| Monday 6th Lima the golden... After a leisurely brekkie just off the main square (heaps of riot police in evidence) we walked across the sq to the presidentail palace to watch the changing of the guards. They were all dressed up in their cereomial gear and they looked quite nice in blue and red. It was so bad though as all the guys towards the back were out of sync, and seemed to unsure of what came next. Then after it finished, the main dude, just walked around smoking...ace! Next stop was Lima cathedral. It was really nice and looked like Cusco's, but a lot more gold there. We also had the most annoying tour guide who made funny noises at every moment. Franciso Pizarro's body was there, he was one of the first conquistadores in Peru, so it smelt quite bad! Phil, Neil and I went up the road to the San Francisco church to check their catacombs. We were supposed to go round in a tour, but we all peeled away and did our own tour into places that you were not supposed to go! Then we checked out the catacombs, which were full of bones from people who were killed during the inquisition. So we had bone fights, got our pictures taken with them in various positions... After some lunch, Phil and I caught a local bus down towards Miraflores (nice part of town) to seek a pre-columbain ruin...caught a bus after a struggle and then had to endure this guy hanging his head out the window and shouting the street names and places where we were going to! Got there after a while, and we found the pyramid...it looked great, unfortunately, it is shut on a Monday for maintanence (as they are still building it!). We walked round the streets there and the houses were really nice...obviously very wealthy folks. Nicer than many places in London! MOst streets had their own security guards and most houses had 10 foot security fences topped with electric fences! Nice though! Headed back as it was a leaving dinner for 5 chaps who were leaving in Lima. Karen (the tour guide whom had been drinking all day selected the restaurant...). foned through instructions as to where we were to meet, so we all piled down there, it was a bring your own booze place! It was the most expensive steak restaurant in Peru with the meat coming from Argentina - it cost about $20 for a steak, which I would not even pay back home! Its funny as those who selected it, never ate... Anyway, enough said on that, after a few of use headed to a karoke bar. Karen was there and embarresing us all by screaming down the mic...people left soon after! We stayed for a bit and had some $4 drinks! and sang some Guns N Roses...interesting night! Tuesday 7th Resting... Hooked up with Jane and Katie and headed to Miraflores. We wondered for a bit, checked out the Pacific and a few malls then grabbed drinks and choc brownies in a casino bar...it was so nice, I was in the toliet for ages! Katie was rather ill from the cheesecake she had as it was very rich...2 mins of fun for a night of hell! Then we arranged to meet some others in another place at 1pm, so we hung about, then they never showed, so we went across the road to BK and indulged...I think they shut up shop after I rolled out of there! Met the others eventually, and chatted for a bit, then I went to use the net for a bit and had desert from a chinese restaurant. Headed back to the hostel and picked up some hair dye for me and Phil (which never worked!) Stayed in the hostel for some drinks in the evening and had some yummy sea bass for dinner, it was fine! Left the others drinking... Weds 8th Drive day?? Up bright and early to head to Huanchaco, but the truck was drinking (Will, the driver was drinking till 6am!) the previous nite, so we we had another day in Lima! A wee bit annoying! Sat in a juice bar for a bit until the internet opened up. Just lounged about all day, doing some shopping. Watched Man U play Arsenal on TV for the afternoon whilst I dozed...what a tough day! San in the bar till about 9ish... Found out that Margot was going to leave the truck and meet us in Quito or Banos as it was too much driving for her. Phil decided to jump ship and join SAS as he didn't all the bad vibes on our truck (where?) and he was chasing a girl 23 years his junior! But he had to pay $600 for the privilage of joining them, and I hear he was made to run up and down the truck naked during the first day! Thursday 9th Drive Day 2 Today we actually dorve north to towards the beach. It was about an 8 hr drive, we stopped for a bit as their was a town up ahead that an unoffical protest was taking place. So we decided to run the barracades - we hit the town and saw a JCB on its side, heaps of rocks and bottles on the ground, riot police with tear gas canisters lying about. It obviously just happened...and we just shame really as we were ready to take them all on! We arrived at about 6ish and set up tents on a campsite. Kebabs and salad for dinner, really nice stuff. Went to bed fairly early for me at 11ish. Friday 10th Chan Chan Ruins Today we checked out the Chan Chan ruins - no not the dance, but another pre-inca culture. This place is huge, its the world's biggest adobe brick city. Ths site was huge and split up into different areas, temples, house, ceremonial springs and palaces. They used a lot of imagery of birds to represent the ocean currents and birds to repreent food. But there was normal birds and goemetric birds...they were nicer. Walked round there for about 2 hrs, and then headed back for some lunch and an afternoon on the beach. Down there for about 40 mins, in and out of the sea (which was very rough!) and then Neil and I headed into town to check it out. Nice place, nothing there but nice. We eventually found the internet place, hung around for 10 mins waiting for a free machine then just as I started to log on, it crashed! Bummer! So I consoled myslef with an ice cream from next door. Headed back to the campsite and chatted and read for a while. Stayed up