Alright, I´m a bit behind the 8 ball with this blog I realize, but I´ll try to make it up to you and give you a nice short version of my last few days.
So, after saying good bye with little hesitation to Mancora, I left Peru Thursday evening heading north to Ecuador, and for the first time in a few weeks I wasn't alone. A few nights prior I had met two travelers from Ireland who had the same plans as me to cross the boarder, so we decided to do it together. And when we rolled into the bus station we picked up two more from Israel. The journey dragged on from 5 in the evening to 7 in the morning, and included very little sleeping. I was a bit nervous to cross the boarder into Ecuador -- I had heard plenty of difficult boarder crossing stories to scare me. But this turned out to be a very easy experience, especially seeing as it was done at 1 in the morning. I paid my fee to the Peruvian government because I had overstayed my time and got my Ecuador stamp on my passport. One of the nicest experiences, though, was standing in line at customs with the two Irish, Natasha and Nick, and the two Israelis, Chen and Ronnie, talking about the similarities and differences in our countries.
I arrived in Vicabamba accustomed to brown, dusty landscapes and high altitude mountains, and my eyes found lush green mountain sides, flowers growing everywhere, and fruit falling off the trees. Although this is not officially the jungle, it is a perfectly comfortable medium between the sierra and tropics. And there is humidity, something many of you may be surprised to hear I miss quite a bit. After taking stock of my new surroundings, I followed the four others to a hostel they had heard about, Hospadaje Izcayuma which is one of the nicest places I´ve stayed yet on my trip so far. It´s a bit expensive, but in the middle of the forest above the town and to our overtired eye, an absolute gem. Every time I saw something new in this hostel, like a swimming pool, clean sheets on the bed, a shower that promised hot water, I felt overjoyed and ready to dive into comfort. So, Friday I focused all my energy on recuperating from my bus journey and slept, followed by exploring this town.
Saturday followed much as Friday went; I enjoyed the unlimited breakfast at the hostel (pretty much unheard of in these parts) and talked with some Israeli girls about their experiences in the army which was very interesting (all Israelis must serve at least 2 years in the army in some capacity, usually after highschool). I then went for a nice little hike with Natasha followed by walking down town for lunch and made it back up to the hostel in time for my massage. Yes I indulged, and it was lovely.
And today I went for another hick with Nick and an Australian girl. I really can´t get over the climate, the trees, everything, and I got to see a lot of it on my walk. We then headed in to town just in time to watch the long soccor match, and was very happy when Spain finally put an end to the suspense!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Two days on the beach
So, for those of you who are checking my new, way cool blog daily (ie Mom and Dad), you will notice that I missed a day yesterday. Well, actually I was doing you a favor because since arriving here in Mancora, I have succeeded living out the beach lifestyle and have fully taken advantage of the ability you can have here to relax. I have never been to Mertyl Beach before, but I imagine that Mancora is to Peru what Mertyl Beach is to South Carolina -- perfectly gaudy because it can be and because of the hoards of beach lovers that regularly flock there. There are vendors that line the beach front, tons of over priced hotels, and ´vacationers´ who seem to have never left the place. Although I usually purposefully steer clear of places like this, I have completely enjoyed my time here. The sun is strong and I find it very rejuvenating after having been in the cold of high altitude places. And the sea is incredible here -- clear, gentle waves roll into the the long smooth beaches all day, and it is perfect for swimming.
Yesterday I woke up and took my first of two surfing lessons. Yesterday´s lesson was a bit disappointing because I my teacher was a 16 year old boy who could only say ´hey baby´ in English to me... but I did enjoy the waves and learning a bit about surfing. After that I promptly returned to my hostel to switch to another one because the previous night I was put to sleep listening to techno music and the sounds of people partying below me. When I checked into my new hostel I met girl from the Netherlands named Cynthia who invited me out to lunch, so I made a new friend while I ate my delicious plate of ceviche (raw fish ´cooked´ in lime juice, delicious). In the afternoon I took a walk on the beach and then went swimming, which gives me sooo much joy! Anyway, that was followed by getting ready for dinner and then meeting up with my new friend and some of her friends for dinner (again, ceviche). I am always so amazed by the ease with which friends are made when traveling.
