Lets learn something
Trip Start
Sep 24, 2008
1
11
41
Trip End
Ongoing
Trujillo,
Peru
Sunday, December 21, 2008
When you cross borders between two countries you need two stamps. One from the country you are leaving and another from the country you are entering. When crossing from Washington into Canada due to various laws, a passport isn't necessary. I am traveling alone. My preparation for crossing the border involved conversation with more than a couple of individuals. Where should I cross? How do you go about it? Catching a bus after reaching Peru? What city should I stay in between Tumbes and Lima? All of the individuals that I interviewed had personal experience in the transition between countries. All of the advice was stored into my head and gave me more than enough confidence that I could accomplish the task with ease on my own. No one told me the most obvious fact that I needed to stop by migration on my way out of Ecuador.
The bus from Cuenca to Huaquillas straight through takes about seven or eight hours. My seat was reasonably comfortable. My state of mind resonated with excitement for a new country...a new perspective. And ruins. We reached the border at about 5:30 with plenty of time for me to catch a 7 O'Clock bus to Lima or an 8 O'Clock to Trujillo. Stepping off the bus I collected my backpack from the cargo space under the bus and asked a nearby onlooker where the border was. Winding my way through a busy street market, being passed by young men carrying carts of goods and other peoples' possessions, I soon found the bridge leading to Peru. Money changers crowded the streets. The smells of fried items filled the air. I thought to myself...I got here at the perfect time...sunset will touch the sky as we leave the city. Looking forward to falling asleep on the longer bus ride south, I trucked on.
I found a taxi headed to Tumbes that would stop by migration so I could take care of passport business. Walking in I found the necessary paperwork and started in. At the window the man looked at everything and seemed to think all was in order. As he opened my passport to issue my tourist visa stamp, he frowned. You don't have an exit stamp from Peru. At this moment a man stepped in to mediate. His words came quick, but I had a grasp on most of what he said. The migration officer gave a nod of approval when his instructions concluded. Return to Ecuador via one of the buggies attached to a motorcycle. Once across the border catch another cab to migration...have the cab wait while you take care of unfinished business...take the cab back to the border. He then told me that he could show me the way. Lesson one: Don't trust anyone who calls you a friend...especially at the border.
When we got to the border the kind gentleman introduced me to his "Uncle". I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to find my way safely to Trujillo at the end of the day. Things could have turned out much worse than they did. His Uncle had a taxi to go to Tumbes after talking to migration. We hopped into a yellow cab to get my exit stamp. Ecuadorian hospitality that I was spoiled with was being exemplified here in Peru as well, I thought. We made our way back to the border after seeing the migration office in Huaquillas. Crossing the border once more in I again made my way into Agua Verde. We pulled out of the garage in Uncle's car. In my head everything was going just peachy. I had no worries. This is exactly how my escorts wanted me to feel. Leaving migration with a three month pass to travel Peru, I was beginning to question my actions. This was shortly confirmed when the first man I came into contact with held out his hand and asked for money for his services. He wore a stone blank look and insisted upon the payment of twenty dollars in exchange for what he had done in the last hour and a half. In my pocket I had 150 Peruvian soles. I insisted that I didn't have money to give him. I knew as this was happening that there would be another request from his "Uncle". This is how he makes money everyday. I without knowing it became his gringo ticket for the day. I gave him the equivalent of about 15 dollars. This left me about 35 to pay for my ticket to Trujillo, all the buses for Lima had left Tumbes by this time. It was now dark, looking at the once busy road, I couldn't see a car approaching our location. Each minute that passed made my presence more dangerous. I started beating myself up in my lack of options.
"Uncle's" car was packed and ready to go to Tumbes with my backpack. No turning back now, no taxi's to change the scenery, I climbed back into his car. Tumbes is about 25 or 30 minutes from Agua Verde. I expected to pay about 25 dollars for the ride. A taxi costs about five dollars from the border, during the day. When "Uncle" told me that he would charge me the economical rate of 70 I figured he was talking about soles. After a short discussion about what the none economical price was $80, my assumption was prooven wrong. To be dropped off in the middle of nowhere between two cities, no empty Taxis in sight would have been suicide. I decided that I could not blatantly tell him that I wasn't going to pay that much, this may have led to throwing me to the dogs in the street. Thus bargaining began. This is very difficult when you feel like you're in some sort of catch 22 trap. I had some power because I had the money he wanted. However I also didn't want to be outright robbed for insulting him or calling him out for his criminal behavior. Options ran through my mind about what I should do. This is when I decided to drop the subject for a bit and try something different.
I can speak Spanish well enough to say what I want to and understand about sixty percent of response. For the remainder of our ride I described my trip in detail to the man. There was no radio in his car, thus he had no other option other than listening to me rant. Stories of my volunteer mentality and the families that I have had the pleasure of working with thus far were exaggerated for his ears. After about ten minutes of consistent speech, I began to compliment him and his companion on how they duped me. It takes guts and street smarts to create a calm atmosphere to take advantage of someone without them knowing it. Shorty there after I began to outwardly criticize myself for falling into their trap. By the time we made it to Tumbes he had dropped his price to $60 dollars and also agreed to pay for my $15 ticket to Trujillo.
Sometimes it seems that you have to wade through awful circumstances to break ignorance. I will never have these issues at a border again. I know I am not the first to have this occur as the pass from country to country. My first impression of Peru is not representative my experience since. When I look back and write about the circumstances I have to be honest I am ashamed of being taken advantage of. Talking to parents I adjusted money amounts, thinking that it would make them worry less. Currently I don't believe that they were worried about sums as much as my safety. My Spanish qualified me for the men to jump in on their prey, it also kept me safe. Recognizing that I still have a lot to learn ahead of me, I am glad at the end of the day that I am still here. Still trekking on with a more experienced head on my shoulders.
