The Rest of Peru

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From Cusco (base camp for anyone going to Machu Pichu) I hopped back on the bus again and made my way to Arequipa. A nice little town which is base camp to anyone going to Colca Canon (the world's second deepest canon). I took an overnight tour of the Canon and the surrounding area and witnessed the condors flying around, strutting their stuff for the tourists.

In Arequipa I visited the Convento de Santa Catalina which occupies a whole city block and is like a city within a city. It was built in the 16th century and housed 450 nuns that had limited contact with the outside world, until in 1970 when the convent was opened to the public. It made for some pretty photo's.

After Arequipa I headed down to the town of Nazca to see a few drawings in the dirt. The plane ride to see the Nazca Lines was fun. The town of Nazca didn't have a whole lot to offer apart from the sparkling pool at the hostel, where I spent all my time. (No photo's of the Nazca Lines and is just looks like a whole lot of dirt from the aeroplane window).

From Nazca to Huacachina which is best known for it's sand dunes that are perfect for a spot of sand-boarding. I donned my best surfer-dude attitude and had a crack at it but I was pretty bad so I gave up that idea. Huacachina was a cool little place, an actual desert oasis, complete with lagoon and palm trees.

Next on the agenda was Pisco, home of the famous drink, 'The Pisco Sour'. An interesting beverage consisting of Pisco (a grape spirit), lemon and egg white. Any drink with an egg in it is kinda wrong by me. Pisco is also home to resident sea lion and Boobie colonies which I went and had a gander at.

Initially, I was going to avoid Peru's capital, Lima but I ended up there for a night anyway. I stayed in a rather ritzy suburb, Miraflores, on the coast. My aimless wandering led me to that beacon of consumerism, 'the shopping mall'. I could almost hear angels singing when I first set eyes on it, so I went and paid my respects at the food court and at the cinema. Both the food and the movie were mediocre but both were fantastical!

From Lima to Trujillo and a short taxi ride to Huanchaco, on the coast. I visited the local mud-brick ruins of Chan Chan which pre-date the Incas, built around AD1300. I was lucky enough to have an Archeologist as my taxi driver, so he took me around to all the sites and explained everything in great depth. In Huanchaco I also got a little fix of sand and surf and some sunburn and then took myself off to Trujillo to catch a bus out of there.

It was wandering around the streets of Trujillo, trying to kill some time before my bus left, that I met Marcelo, a musician from the area. After a few beers he convinced me to change my ticket and stay with him and his friends. His friends, Ofelia, Cesar and their two-year old Estefano, were all really lovely and I had a great time staying with them and Marcelo, but three days of partying and a very sore head later, I finally had to leave for Mancora.

I was really keen to hit the beach again, but once I got to Mancora I remembered that I don't actually like the beach. I stayed one night and then headed for the border. At the border I managed to get ripped-off by the bank, the money-changer and my taxi driver. $100 lighter, sitting on a bench in some town I can't even remember the name of, waiting for the bus to leave, I was feeling rather sorry for myself. I then looked down in front of me and saw 8 pigs stuffed into netting sacks, lying in the hot sun, looking rather dehydrated. I remember thinking, 'things could be worse - I could be a pig, stuffed in a sack, lying in the hot sun'. And once I got on the bus and we got moving, everything seemed on the up again. I was excited to be in a new country and invigorated by the fresh mountain air of Ecuador. We drove through some amazing scenery and the pigs got to enjoy it all strapped to the top of the bus.

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Photos

Colca Canon
That there is a condor.

Santa Catalina
The wash basins.

Islas Ballestas
Lots of Boobies.

Huanchaco
The totara reed canoes that the fisherman surf back into shore (of course I have no documentary evidence of this but I am assured that they do actually do this).

Huanchaco
Some random building.

Huanchaco
I met a lovely lady called Mary, when I was in Huanchaco. She invited me over for lunch and I met her family and her little girl who is handicapped. I thought it a good opportunity to hold another small child whilst wearing my blue t-shirt.

Trujillo
Cesar, Ofelia, Estefano and Marcelo

Trujillo
Blue t-shirt + small child = photographic moment.

Trujillo
Cesar and Marcelo at the beach.

Comments

[Cocal]

Nice pics
Hey, thanks for visiting my country, very nice pics!