Day No 73
Another day in Huanchaco started easily. We
decided to go to Huaca del Sol y huaca de la luna. Some ruins,
really old and impressing apparently. I went there with the Irish guys I met in
the hostel. We first went to the market, bought some fruits and water and
caught a mini bus to those ruins.
Well, actually we took that mini bus till Trujillo,
but the different place where we expected. So we ended up walking around,
asking millions of people for the directions and finally got into a mini bus
that goes to the ruins. Well, turned out it does not go to the ruins, but it
goes close to it. An older guy showed us to the `motor taxi` place and we took
one of those things to finally get to the ruins.
We got in, bought the tickets and waited for the
guide. Apparently you cannot go in if you do not have a guide. But it is
included in the price, so why not, right? Our guide was a nice girl who knew
the whole story. It took us around half an hour with all of the explanations
and walking around. It is interesting. If you like ruins I’d suggest you to go
to these ones.
We got back to Trujillo, then back to Huanchaco. Irish
guys were leaving that night already, so all we did was just hang out in the
beach, where is was killingly hot, read a book, had a dinner, said goodbyes and
I stayed in reading a book.
Day No 74
I have decided that it is going to be my last day in
Huanchaco. And in the beginning I thought I will just stay in the beach, but
after some considerations and rational thinking that I probably could not be
less of a lets-stay-in-the-beach-all-day-doing-nothing person, I decided to
visit Chan Chan. Some old ruins, 700 years older than the ones I visited a day
ago, but very big and impressive, or at least that is what people told me.
It is fairly easy to get there. You just flag a bus,
ask `Chan chan`, if they nod or say something like `si`, it means they will
take you there. So this is exactly what I did. They drop you off on the road
and show you which direction to go. That is not so necessary even, because the
road is marked with white stones. So I went there, it took me about ten minutes
and I was in the place. A very interested in me security guy showed me where to
buy the tickets, then a guide offered his services for 30 Soles and I went
there on my own. I mean – there is a lot I can buy for 30 Soles, I can live
without a guide. And there – a surprise. I tried to take a picture and all I
got was a blurry nothing. Damn, I thought, don’t tell me my second and last
camera will refuse to function. So I walked around, not taking pictures and
just observing. It is a big piece of ruins and it is interesting, especially if
you are interested in these kind of things. I have to say though, that I liked
the other one better. That really depends on a taste I guess.
After a walk around it all I went back, and, well, of
course, just my luck, my camera started working again. Better later than never,
I thought, already happy.
Once back in Huanchaco, I still had some time on my
hands, so I read my book, walked along the beach and did nothing. Well, couple
of hours of nothing I can handle more or less anyways. After some time I took
my stuff, flagged a bus, asked if it is going to the place I need, he said yes
and we moved towards Trujillo.
There – another surprise. The guy from the bus told me
I have to get off at one corner and that I should go to the left. Basically he
dropped me off in the middle of nowhere. I went to the direction that was
pointed and still could not see any bus terminal. After asking several people
for the direction I managed to find it [not close to the place I left the bus
that’s for sure], but then again, they told me that bus is fully booked. And Trujillo
is definitely not the place to be or spend the night in.
Ok, some more walking along the street, trying every
possible and impossible bus company finally came to the promising end – I got
the ticket to one of the buses and just stayed there and read a book. I was
going to Mancora. Still cannot explain why, but something tells me, I did the
right thing.
Day No 75
Funny enough I woke up in the morning in the bus when
we were crossing some city without stopping at it. I started reading a book and
wondering when we will arrive to Mancora. Once I saw a road sign that said –
Tumbes 45 km. I knew I was already leaving Mancora behind. The bus boy was very
`chilled`. Oh yes, Mancora is already there he told me. I asked him to drop me
off some place, so he said `if you want to`. What do you mean, if I want to. Of
course I want to. This is why I bought a damn ticket to Mancora and not
anywhere else.
