The Andes and we´re Alive (one for you Marshal)
Trip Start
Oct 20, 2008
1
9
20
Trip End
Dec 06, 2008
Cajamarca,
Peru
Monday, October 27, 2008
Itīs a rainy day in Cajamarca so itīs perfect for catching you up on our trip. Iīm sorry for not getting back to any of you guys that have posted comments and sent emails. The internet here is a bit on and off and well... itīs been busy and all.
Anyway what happened next...
We got the Linea bus station in Chiclayo on time, after exchanging some more dollars for sols. Itīs about 3 sols to the dollar, and the banks have armed guards so haggling will get you shot, just take what your given (ok thatīs slightly fictional but the guards do carry guns).
Linea do a bus service four times a day to Cajamarca but if you want to take in the spectacular journey, go in the morning. I took a few hour to get into the mountains but after that it was all worth the wait.
The first part of ascent is relatively gentle though bum-wobblingly bumpy and at the three hour mark we stopped beside a massive mountain lake for a beer in a little road side restaurant. We had about half a hour to take in the serenity of being miles from civilization and surrounded by mountains on every side.
The café had everything including a rusty old basketball ground with only one hoop, mostly intact, but the view was the real plus of the place.
We took a few pics, which I promise will come soon, and then set off for the next 5 hour stint, of which, I have no idea how the bus survived because the road had more holes than the average North Peruvian buildings walls and even in the comfort of the reclinable, cushioned seats (that you get on this service), it was a pretty rough trip.
We passed through little villages with goats, donkeys and the occasional cow. The mountains started out barren and rocky but we passed fields of green crops on the valley floor before the bus really started to climb.
The higher we got on the narrow mountain side roads the green things became, but also the more treacherous the journey seemed. At points we must have been inches away from 1000 - 2000 ft drops. A real adrenalin rush, especially when the bus would tilt towards the edge on the uneven road, or when some maniac tanker driver tried to overtake on a hair pin bend.
Near to the top the road meandered and chicaned around the mountain side so you could see cars in front of you, moving along the opposite side of the valley.
It got dark pretty quickly around 6 oclock and we headed in to the clouds near the peak, still no sign of Cajamarca. Everything took on a quiet ghostly eeriness, and the bus went quiet, everyone hope the driver could see where he was going. He must have been tired by now, because we were.
We eventually descended out of the clouds into the dark night, and after half an hour we saw the city, like a lava flow of lights spilling out of a valley below us. People started chatting again and even joking, and we slowly made our way down to Cajamarca.
Passing a truck on the way, that had turned on itīs side beside a precarious cliff. A reminder how lucky we were to get there in one piece. They probably do it a everyday with no trouble, but it was a little hairy at points.
The scenery though was breath-takingly amazing. To look back down it the valleys from the top... I could have taken a thousand photos on this part of the trip alone.
On the bus we met up with a Belgium girl called ībeakerī (may be spelt wrong) for whom I ended up hold the bus toilet door closed for as she did her business, (the less said about this the better) and whoīs moving the Cajamarca for six months t work with children as part of an exchange programme.
We collected our bags at the station after a sweaty 8 hour trip, I tipped the bus driver enough for a couple of beers, (he did an amazing job as far as Iīm concerned. This why I can blog you now). And we made our way to Hotel Peru.
Last night we stayed in a double room which on the face of it seemed a temporary thing. Two beds, three people and no toilet seat, but now we seemed to have got used to sitting on porcelain and one person sleeping on the floor on one of the half mattresses of one bed.
The rooms got a lovely balcony overlooking a little street and the shower is reliable and simple to use. (thereīs a hot tap, and the more you turn it, the faster and hotter the water comes out). Thereīs a parrot somewhere in the hotel too, how cool is that:)
Anyway, lets bring the rest quickly up to date.
We ate in el baton. A set meal of steak and asparagus wrapped in ham to start. Another Pisco sour and my first cup of coffee in five days. I needed it with the altitude sickness kicking in pretty much as soon as we got off the bus.
It was difficult to sleep feeling so dizzy, but in the morning things settled down, and today we took it easy...
A light breakfast of banana, mangos and doughnuts and a steep climb to the top a the Cerro Santa Apolonia, a sort of mini Kew on a hill overlooking the city was enough for our first day in Cajamarca.
We layed in the sun at the top a while, and when the gray rain clouds moved in, we headed straight back to the room just as a torrential rain drowned the place.
We been doing our own thing since, to have a break from one another... and tomorrow we may climg one of the hills around the city.
Phew... no more remembering stuff for now, off to bed. Take care Adam
Comments
Blisters!!!
Sounds lovely, very good experience especially the toilets ha ha xx