Our journey into Peru has begun!

 

 After travelling on a rocky night bus from Ecuador, we arrived safe and a little less sound to Piura, Peru.  Piura is a bustling city in the middle of the desert - the kind of place where exhaust mixes with dust and immediately sticks to your sweaty body.  Not only were we half awake, hungry and not exactly ready for the beauty pageant, we also didn't really have a plan for our first move in Peru (which meant we had T-40 min. until our peppy and usual optomistic attitudes went sour).   We had been waiting to hear back from a friend (John) who works in the Peace Corps in northern Peru, but alas - after several days and a couple of phone calls we didn't hear a thing so we had to make a decision.  The beach, the mountains, the jungle.... there are just too many options sometimes - but finally we landed on the decision to just head south for a few more hours and see how we felt after that.  About 15 minutes before departure we got the long awaited phone call from our friend John who happened to be in Chiclayo (a coastal town a couple of hours away), so luckily we were able to take the same bus and just get off two hours earlier.

Only in Peru

John was a great host for a couple of days in Chiclayo as we toured the markets and went to the beach with some of his fellow Peace Corps friends.  It was the perfect start to Peru as we were able to get a lot of information and hand-drawn maps from the group.  Although we didnt know exactly where we would be staying, we had a long list of what food we had to sample along the way. 

Chiclayo's large & crowded market included an entire section dedicated to the brujos (witch doctors), curanderos (healers), and shamans.  Here you could find tonics, teas, aromatic herbs, hallucinogenic cactus, amulats and much more.  All of the ancestral knowledge that Peruvian healers are known for has definitely peaked our interest.... but these sort of things will all come in good time, for now it was just interesting to see the plethora of things strung and tucked away in each tiny stall.

The Caballitos lined up to dry

      Along the coast in Chiclayo we were able to see hundreds of the hand made reed fishing boats called Caballitos de Totora (little reed horses).  This ancient technique of fishing has survived the test of time with only slight changes to the boat structure (a tiny bit of styrofoam is used in the stern for added buoyancy).  The fisherman ride atop their Caballitos like a horse and use a single board of bamboo for their paddle.  The fisherman often work in groups of two or three and use techniques such as gill nets and hand lines for jigging.  The catch is then brought in and given to the women (most often) where they descale and sell the fish of all sizes.

A fisherman brings in his catch at sunset

Baños

On a last minute whim we decided to make a few last stops before leaving Ecuador, we ended up in Baños which is a small town nestled below a large volcano, that is still relatively active. It´s last major eruption was in `98 and the whole town had to be evacuated, but even while we were there there were minor eruptions and we could see big clouds of steam coming out when the clouds parted, which wasn`t often. Baños is known for its communal thermal baths and outdoor recreation and after our time in the hot sun on the humid coast, the cool mountain air was just what we needed. Our first day there we rented mountain bikes and did a tour of lots of local waterfalls. Everywhere we went there was some kind of zipline or canopy tour or what is called “puenting” which is kind of like bungee jumping, only without a dynamic –elastic rope, you just put on a harness and either jump or are pushed off a bridge. It looked like a recipe for whip lash to us and we steered clear of it. We did however indulge in another zipline, since we were able to get the young teenage boys who were operating it to let us go for half price.  The zipline crossed a large gorge and ended by flying over two twin waterfalls. They also hook you in on your back with your feet up and your arms out so you really feel like you are flying.  

Ari choosing which shower to take

The flying bug stuck with us and by the end of the day we were dreaming of bigger flights, and decided to look into paragliding.  Of course after we looked into it briefly we figured there was no way we could pass it up.... especially after someone in our hostal described the feeling as god`s hand lifting you up by your ass and allowing you to fly like a bird.

So this is it? As our guide untagles the tiny cords that will hold us aloft.

Ari ready to fly in her sweet new jumpsuit!

Tungurahua Volcano

GOODBYE ECUADOR!

      Peru is so close I swear I can feel it vibrating, calling us onward, towards our next adventure. Tonight we will board a bus that will carry us through the night and into Peru. The long bus rides are an interesting circus. Every bus company tries to get you to ride with them, and, we have discovered, will tell you most anything to get you onto their bus. "Oh," you ask, "there are buses that go to Vilcabamaba all through the night?" "Yes yes of course" comes the hasty reply "All through the night" And then you get there at 1am and find out the next bus doesn't leave until 5am, and you sigh and settle in for a long game of rummy. We try to go by the Rule of Three whenever possible, get three answers for any question, and be sure that at least one of them is a woman. 

      Every town we stop in brings a parade of peddlers onto the bus. They sell little platino chips, water, colas, handmade ice creams, and whatever little hot local delights they have - yucca breads, little plastic bags full of beans and salsa, pig skin chips, fruits, coconut milk, empanadas, chicken skewers, sweets, what have you - it is a great way to sample the local street food as you cross the countryside. Then the religious folks come on to lecture about not being a drunk and beating your wife or whatever and try and sell you Christian movies. Then the guy comes on with all the pirated CD's trying to sell you those. Then the children selling packets of gum. And on it goes...I get really good at gazing blankly out the window or pretending to be asleep when they come by.

      Ecuador has treated us well, and we have filled our heads with dreams of all the places that we must return to, but for now we shall bid a fond farewell to this sweet country, and look with bright eyes toward what lies ahead. 

Our absolute favorite snack! Grilled Platinos with cheese and chive mayo in the middle.

Cuy (guinea pig) dancing/roasting on the spit.... a delicacy in Ecuador