Blogs from La Libertad, Peru, South America - page 5

June 4: We made the journey to Guayaquil over a week ago, but soon found ourselves overwhelmed by the sweltering heat, pollution, and chaos of Ecuador´s largest city. So we boarded a bus in search of greener (and cooler) pastures. Crossing back in to the Andes, we settled into a gem of a city at Cuenca, in the south of the country. After taking a day to explore the area´s cobblestone allyways and quite plazas (and idling by the town´s meandering river with a carton of chocolate milk and not a care in the world), we were enlightened by the friendly vendors at the Casa del la Mujer (Women´s market) about their crafts and wares and seduced by a brilliant sunset over the Andes. We stumbled into the party scene that night and mingled with Germans, ... read more

Peru's ancient civilisations: More than just the Incas Cloudy skies and desert landscapes are the memories I will take from our time in northern Peru. This region is much less popular with tourists than the south of the country, but, with sights such as the stunning mountains around Huaraz and the pre-Columbian ruins at Trujillo, there are plenty of reasons to visit. We left the mountains of Huaraz behind and descended to Trujillo on the coast via overnight bus. I remember waking up early on the bus and looking out to the contrasting scenes of the Pacific Ocean on one side and the arid desert on the other. Despite being in a desert, I don't think we saw the sun between Huaraz and the Ecuadorian border - the skies were always covered by thick clouds but, ... read more

Ok guys so this is the first blog since arriving back into South America. It was cool to see everybody for three weeks, just wish it could have been in different circumstances. To tell you the truth was a mixture of hideousness (if thats a word?!) and waiting, not good combinations. Just too much time thinking etc. Also arriving back into where the trip all started kind of brought some weird emotions with it. So you can imagine how pleased I was when I left Lima and travelled north to Huanchaco to meet Chris. Especially as it is a beautiful drive. Sand dunes on either side and hills rising out of the desert like giants. I have never been so pleased to see the little guy! (Im half an inch taller people...it matters.) Huanchaco is a ... read more

Well, I am really digging my time here in Huanchaco. It is a really great surfing town that has nice beaches....a lot of tourist....and a lot of really awesome local Peruvians. The vibe is very chillaxin' which is totally what I was seeking. The night we arrived, we checked into a hostel that was listed in the "Gringo Bible" (this is what the locals call the Lonely Planet....laugh my ass off!!). We got the very last room in the entire place....2 beds....for 3 of us. Nicole and I were going to share a single bed (not the first time....we have done this more than once in order to spend less) but then they showed up with a foam mattress. Sweet! So the 3 of us squished into the room quite cozily really and it has turned ... read more

After staying in a dismal town called Alausi we pretty much stayed on a bus for the next few days. We stayed in Cuenca where the room was so horrific (the bathroom looked like something out of a horror film) that after a few beers for supper, we booked into somewhere else with only the clothes on our back. After Cuenca was another bus to Tumbes, the border town of Ecuador and Peru. In Peru we went on to Piura and then the next day we arrived in Trajillo, a huge bustling city where at every intersection of road, whoever gets there first has right of way! It has been good to stop for a few days and gather our senses! We visited a 'black beach' that Will was quite pleased about and we also visited ... read more