Up the Peruvian coast - the desert next to the sea

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We decided to take the luxury bus option for getting to Trujillo from Lima, an 8 hour busride. I had my doubts as to how nice this bus was going to be, but it was a solid 8 hours, so I was game to give it a go. I t was the nicest bus ride of my life. Great recline on the seats, which were configured in a 2-1 configuration on the top deck (two level bus). Cruz Del Sur lived up to the reputation. They had a meal service, drink service, and had pillows and blankets. They showed western movies (Shooter, Pay it Forward). Funny thing for 'Pay it Forward' was, they showed it with the directors commentary on). Since the staff didn't speak English, they didn't know. It was still a nice way to pass the time. I am not sure I would have wanted to take it all the way to the border (which was an option) because that would have been an additional 5 hours and would have been an overnight option. No matter how comfy buses are, sleeping on them does not seem to be an attractive idea.

Upon arrival in Trujillo, our couchsurfing contact's phone number rang and rang, so we ended up staying at the hostel imperial, a decent if impersonal option. Very clean, quiet, and in a nice spot. There is not that much to see in Trujillo, but we enjoyed the feel of the city, very different than Lima or Cusco. It is the 3rd largest city in the country, but does not come close to the buzz of either Cusco or Lima (considering the population is a little over 400,000 compared to the 8 plus million of Lima, this is no surprise.

I was happy to find a large 'Metro' supermarket, and did a little bit of grocery shopping. Many aspects of Peru felt very modern compared to Bolivia, the supermaket was no exception.By changing the signs, it could have been anywhere in Western Europe or the USA.

After sleeping in, walking around town, and going shopping, we decided to take the $5 tour of Chan Chan, the local pre-Inca ruins. It was worth about $5. Included was a trip to the backpacker surfer hangout of Huanchaco for sunset. Upon return, it was of to the 'Worst border crossing in Latin America' to head up to Peru.

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Photos

Almost hairless dogs
They had a very interesting texture, much like petting the callused soles on someone's feet. Not an altogether pleasant thought.