Anyway, today I started the day by taking a walk to the town´s market. Something very special about towns in Peru is that almost all of them have an outdoor market where fruit, vegetable, bread, and whatever-else- vendors set up their stand to sell their goods to the public. And it´s usually cheaper. So I had a great fruit juice made right in front of my eyes and some fresh bread for breakfast. On my way back to town I met up with an American who owns a great restaurant here called Green Eggs and Ham. When I told him the hostel I'm staying at he told me its the worst hostel in town and treats its employees really badly (paying them no more than 10 soles a day -- he may be streching the truth, but I went with it). I couldn't live with myself knowing that so I switched hotels again! Fortunately for me there are a huge selection of hostels to choose from here. Anyway, after that was my second surfing lesson, and this one was much better, with a better instructor. I really enjoyed the experience and got up on the board a few times.
The afternoon continued in full relax mode. I ate ceviche for lunch, watched Spain beat Germany, and went swimming again. I talked with some friends, ate a chocolate bar, and watched the sun set (well, half way set). So, clearly it has been a busy day!
But tomorrow, the world beacons and I will cross the boarder heading to Ecuador.
Yesterday I woke up and took my first of two surfing lessons. Yesterday´s lesson was a bit disappointing because I my teacher was a 16 year old boy who could only say ´hey baby´ in English to me... but I did enjoy the waves and learning a bit about surfing. After that I promptly returned to my hostel to switch to another one because the previous night I was put to sleep listening to techno music and the sounds of people partying below me. When I checked into my new hostel I met girl from the Netherlands named Cynthia who invited me out to lunch, so I made a new friend while I ate my delicious plate of ceviche (raw fish ´cooked´ in lime juice, delicious). In the afternoon I took a walk on the beach and then went swimming, which gives me sooo much joy! Anyway, that was followed by getting ready for dinner and then meeting up with my new friend and some of her friends for dinner (again, ceviche). I am always so amazed by the ease with which friends are made when traveling.
Anyway, today I started the day by taking a walk to the town´s market. Something very special about towns in Peru is that almost all of them have an outdoor market where fruit, vegetable, bread, and whatever-else- vendors set up their stand to sell their goods to the public. And it´s usually cheaper. So I had a great fruit juice made right in front of my eyes and some fresh bread for breakfast. On my way back to town I met up with an American who owns a great restaurant here called Green Eggs and Ham. When I told him the hostel I'm staying at he told me its the worst hostel in town and treats its employees really badly (paying them no more than 10 soles a day -- he may be streching the truth, but I went with it). I couldn't live with myself knowing that so I switched hotels again! Fortunately for me there are a huge selection of hostels to choose from here. Anyway, after that was my second surfing lesson, and this one was much better, with a better instructor. I really enjoyed the experience and got up on the board a few times.
The afternoon continued in full relax mode. I ate ceviche for lunch, watched Spain beat Germany, and went swimming again. I talked with some friends, ate a chocolate bar, and watched the sun set (well, half way set). So, clearly it has been a busy day!
But tomorrow, the world beacons and I will cross the boarder heading to Ecuador.
Monday, July 5, 2010
From Chiclayo to Mancora
I have made it to the fabled beach city of Mancora on Peru's coast, and thus far it is everything I thought it would be. Mancora is located closer to the Ecuador coast that to any other major city in Peru, and is warmer than anyplace I've been in the country, which is one of the main reasons why I wanted to come up here in the first place. As expected, I've seen more gringos since I arrived this afternoon than Peruvians, but I've heard that during the summer months (January to April) this places swells with Peruvians escaping to the long sunny days and great surfing that this place has. It is so well known for it's surfing in fact that I've decided to take serf lessons tomorrow!
