Peru isn’t big. It’s huge. Its overall surface is 1.285.216 km² (496,225 sq mi). 19th in the world. In fact, Peru is longer than wider. From the border with Ecuador in the North to Chile in the South there are almost 2.500 km (over 1.500 miles). I didn’t make it so far and, at least for now I’m not planning to make it,
From Chiclayo I went to the Pacific Ocean coast to Huanchaco near Trujillo. The town doesn’t deserve any special description. Just a bunch of expensive bars, a little bit of those cheap ones, many hostels and surfers. I didn’t try surfing even though I had thought about it. There is also a pier with a paid entrance (about 15 cents) and some fishermen. Well, the fishing is a bit strange, because no one uses a fishing rod. There is a fishing line attached to a small wooden pad. It has some weight and a small disgusting shellfish that looks like a sea cockroach put on a hook. Apparently, it works.
The fishermen uses the long and narrow boats made out of totora which is a kind of cane (I mentioned this material in a text from Ecuador) to catch fish using nets. I looked inside such boat. In XXI century people got lay and staff them with empty bottles or Styrofoam. However, they still looks like in the past.
The next stop i had in Lima. From Trujillo which is the biggest city near Huanchaco the bus takes a whole night to get to the capital. I was travelling having three false banknotes in my wallets – what I learned thanks to a taxi driver who took me from the bus station to Miraflores – an elegant and luxury quarter of Lima. I called embassy to be sure that if police arrests me someone would know about it and I went to the bank to which the ATM belonged. I waited in the queue and came to the desk ready to fight. I met only the professionalism and will to help. We filled together with a consultant a form and I was told that my complain would be answered to by the first week of January.
the forgery of money is a common issue in Peru. In many places there is information that any false banknotes would be pierced and police called. People always touch money to find a relief printing. I started doing it myself.
Lima… didn’t amaze me. It’s huge, noisy and far from the common imaginations about South America. Miraflores could as well be somewhere in Spain, France or US and the historical center is an example of a beautiful colonial architecture which would perfectly fit the Old Continent. I could, however, upload here few dozens of pictures from Saint Dominic’s church and monastery but I am going to put only one because I can write about it in the future.
I bought in Lima a book by Mario Vargas Llosa and got on the bus to Cuzco. Twenty hours, Google told me. I would like it to be twenty hours. I spent over twenty five. I have a record of the first moments of my travel took the very moment. A bit edited, though.
We’ve been driving around Lima for the last two hours.But we’re probably going now.And today I would have a perfect sunset but I’m sitting on a bus.But I have two seats for me!I’m hungry.I wonder if there is a meal. In some bus lines there are…Yes!
I got this.
A jelly.
Damn, I have jelly everywhere. And I’ve only opened the lid a bit.I smelled some fruits, wasn’t sure. Now I know.They piss me off. They started handing out the food by the dessert. And sit there like a moron with your stupid jelly.
And now a guy is walking around with a big bottle of Inca Cola and pours everyone a cup.Oh, there is also water to chose from. I don’t want any water, I want Inca Cola. Especially that the water is Cielo, it tastes like tap water, I don’t like it.They gave me so little of it as if it was vodka or a medicine.I have an idea. For additional fee places you can’t see the TV from. Or a possibility to choose a movie for the entire bus.The jelly was maracuja flavoured. And liquid. I drank it because eating it with a spoon would finish badly.
Noooo!They’ve decided to do Resident Evil marathone.Why is the same movie playing again?May I get off?