Jake and I had switched hostels the second night in Arequipa as when we first got to our hostel they made us wait till 2 in the arvo to check in even though check in was at 11am. The photos on HostelWorld and the reviews were all good but on arrival we had to ring the buzzer a few times before the guy came down looking like we had just woke him up even though it was supposed to be a 24 hour reception hostel. So while we were waiting we explored the streets of Arequipa and checked out a few hostels. We found a nice place down the road which was cheaper and cleaner and had a more social atmosphere. In the end our first hostel redeemed itself as they upgraded our room to a private double with bathroom and served amazing banana crepes for breakfast. Such a welcome change from the stale bread-rolls and jam served at most other places.
From the rooftop of our hostel you can see the sprawling city of Arequipa, Peru's second biggest city, but it is the distant snow capped mountains that are the real show-stopper. Arequipa lies in the shadow of a few large volcanoes which provides a backyard playground for locals and tourists alike with hiking, white-water rafting, mountain biking and horse riding. Tonight I am enjoying a large cervesa in the hammock on our rooftop whilst looking out to Mt Misti.
It is a nice quiet night compared to the night before when there were gale force winds which forced us inside with our drinks. With 100k winds and corrugated iron roofs and roof top balconies it was very noisy and there were a couple of times I was worried how secure the roof was. Even with all the noise I managed to get one of the best sleeps I have had in Peru so far, maybe as a result of living through the Wellington winds most of my life.
Jake and I knew we definitely couldn't go to Peru and not go to Machu Picchu. I was interested in doing one of the 3-5 day treks along either the Inca trail or the Salkantay trail but as we are here in peak season the Inca trail needed to be booked months in advance. We didn't have much of an itinerary when we came to Peru so I didn't want to book a trek and then be in a rush to get to Cusco by a set date.
I had read before we came to Cusco that there were DIY alternatives to either joining one of the treks (which are between $300-$600) or catching the overpriced tourist trains from Cusco. It took three days all up using a series of bus/collectives/taxis and walking but it was worth it.
What was supposed to be a 12-15 hour bus trip turned out to be 17hours travel time overnight to reach Cusco. We did get fed dinner and breakfast both of which are nothing to rave about and luckily had some snacks in our bags so we weren't starving. The beginning was over some pretty windy roads and if hadn't been night time I think these views would have been pretty spectacular. The rest of the journey was pretty tough with more windy and bumpy roads and even with the VIP cama seats I didn't manage to get much sleep and instead watched several movies in Spanish. At one point due to road works we stopped for a good hour or so where we were able to buy some good food for only a few soles from the local villagers selling to everyone waiting in traffic. Was only potato, eggs and some chilly sauce but was surprisingly tasty or maybe it was just better then the stale bread and luncheon we were offered on the bus.
After a 5 hour bus ride on soyuz we finally arrived in Ica. Soyuz has a rep for being not so good and we were advised to watch our luggage and make sure we held onto any valuables. However after 5 hours we felt quite safe and would recommend it to others as long as you don't mind taking an extra hour or so to get there as the bus does pick up and drop passengers along the way. The bus ride also allowed us to see a bit more of lima as it passes through some of the slums in the dusty desert and through a few small ocean towns which looked like holiday destinations for those wanting to get out of the hustle and bustle of Lima.
We had recommendations from other backpackers and seen a brochure in our hostel advertising Parque de la reserva, a magic water show which at night time is lit up and is only 4 soles each. So we made the trek into downtown Lima which involved using the metro bus. It is really quite a good service but we were leaving at peak hour where everyone was finishing work and beginning their nights out. A short wait later and two buses where people literally squashed into door jams and pushed each other off the buses I was beginning to wonder if we should have just caught a taxi. Luckily another 5 mins later we caught a non-express bus instead and although we didn't get a seat we managed to not be squashed between the armpits of sweaty workers going home. In all the drama trying to get on the bus I hadn't really paid much attention to where we needed to get off and we missed our stop. I should have taken the hint from there maybe that the night was not to be but on we went in search of the water park.
On our second day we met a few other kiwis over breakfast and got some good tips from the girls that had been traveling through south America for the past few months. After a late start we decided to head over to barranco and check it out. Barranco is another seaside town in Lima and has a reputation for having a wild bohemian side as well as some great seafood. After a nice long walk along the coast to Barranco with the kiwi guy we met that morning I think we were all a little bit disappointed. I think I was expecting something like Wellingtons Cuba street or Melbournes lane ways but with a Peruvian twist.
First stop Lima Peru after a loooong as layover in Santiago, Chile. Luckily we were prepared and had heaps of snacks and books movies games etc to keep us occupied but after not much sleep the night before and only a few hours sleep on the plane all Jake and I really wanted to do was sleep. Jake borrowed one of the pillows from the qantas plane on our way over here so we were able to take turns sleeping for an hour or so on the always uncomfortable airport chairs. Only problem was even though it was 8degrees outside for some reason the airport had air conditioning. I wished we had also borrowed the qantas blankets!
Originally we were only booked into Lima for one night and were going to see how we felt the next day whether we would move on or not. We ended up in Lima for 3 nights unwinding from finally finishing work and the long trip to SA.
Finding a new found passion for writing but have reservations about my non-existent abilities to use technology. Often wonder why I can't just write on paper and then watch it magically appear on the web.