Today has been a pretty mellow traveling day. I woke up early in my hotel in Chiclayo to walk to the bus station to buy my ticket to Mancora, and afterward went to breakfast before heading to the bus station at 10. While waiting for my bus, I saw a couple I had met in the hotel and we traveled on the bus together to Mancora. We got the posh, comfy seats on the first floor of the bus, with seats that felt more like lazy boys than bus seats. Arriving at 4, I headed for my hostel, called The Point, which is on the far side of the town, a 10 minute walk in fact. It's definitely a party hostel, but it's a good way to meet people, I figure. Anyway, as soon as I put my things down on my bed, I high tailed it for the beach...which is amazing! Walking in the water, feeling the sand between my toes, collecting seashells...I can pretend I'm back home enjoying summer for a moment.
Anyway, when I was down town I bumped into the couple who I rode the bus with and we went out for drinks and dinner together. Cindy and Collen are from California and traveling together here for two months. After having been on my own traveling for the past couple of days, it came as a welcomed break to relax and talk freely, without the constraints of a language barrier.
Today has been a pretty mellow traveling day. I woke up early in my hotel in Chiclayo to walk to the bus station to buy my ticket to Mancora, and afterward went to breakfast before heading to the bus station at 10. While waiting for my bus, I saw a couple I had met in the hotel and we traveled on the bus together to Mancora. We got the posh, comfy seats on the first floor of the bus, with seats that felt more like lazy boys than bus seats. Arriving at 4, I headed for my hostel, called The Point, which is on the far side of the town, a 10 minute walk in fact. It's definitely a party hostel, but it's a good way to meet people, I figure. Anyway, as soon as I put my things down on my bed, I high tailed it for the beach...which is amazing! Walking in the water, feeling the sand between my toes, collecting seashells...I can pretend I'm back home enjoying summer for a moment.
Anyway, when I was down town I bumped into the couple who I rode the bus with and we went out for drinks and dinner together. Cindy and Collen are from California and traveling together here for two months. After having been on my own traveling for the past couple of days, it came as a welcomed break to relax and talk freely, without the constraints of a language barrier.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
¨El que no debe ser nombrado¨
I am surprising myself a bit by writing my second consecutive blog entry, but here it is! We´ll see how long this lasts, but I have high hopes.
Today, also known as Independence Day in the States, has been my day off visiting important historic museums of Peru. I saw two. Chiclayo, the city I´m staying in at the moment, is centrally located in an historically important region where there are a number of fascinating ruins. Sipan, Farreñafe, and Túcum are the remains of pyramids that are still being explored by archaeologists; in fact, some of these burial sites where only ¨discovered¨in 1988. Instead of actually going out to see these sights myself, I took the easy way out and went to the beautifully curated Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipán in Lambayeque, a small city about 15 minutes away from Chiclayo. On the combi ride over I met a lovely Peruvian couple who were on their way to a food festival right being held on the museum grounds. The museum held a treasure trove of gold artifacts found in these pyramids.
I went out for a lunch of fried fish and marshmallow cookies for desert ( marshmallow covered with dark chocolate) on my way to my second museum, the Bruning Museum, which holds some beautiful black and white photos from an archaeologist (Mr. Bruning) and some of the artifacts he found. It was very interesting as well.
On the coliectivo ride back to Chiclayo I was beginning to despair about my lack of Spanish skills and how I wasn't connecting with Peruvians as much as I would like. But, I walked to the Marcado Central, a big bustling mega mart of street venders, and I had two very nice interactions with some women fruit and flower vendors, both of whom warned me strongly of the robbers in the area. And at my hotel I had a nice little impromptu Spanish lesson with the man at the front desk .
And, the title of this addition might seem a little random, but I am reading Harry Potter (2) in Spanish! I´ve been at it for a week and am on page 20, but it´s giving me hope for a larger vocabulary in Spanish!!
