Punta del Mar Mancora

... decided to explore the next beach along, but as the tide was coming in again, we asked a tuk tuk how much to go to hte next beach, he said 3soles, but we thought it was close, so decided to walk.. well, we walked for well over an hour along a dusty sandy road and didnt get anywhere really... just private properties all the way along, and uninviting psh hotels... we eventually (after nearly passing out from dehydration) succumbed t a bar with a view, with very expensive ...

... succulent steak (almost as good as Argentina) covered not with prawns but with a huge crayfish! Ang also helped herself to a superb swordfish fillet with prawns. Not to mention the ice cold beers and awesome dessert (chocolate brownies) all for under $40... <br><br>Sadly though, our time in Peru is at an end. 5 weeks of another awe-inspiring country seeing places, meeting people and doing things that we could not forget in several lifetimes. <br><br ...

... only day in Cuenca, which seemed like it would be a quaint little city in which to live, but not very exciting to visit. We did stop by a ´zoo,´ which consisted of a bunch of snakes and frogs in tanks, some turtles wandering around, and one fat crocodile that wasn´t moving. Not quite worth the $2.50 to get in, but it killed some time. The internet, however, was spectacularly fast in Cuenca (hence my finally ...

... cards to be fully booked in. Just like their hot water the photocopier wasnt working, so in to town we went. First things first, we had to eat and grab a beer. We found a cafe that had cheap burgers and cold beer and sat down to catch up on each others travels and sights that need to be seen. It is amazing that no matter where you go whenever you get close to a beach someone will try and sell you some knockoff sunglasses, usually oakley or some horrible 80s raybans. I ...

... us the 10 Soles (3.5 dollars) price for the room. Oh and how nice was walking on the beach and watching the sun rise right after 20 something hours on the bus?<br><br>Evan: Yeah and that beach is so beautiful with palm trees surrounded by dessert mountains - it´s like we´re on an oasis here in Mancora (Peru). It was so liberating to go skinny dipping at the empty beach so early, and smart of you to bury your valuables in the sand, just in case.<br ...

... br>Another border and again that switch in character, it´s back to lots of motorcycles and tut tut three wheeled taxis. We are near the Pacific again and it is much warmer. My plastic water bottle has compressed with the increase in air pressure coming back down to sea level.<br>It is pretty dry here but there are still rice fields initially but it gets even dryer and sandier. <br>The road hugs the Pacific ...

Mancora<br>Shane says;<br>We arrived into Mancora pretty early, so we dropped out bags off in storage at the hostel, then lazed by the pool. That's right. A pool. Our little backpackers hostel by the beach is more like a club med - it could have been quite awful really but it was pleasantly surprising. <br><br>We had our own little bungalow right on the beach, and we spent the next few days lazing, eating and drinking. 6 months to go then going back to work is going to be ...

... day long right at the edge of the water. Sat in the sun, swam a bit and worked on our tans.<br>Happy hour seems to last all night in South America, so we decided to try some Pisco Sour drinks. Very good, but very strong.. never had such a headache after 3 cocktails!<br>Got tix for the night bus tonight and heading to one more beach town - Hauchaca - as we slowly make our way towards Cusco &amp; Macchu Picchu...<br>Hasta Manana... M&amp;R<br><br>

... are any better in Montañita, Ecuador. An addendum: I forgot to mention a vaguely embarassing little mishap I suffered. There I was gatching down to the beach, cool as you like, when I took a quick glance downwards at my slightly sunburnt insteps, only to walk face-first into a beach umbrella, knocking my sunglasses askance and generally looking like a complete idiot. The funniest part, though, was seeing the reaction of one of the ...

... Peru a number of years before. He was travelling through and stopped at Mancora where he decided to settle. He is now married to a Peruvian and loves living in Mancora. We chatted for a short while and recommended to me what I should have for lunch. I watched mototaxis going past as I waited for my food to come out. One particular mototaxi seemed familiar and the driver kept looking back at me. I then realized that he was the same driver that ...