drinking till about 12am telling all the chaps ssome stories of my past and friends...they were suitably impressed! I got rather burnt on my chest from the sun...slip, slap, slop...needs to be more strictly adhered to! My factor 20 is running low though! Sat 11th Drove about 8 hrs to Punta Del Sol. Played a drinking game with my vodka all the way up there, it was called three-man...the rules are simple, all you need is dice and a hat! We all run into the sea as it was so hot...the hottest it has been so far. It was about 4ish, so afterwe set the tents and got the beers in, it was late already. The beach was really cool, very clean and a ncie sheltered bar area. There were another 2 trucks here (Kumuka and Exodus). Kumuka were doing a pig on spit (which we shared) but they left its head on a spike by the tents, a bit scary...so the bets were on to see whom would kiss it! Sat drinking for a while then found a campfire set up by exodus and chatted to them. They were loving the stories I was telling them about our truck getting stuck in the salt for days. Sat and chatted to them, there was a couple girls on there truck whom were from Stanmore and Harrow (1 mile up the road!), its a small world! Slept outside as it was so hot, but there was thousands of crabs along the beach as well, so I was being climbed on and over. That was pretty scary... Sunday 12th Lazy Sunday afternoons... Woke up with the heat at about 6ish...it was roasting, and then the flies all congregated round my mouth and ears...so I couldn't sleep anymore, they were so annoying. You couldn't hide in your sleeping bag as the heat would kill you, so I just jumped in the sea! I could see them affect everyone else as well, which was funny! Sat about all day and chatted and read. It was so hot! At about 3ish, the beers called and so we all started to drink. Whilst dinner (shark and barracuda) were warming ont he barby, i put together a punch using an old family recipe and any alcohol I could find on the truck. Cut up some fruit and then let it settle for a bit...it was really nice, and very drinkable! Had about 2.5 litres of spirits in it! Another 2 Kumaka trucks arrived during the day, so the beach was getting rather crowded. After the the punch ran out, more beers came out and then SAS arrived, so we chatted to them. Went for a mid nite dip at 12am then went to bed for about 1ish. I just crashed ont he beach again, and slept really well...alcohol does help! Monday 13th More flies! Again the flies woke me up at 6ish, but was OK as we were leaving at 7. We were going to drive then camp, before we hit Banos but then the plan was changed and we decided to drive straight thru. Crossed the border at about 12, which took ages, the Peruivan's aren't teh fastest race. Then the Ecadourian checkpoint is another 20Kms from the proper border, but the country is increadibly green. We have been so used to the deserts of Peru and Chile that it was weird to see tropical forests. At the border we were 2 other stuffed toys in exchange for monkey and his women, so we swapped them...monkeys are happier in Peru and they didn't have the necessary documentation as we smuggled them into Peru from Bolivia. Got some pictures of the happy chappies with the monkeys...at least they have gone to a better home! Saw the bonita banana plantation, that's where my banana's came from in London...I was paying these guy's wages!. So at 1am last nite after 15hrs, we pulled into town. It was a horrible drive, I couldn't get comfortable. Plus we were also climbing a volcano at about 4500m, so it the journey an ear popping experience. We were on cook group, so we managed to escapce from doing that, and that the last one! Tuesday 14th Banos After a frezing shower and some brekkie, i changed up some money and then wondered round town. Ecadour seems to be a bit richer than Peru..strange really as I thought it would be vice versa. Also they take the dollar here as they have adopted it as the currency but they still use Ecadourian coins which are equivalent to cents. Pretty cool really. We are here for the next few days as you can white water raft or canyon from here...I fancy the moutain biking...we shall see.So i have booked a hike and mountain bike up the local volcano here - should be interesting as its still bellowing smoke and lava. Went out to hard rock cafe last nite (not the real one), but there was no other gringos in town, apart from 2 German tourists who were masters of the table football table. So I went to bed at around 1amish... Weds 15th Checked out the cathedral here - the actual cathedral is very OTT with images of Jesus and Mary but the museam is something special. It has robes, toy cars and stuffed animals. Soem of them are rotting away and others have marbles for eyes, very funny! Sat on internet later, which was very slow. I went to the hot baths here, (which this place is famous for). It was so hot, but so much fun, as it was slightly wet and cold outside. I felt ace after it...my skin was still burning from it, 2 hrs later! WAtched the champions league football final, great game. Then I went to bed for a couple of hrs as I was tired. On Friday we are doing a jungle trek for 3 days into the deepest part of the amazon. Should be some nice wildlife and McDonalds' cows! I may also do some swinging from a suspension bridge - you are tied from a rope in between 2 bridges and then u swing! Facts - South American houses are all characterized by their squareness and flat roofs, sort of med style. They all have metal spikes coming up in the hope that a second storey will be built, its almost never is. The people here are so fanitical about religion, they have so many cathedrals here which are richy decorated, many over the top! Their is so many different images of Jesus as well; green, black, blue, by himself, with a mate, with Mary, looking happy, looking sad and todays winner was resting in a glass coffin! Wake up guys! |