Deepest, darkest Peru...part one

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Our first border crossing is a long, drawn out affair. Frieda, our truck, is first stamped out of Ecuador, a few miles further we are all very slowly and methodically stamped out of Ecuador, a few miles further again we are permitted entry to Peru and again a few miles further Frieda is allowed in as well. Immediately Peru felt different. Buildings were crammed together and appeared half finished, the roads were more chaotic, so much so that our truck had difficulty not touching the market stalls on both sides as we drove down the main street. After a long truck day we arrived in Punta Sal, our beach haven for several nights where we camped on the beach, played volleyball, watched killer whales in the distance, had amazing bbqs and I swam in the Pacific Ocean for the first time.

Refreshed, we continued along the west coast of Peru with fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean one side and miles and miles of desert the other. We camped overnight in Hunancho, another small beach resort. The next day we visited the huge, ruined city of Chan Chan, a pre-Inca site, home to the Chimu Empire and dating back to 1100AD. Its the oldest adobe city in the world and the walls made of clay and ground shell fish are decorated with friezes showing waves of the sea, fish and sea birds, all of which were very important to this civilisation for survival. They were later conquered by the Incas and later looted by the Spaniards. Today Chan Chan´s challenge is El Niño which takes inches off the walls each time it passes through.

Another free camp on a beach outside a lovely couple's home. It was his birthday and he invited us to join him and his family for a celebratory birthday pisco and coke. We put up spare balloons we had on the truck to help the birthday atmosphere. We climbed a small hill nearby and watched the sun set over the Pacific with the waves crashing beneath us before another yummy bbq. We slept outside on thin matresses under the stars and I had the best nights sleep so far.

On the road again through surprisingly more desert to Lima. Peru´s capital is home to over 8 million people, half of the entire countries population. Half of Lima's inhabitants live in poverty without decent water, sewage, electricity or jobs. From the elegant, colonial plazas it is easy to see the thousands of shacks clinging to the hillsides of the sprawling slums. The hotel's guard hailed a cab for us and questioned the driver before letting us get in. One driver had a bottle of rum on the passenger seat and was sent on. We later passed another driver outside his taxi throwing up in the street, bottle of something in his hand. We arrived safely in Miroflores, a rich suburb with trendy bars and clubs which easily resembled parts of any European city and where you automatically felt uncomfortable knowing the contrast between the two parts of the city. Everywhere in the hotel were signs warning about the high levels of crime in the city. Don´t go out alone, don't wear your watch; be aware of con artists etc. I was a nervous wreck leaving the hotel the next day. There was no need. We explored the colonial plazas, admired the San Francisco monastory, the cathedral and various churches. We visited the Black Market but didn´t make any purchases. We finished off the day with my favourite cerviche, raw fish marinated in lemon juice. Delicious.

We continued along the Pan American highway along the rugged coastline passing through Pisco, home to my favourite South American tipple, and a town which was worst affected by the recent earthquake which reached 7.9 magnitude and shook buildings violently in Lima 90 miles away. Over 3 months later there were still hundreds of tents pitched outside half collapsed houses. I promised myself I wouldn't complain about camping again.

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Comments

[Beverley]

loving your journals
Katrina Batrina, Great to hear things are going well for you. it sounds such an adventure. Good i wasn't on the lift over the gorge I'd still be there now if they hadn't of given me sedatives. I'm back in Wengen since yesterday and miserable after a fantastic month in India - what a fantastic place, lovely people and amazing culture. Firming up plans now to escape Europe and go and settle in Asia before I'm 55 (that's my new goal). You take care, big hug from here and keep the reports coming. Bev