Ok, so he drops me off in a little tiny village with
several houses and one main street. I stay there, waiting for a bus that goes
to Mancora. No luck. Nobody stops even if I ask if they go to Mancora. Some dog
is staying with me, protecting me, I am guessing and people are staring and me
and my bag as if we just escaped the zoo.
After maybe one hour of waiting I finally get the bus.
It takes me 1.5 hours to go back on the same road but at least I am back in
Mancora. I make a mistake and ask them to drop me off in the center. On the
other hand – how was I supposed to know that the place I booked is in the
different location than on map.google.com?
I ask for direction, people tell me it’s far and I need
to take taxi, but also shows me direction. Me, the brave soldier of the
wonderland, decide to walk. If that is not enough, I decide to take a
`shortcut`, because I know my place is on the beach. Shortcut brought me to the
middle of the pond [I was just lucky it was only up my knees]. Finally, already
with soaking wet shoes, I decide to keep on going and cross that pond. Once I end
up in the beach, there is not big problem to find the place. Hostel The point.
I can definitely recommend this place to anyone. GOOD place to be and hang out
and meet people and enjoy Mancora. REALLY.
I get in, walk to the reception and here comes my big
fear. Me, as a complete blond person from the inside, made a mistake in the
dates for the booking. I tried to correct my mistake, but still have no idea if
that worked. Fortunately it did. The girl registered me and told me to wait for
the room. I waited next to the pool while reading my book. Once my room was
ready I took it, went to the market to buy some fruits and paltas [avocado] and
got back. I went for a swim in the pool, read a book, had a little walk, watched
the amazing sunset, got back to the hostel.
I decided to reward myself with a beer after a long
night and day. I sat at the bar, next to this British guy and we started
talking. The talk was going very easy, so we stayed there longer, ordering some
cocktails [or just mixes better] and talking some more. Some more people
joined, another British guy came to work in the bar. We kept on talking. I had
an amazing time there. The guy also showed us some magic cards tricks and
promised to explain me how he did it later.
After the bar closed we went to the beach where two
Argentinian brother played guitar, some drum-box kind of thing and sang some
Spanish songs. We had a great time, but I was really tired, so at some point I just
left and went to my bed.
Day No 76
The next day was supposed to be more or less the same.
Mancora is a good place for surfing, beach or pool time and not much else. I went
to the market for some fruits once again, went to the beach, spent some time
there, did some swimming in the pool [you can do it in the beach as well, but
waves are really strong and after almost drowning twice in the waves you start
being a little scared, plus, it smells like seafood in there] and read my book.
Later we went to see the sunset, which was not great,
because of the clouds and talked to the people around. There were two Canadian
sisters in the hostel, so after the sunset and all we decided to go for dinner
in the center. We went to this very nice and with great food Thai place. I had
no idea about the places and they spent in Mancora about a month, so I trusted
their taste and did not get disappointed. We talked and I learned how crazy
they are. I mean seriously, people think I am crazy, but when I meet people,
and especially on this trip, it is amazing what people sometimes do and how
they live. Still a lot to learn. Or a lot to understand. Well, you have to
travel to get that in one piece.
We went into another hostel to listen to the same
brothers playing where I met the same Irish guys, went back to the hostel,
where I took a beer and enjoyed some nice conversations at the bar. Apart from
that, I tried to look for how to get to Ecuador, because the closest border was
not available. There was some blockade on the road due to some protests and no
buses were going there.
Day No 77
Me and two German girls were very positive about this –
whatever happens, we are going to Ecuador today. But first – we had to find out
how. We started by checking out and making fun that in case - we will just come back and check in again. We
went to the center, asked in several places, all of them said we cannot cross
the border in Tumbes, but we can take a but up to the protest and cross the
border. I was kind of up for it, but after reading about people actually dying
there, fighting with stones and gas bombs or something, I decided that I actually
want to go to Ecuador and not to die on the way.