Today, also known as Independence Day in the States, has been my day off visiting important historic museums of Peru. I saw two. Chiclayo, the city I´m staying in at the moment, is centrally located in an historically important region where there are a number of fascinating ruins. Sipan, Farreñafe, and Túcum are the remains of pyramids that are still being explored by archaeologists; in fact, some of these burial sites where only ¨discovered¨in 1988. Instead of actually going out to see these sights myself, I took the easy way out and went to the beautifully curated Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipán in Lambayeque, a small city about 15 minutes away from Chiclayo. On the combi ride over I met a lovely Peruvian couple who were on their way to a food festival right being held on the museum grounds. The museum held a treasure trove of gold artifacts found in these pyramids.
I went out for a lunch of fried fish and marshmallow cookies for desert ( marshmallow covered with dark chocolate) on my way to my second museum, the Bruning Museum, which holds some beautiful black and white photos from an archaeologist (Mr. Bruning) and some of the artifacts he found. It was very interesting as well.
On the coliectivo ride back to Chiclayo I was beginning to despair about my lack of Spanish skills and how I wasn't connecting with Peruvians as much as I would like. But, I walked to the Marcado Central, a big bustling mega mart of street venders, and I had two very nice interactions with some women fruit and flower vendors, both of whom warned me strongly of the robbers in the area. And at my hotel I had a nice little impromptu Spanish lesson with the man at the front desk .
And, the title of this addition might seem a little random, but I am reading Harry Potter (2) in Spanish! I´ve been at it for a week and am on page 20, but it´s giving me hope for a larger vocabulary in Spanish!!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
To begin, I must say I´ve never thought I would actually begin a blog, and it still is difficult for me to believe whether or not I will actually be deticated enough to keep it updated everyday, but I need way to tell you all what I´ve been up to and how I am doing on my trip. A friend of mine has a blog she updates daily which serves as a great way to keep in touch with here friends and family back home and as a way to keep her records of her trip. So, three months in and here it goes!
Today I arrived in Chiclayo, a city far in the north of Peru on the coast which has a bad reputation as being a dangerous place but which beacons travelers by its proximity to a whole array of ruins from ancient civilsations that were some of the most influential, important societies in the history of this contentent. This place is warm and like other places in Northern Peru it does not try to hide it´s European influence; from the beautiful towering cathidral in the Plaza de Armas to the over all mediterainian feel, Chiclayo is a welcomed break for me from South American winter.
I arrived here at 5:30 after a long, twisting bus ride from Cajamarca, a kind city tucked away in the northern highlands of the Andes. I left this morning after having breakfast and watching Germany beat Argentina in the game (which people weren´t too happy about). The bus ride wasn´t too bad. I sat next to an American named Clara and guess where she´s from? She is the first other New Hampshirite I´ve met on my trip! When the bus arrived in the city, the nice owner from my hostel was standing outside the station to pick me up. After that I headed out, explored the city, and sat down for a glass of wine and antichuchos (marinated pieces of cow heart).
Today I arrived in Chiclayo, a city far in the north of Peru on the coast which has a bad reputation as being a dangerous place but which beacons travelers by its proximity to a whole array of ruins from ancient civilsations that were some of the most influential, important societies in the history of this contentent. This place is warm and like other places in Northern Peru it does not try to hide it´s European influence; from the beautiful towering cathidral in the Plaza de Armas to the over all mediterainian feel, Chiclayo is a welcomed break for me from South American winter.
I arrived here at 5:30 after a long, twisting bus ride from Cajamarca, a kind city tucked away in the northern highlands of the Andes. I left this morning after having breakfast and watching Germany beat Argentina in the game (which people weren´t too happy about). The bus ride wasn´t too bad. I sat next to an American named Clara and guess where she´s from? She is the first other New Hampshirite I´ve met on my trip! When the bus arrived in the city, the nice owner from my hostel was standing outside the station to pick me up. After that I headed out, explored the city, and sat down for a glass of wine and antichuchos (marinated pieces of cow heart).
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