential area of Paracas and we only passed a couple of people on the street - and it was only 9pm! After enduring the heavy city traffic of Christchurch, Santiago, Lima and even Easter Island (it was noisy there too), it felt wonderful to have such peace and quiet. I think tonight we may well be getting our first truly tranquil night's sleep in a very long time.

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Photos

Desert Storm
A shanty town caught in a dust storm on the way to Paracas.

Smile!
Big smiley face carved into the mountainside. Excellent!

Hot Wheels
How´s this for a pick-up service?!

Yeeha!
We could have just driven along the road to the hostel but this was so much cooler!

Zarcillo Paradise
Our room at the Zarcillo although the photo doesn´t do it justice.

Dinner at El Delfin
Glynn tucks into some tasty pasta with hotdog bits. It´s so good to eat out again!