Hostal Mediterraneo Chiclayo

... We don´t notice the sun going down and suddenly it is almost dark. We find ourselves in a suddenly very remote part of a not so appealing part of town with no taxis. We ask a couple of tuc tuc´s if they will take us the whole 2km back home but it is too far for them (shame, we were up for a race!). We head out to the main road and still no taxis. We are just starting to contemplate our options (not many at this point) when a collectivo taxi ...

... There are some incredible ornate pieces of gold and copper jewellery, shrouds, beaded necklace-type things and weaponry. He was also buried with a guard, some warriors, a few slaves and even a llama for use in the afterlife. All rather good, though photos weren't allowed so if you're interested you'll have to Google it.<br><br>Unfortunately there wasn't enough time to go and see any of the other sites I had in mind but we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in ...

... supposed to guard you from envy, jealousy, and all that is evil. The patchwork dolls are the once you curse and beat to a pulp.<br><br> We walked around the market for a while and tried to quietly take pictures. One nice talkative vendor was kind enough to explain everything-his sheep head skulls and all. He happily showed us all his merchandise and held things up so we could take pictures. <br><br> After the witch market we headed to the ruins of the Tucumbe ...

... and found something of huge significance. His investigations led him to what look like 50m high termite mounds, but in AD300 these were adobe pyramids that had since been eroded by rains. Quick police action stopped further looting, but not before a shoot out between the robbers and the police. The good news however was that the archaeologist found several other, more significant regal tombs in ...

Three hours north and we were in the town of Chiclayo. <br>Now i had been warned (thank´s Kate!) about this town being worse than Lima with regards to all the staring and cat calls. And she was right. Absolutely by far my most hated town on this trip... easily. Even the women were staring, and its not like we were the only gringa´s in town.<br>Anyway, after realising what a horrible town it was, we were both keen to get ...

... reuses de bord d'autoroute pauvres et mornes. Les seules parties colorées de ce voyage sont les pubs de bières ou de portables sur d'immense panneaux dominant le paysage. Nous arrivons a 18h a Chiclayo, tous les hébergement pas cher du guide n'existent plus. Nous descendons au Peregrino, un hôtel qui nous offre un bon prix. Soirée tranquille, chifa/télé.

... when you first got there, it´s dry season so some didn´t have much water in them. Teresa was brave and got in first. It was such a weird feeling, the mud was so soft as it squelched through your toes. There were also different baths for different ailments. Acne, muscles etc. After getting muddied up the 2nd pond was bright green and you could see the bubbles coming up. the water also came up to your chest so it was more like a warm ...

... the next evening. What a painful day! Arrived in Chiclayo and found a hostal as recommended by my guidebook. It isn´t very good really but has nice hot water and extensive cable in the room which is very helpful as I am here on my own and have not seen another gringo since I arrived, not much to do in the evening. Quite an adventure but also ...

... older gentleman laughing with us, asking us questions trying to decipher what he meant. I really felt like he was enjoying our company and didn't want us to leave. The final process was to have the police sign our paperwork and we were done. As we enter Peru in less than 5 kilometers the poverty and rough way of life became immediately apparent. Homes are once again made ...

... weekends often a military band will play there.) to get gas, food, and some Peruvian money, Soles. Here is where we had our first surprise. We pulled up to an ATM very security-minded, looking around, taking our turns at the machine. Then the bank guard started chatting us up. The usual, where are we from, where are we going, are we serious, how much do the bikes cost. But he was very jovial and animated. Soon a couple of other people joined in ...