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Published: October 11th 2011
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Pre Inca site
Side of temple Ok. Deep breath. It all started at the airport in Cali, Colombia. Despite the fact that you can buy a one way ticket online through Avianca airlines, it was not good enough for the man at the check in counter, or actually the entire airline. We needed a ticket showing we were leaving Peru. No, this could not even be a bus ticket. It had to be a flight. Painted into a corner, we had to spend 1700 USD on a flight out of Peru (which we bought from the oh-so-conveniently placed Avianca office opposite the check in counter). This is apparently a South American law, although no one else asked us for tickets when we flew previously from Brazil to Colombia. And one would think that our flight back home from Sao Paulo would infer that we are leaving Peru... sounds like Africa.
The flight was very pleasant. We arrived in Lima (Peru´s capital) on Friday afternoon, just half an hour after the Avianca offices in Peru had closed. But no problem, we got the address of 2 other Avianca offices in town, where we would try and get a refund on the tickets. We chose a hostel in
Pre Inca site
Peruvian hairless dog - this is a special breed of dog found here. UGLY! Miraflores, south of the centre. The manager was a South African! Unfortunately, he had no space for us so we stayed next door with the cunning local who had opened a hostel next door - an exact mirror image of the other hostel. She has no sign up for her hostel, displays the same flags as the other hostel and waits outside in the parking to poach backpackers.
Lima is a huge city - 8 million people. Miraflores suburb is very upmarket, and one feels as if one is in Europe. We have spent the last few days trying a variety of baked goodies including churros and caramel filled croissants. But most of our time was actually spent doing admin. We set out early on Sat morning to go to the Avianca offices. After walking across a huge part of Lima, we found out that both offices have moved. It was also a public holiday, so most places were closed! We then tried to go shopping, but our credit card seemed to have insufficient funds (due to the tickets we had to buy)! Thank goodness for the good advice of parents - travellers cheques have saved our bacon! We
have finally managed to request a refund which may take up to 3 months (note: they don´t return all the money).
The rest of our time was pleasant. We visited the Museum of the Inquisition (where thousands of people who resisted Spanish law were tortured) as well as a monastry that also served as a burial site for monks and wealthy people (it seems only they went to heaven, as was their belief at the time). So we had a rather macabre few hours, looking at bones and torture methods. We also wandered around the markets and Chinatown, visited parks with artwork and food stalls. Unfortunately, we hardly have any photos due to the security risk of lugging a camera around. On Sunday morning, we headed to a big pile of dirt in the middle of suburbia: this is actually a pre-Inca temple they discovered on a Motorcross park. It was very interesting although the archaeologists made some wild assumptions about the civilisation which our guide was very confident in relaying.
In a few hours, we will catch a 21 hour bus to Cusco, where we will acclimatise for 2 days before starting the Inca Trail to Macchu
Puente Villena
Paraglider gliding past with Waikiki beach in the background Pichhu!
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Derek
non-member comment
Hi P and M, it all sounds a bit painful. It\'s annoying how a land border crossing has different requirements to an airport border crossing but you end up in the same place...but it should all come right in the end, minus some hair and cash :) Did you get any surfing done? Don\'t get too used to Miraflores, that\'s like Sandton - the rest of the country is far less fancy, but as interesting. Enjoy the hike, take some coca leaves for the altitude (and because you can) - in fact, I think you can order coca tea at the McDonalds. And say hello to the squillion stone steps for me: there is a reason the Incas never invented the wheel. Cheers, Derek