Another solution was offered for us to take another
border. That would mean a little longer trip but what the hell. After long
consideration, flipping the coin and other things we decided we are not staying
for doing nothing, we are actually leaving. So we went back to the hostel for
the last little piece of doing nothing, had lunch, took our stuff and got back
to the center. A little trip to the market for the food for the road and we
took a bus.
First bus took us 3 hours and took us to Sullana in
Peru. A VERY dangerous city where you do not want to spend the night. We waited
there couple of hours, got the bus to go to Loja in Ecuador [overnight one] and
started our trip. We were very excited about going to Ecuador, so nothing could
stop us now. Or so we thought.
Just before the midnight we crossed a very silent and
easy border and there we were - Ecuador
baby!!
Of course, our excitement could not last for two long
because just before I managed to fall asleep we got stuck on the road. I drifted
to my dreams hoping it is going to be a short time.
Day No 78
The short time ended up being a long time. We were
there the whole night and little bit of the morning. Before us there was a
slide of stones and the truck was stuck in there. So we had to wait for the
security saving department or something to move it and keep on going.
So in the late morning we started moving. In the
afternoon we finally reached Loja, but staying there is not the best option, so
we went to Vilcabamba right away. There we just followed the first and cheapest
hostel in Lonely Planet and went in. There was Andreas, the Swedish guy I met
before. We hugged for hellos and then I saw German girls doing the same thing.
`where do you know him from?` `where do you?` were asked and once again, we
proved the theory, that the world is small and the people you meet on the road
are the same.
So we got the room, went for a little walk around that
small village, had some dinner and before we knew it – it was already evening
and we were tired from the night in the bus. So some beers, since we had to
celebrate Ecuador and we went to sleep.
Day No 79
I woke up, just as always, earlier than all of the
rest, so I just wondered around, waiting for my German girls to wake up. Once they
were up, we had some breakfast, but since there was cloudy and we needed some
proper internet time, our day started very easy and without much of the
excitement.
Once we were done with whatever we needed to do we
left Manu in the hostel [poor girl got sick] and with Nat went for some lunch
and for a walk in some Natural Reserve kind of thing. We made it a very nice
2-3 hours walk up the hills where you can see the panoramic view of the whole
surroundings and down the hill. Of course, due to some rains all around the
area there were some slides of the ground and some very steep parts of the
`trek`. Still, it was great to walk there, see the highest San Pedro cactus in
the Valley.
Once back in the hostel we enjoyed some VERY very good
curry and other things that some people made for dinner, some beers, some music
coming from different people. There were harmonica, guitar, some strange big
snaky looking thing, flute and so on. We had a lot of fun, especially with
Manu, since we were talking and laughing till the tears showed up.
Day No 80
We had to wake up early in the morning which we did. We
had breakfast. We said goodbye to Andreas with `probably we will meet somewhere
on the way again` and left Vilcabamba. Once in Loja, we took another bus and
went to Cuenca.
In Cuenca we took a taxi from the terminal, got into
recommended hostel `Turista del mundo`. I have to say – the owner –
unbelievably nice lady. Very friendly, just like those guys told us. She gave
us a room and we, after a little rest, went for a walk around.
We visited it all – churches, plazas, markets, little
tiny streets. It is very beautiful city. Highly recommended. Old town with old
Spanish style houses and small streets. A lot of lights at night. Really very
beautiful. We also visited a very tiny but cozy bar and had a beer [of course,
how without a beer]
We bought some stuff in the market, made ourselves
some tasty dinner and got seriously involved in searching for the next
destination or how to get to the national park tomorrow. Once that was settled,
it was already late enough, so girls went to sleep and I settled for updating
my blog.
Off Topic
First wave of rush, confusion and anger – is it
possible? And then the second – why is it always the same? Is it me? Or is it
just a coincidence? I can hold your hand, but why am I always ending up holding
that hand, if finally it just slips out. Strange world.
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