Blogs from Trujillo, Peru, South America - page 8

It's early, the sun only having peaked over the horizon, I sit watching the waves enjoying the tranquility of the empty beach, the sun warms my bones , I am content. Further along the beach a man nearing his sixtieth sits staring at the sand between his formal black shoes, , He wears a black suit and a crisp white shirt and leans on a wooden cane, his head remains bowed. We sit for about an hour, the man never moves, never raises his head just stares gracefully at the sand where he sits. His attaire makes me curious at this stage the sun is rising fast and the tempeture is rising and some people are coming onto the beach, he remains motionless. Has he been recently bereaved, Is he praying or is he just listening ... read more

Huanchoco, Peru – 6 April 2011 Tom and I are keeping up with the young ones, who have all been fantastic. It’s pretty interesting during our evening dinner and outings together, because the 20 year olds have all travelled, mostly by themselves, but in tour groups (which is safer, particularly for single girls) and they are all adaptable, cope well with the cultural variations, and are doing really well with the Spanish language. Tom and I are constantly accessing our Spanish Phrase book (thank you Adam for giving it to us). It’s been lots of fun...the group have been lots of fun! The Huanchoco Hotel where we were staying, was one street back from the beach and just around the corner from a Chocolate Restaurant. We soon learned the breakfasts of freshly squeezed fruit juice; brewed ... read more

Many people will tell you bad things about the Tumbes crossing. Have a quick scan through the blogs and you would swear you need to pack your kevlar and oil up your AK, coz it's gonna be a bumpy ride. From the Yanks telling the stories you figure you're leaving the green zone or something. Admittedly, the bustling metropolis of Tumbes looked more than a touch dodgy at night – and it was always a night crossing on the bus. The yellow light from the sodium vapour lamps at the Ecuadorian side faded quickly as the bus made its way slowly through the deserted, darkened buildings of the no-man's land. Vacant windows, crappy tags, and precarioulsy poised broken windows said “Bienvenidos a Perú” to a tired traveller spaced out on Dramamine. But it was easy, dead ... read more

The familiar coffee-grinder noises from our engine gave way to the soft crunching of loose sand under our tires. As we pulled to a stop on the shoulder of the highway the tire noise gave way to... nothing. We were alone in the midst of the white nothingness of the Peruvian desert. We stepped out into the direct sun and felt the steady wind that made its way across the landmarkless plain. On this trip we have seen jungles, oceans, mega-cities and many other feasts for the eyes. However, there was something about this place so far from civilization. It felt hostile yet strangely inviting at the same time. We only tarried a few minutes soaking up the beauty of the simplicity. A few photos and we were off again. Many more landscapes have slid past ... read more

Trujillo We are leaving but have yet to go see Trujillo, the 3rd biggest city in Peru. The short journey from Haunchaco started with a collectivo (Hiace van) with a record 21 people on board (I now count every time I board one of these yokes and am constantly amused/horrified at how many people can be sardined into one of these tin cans) One very tall young man (unusual for latinos) was crammed into the aisle bent double in the middle, his head near John's knees and his backside in Dustin's face, Had I'd been able to move, it would have made an interesting photo. We walked a few blocks after disembarking and came into the beautiful Plaza de Armas, I read recently that the reason that each town has one of these here in South ... read more