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Peru Log Continued. Going it solo |
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Ok, I am rested up and ready to get out of Cusco. I ran some errands, washed my clothes, and saw the movie Madagascar in a bar that has pirated DVD's and a large screen. I am jumping on a bus at 4pm heading 4 hours west to the tiny town of Abancay. After that North-West to Ayacucho, another small town with ruins of the Wari (a pre-Inca tribe). I need some some towns for a while before stopping through Lima. These large tourist centers can get alittle annoying at times. That is all for now, I don't know how good the internet will be until Lima, so not sure when I will update next. Bye.......... |
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8/02 |
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8/03 |
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Change in plans. The road to Ayacucho is screwed up and no busses are going there. So I am going back to Lima today at 5pm. I guess the Wari ruins will have to be some other trip, just like the hike in Vilcabamba. ... |
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8/04 |
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Back in Lima, 16 hours on a cramped bus. I should have stayed in Abancay longer. I was the only gringo in town, and the people were so friendly. Plus, I found the best Chinese restaurant ever there.(espa�ol in a chino accent was really hard to understand) I guess I am afraid that I won't get to Quito in time. That tends to happen down here. You get used to latin time, and time runs out. Last year I had to shell out big bucks for a flight, to catch my flight home. Then this year John did the same from Cusco. I forgot what a shithole Lima is. I don't know how people live without seeing the sun. Anyway, I found a cheap hostal and plan to rest my poor footsies for awhile. Then North to Trujillo. I will feel better being those 9 hours closer to Quito. As for now I plan to see a movie and enjoy muy grande relajar....... |
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Talk is cheap. So much for resting my footsies and escaping Latin time. I was all ready to relax yesterday, but I met some cool people and wound up dancing at a small bar for locals all night. I don�t think I would have been very welcome there alone, but my new friends are very well known around here. I almost forgot that I was in a huge tourist town. Everyone seemed interested to meet the gringo that wandered away from the main strip. Then much later a few gringos came in and made my dancing look soooo much better. So I slept past checkout and have to pay for the room, so I might as well sleep in it. But tomorrow I really am leaving for Trujuillo, I mean it...no really. Anyway, I have a different opinion of Lima now that I have seen what it is really like. It really can be a nice friendly Latin American city as long as you look for it. Well that is my expos� for the day, thank you, I�m Joe Stockinger.......(papers tap on desk)........ |
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8/06 |
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I spent yesterday hanging out in Lima. There is a section of the police here that is only for protecting tourists. Often times when you start talking with a local in the plaza, the tourist police will come over and warns you to be careful, or they take a picture of the person to chase them away. I find that very annoying, as I am not here to hang out with other tourists. The police told me that they might try to rob me, I asked how they know I might not rob them. The joke didn't go over very well, but the point was well taken. Later I found out that the United States sends a bunch of money to fund the tourist police. It is nice to have secuity, but at what cost. The plaza is in Peru, for Peruvianos, but the locals are chased away because the US flashes it's money all over the world. �It pisses me off! Anywho, I toke an 8 hour night bus North to Trujillo, Peru's 3rd largest city. I have only been here a few hours, but I like it so far. I only saw two other gringos, and that was because they were on my bus. I am staying at a hostal that John recommended. It is an old mansion, that has been converted into a hotel. It is quite cheap, and I like the feel of it. There is alot to see around here, I just need to research the the best way to see it all. There are several archeological sites to see, and a beach not to far away. I plan to spend the day checking into the sites, and relaxing, of course......... |
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8/08 |
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8/08+ |
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My research didn't last very long. Basically a collectivo bus toke me to the site "Chan Chan" for one Sol (30 cents) The site is absolutly huge. It covers 28 sq. km. The city was built by a pre-Incan tribe by the name of the Chimu, and later conquered and owned by the Incas. Unfortunetly an El Nino storm in 1925 damaged the site, and then floods in 1985 and another 1998 El Nino did even more damage. There are alot of reconstructed walls, to protect the existing ruins. There is alot of carving in the walls that show their way of life. Being less than 20 km from the Pacific Ocean, the carvings are of fish, sea otters, and seabirds. Plus many walls have a fishnet pattern. There are three other related sites included with the entrance to the main temple. As I was walking out a cab driver offered to take me to the other three sites for 30 Soles!! OK, 10 would have been a good place to start negotiations, 5 a fair price. He refused to take me only to the closer of the sites. So, I walked the 2 km to the museum. Once again, another gringo price fell upon me, so I walked another 2 km to another small temple closer to town. I didn't even bother asking a price when leaving, as I was only about 2 more km from my hostal. After the towns I have been in, the tourist gougers here seem like rookies. I ran out of time to see another site that was not on the way back. That will be Tommorrow. If interested, check out the link to the left.... |
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Chan Chan |
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8/09 |
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Too much sleep...slept till almost 2 today (14 hrs) Most sites close around 4:30, so I just caught the archeological museum. It was small but interesting. I tend to like the museums after seeing the sites. I had only seen two of the 4 main sites here. I am just killing some time here before the 8pm showing of War of the Worlds. Tommorrow I will see Huaca del Sol, and Huaca de la Luna. Then maybe a day at the beach. Tengo mucho dolor de mis pies....... |
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Greetings all. War of the Worlds was ok, the original was better. I visited Huaca de la Luna (temple of the moon) on the 10th. It was really cool, alot of paintings that will be gone within 50 years. Unfortunatly Huaca del Sol (Sun) was not open to visitors. It is very close to the Luna, but I got caught trying to sneak over there. I still had a great view of it from the summit of the Luna. The next day I headed 15km to Huanchaco, a small beach town. I haven't seen the Pacific since I was a kid. Not much to do here, but that is part of the allure. I have a half hour to decide if I am staying here another day or checking out of the hotel....hmm. There is no sun today so I think I might head back to Trujillo. Ah, I am running out of days, already the 12th..arrgg! I already know that I won't get to see the cities in Ecuador that I planned. Oh well, another day. Thats it for now....... |
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8/12 |
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Now I am just a regular citizen of Peru. Last night I hung out with some dudes from the beach area. We drank this nasty, thick, sweet (um stuff) made from sugar cane. It was a cool little bar for locals, no gringos welcome (except me) This town dies down pretty early. The place was pretty dead by 1:30am, which was okay, because I was pretty damn drunk. Today I was hanging out in the plaza and met a beautiful 28 year old named Paola. She showed me a few sites in the area. Then she mentioned a discotecha that was open during the day. Usually nothing gets started down here until after 11pm, but this place was jam-packed at 3pm. We had a blast, and she had to go home around 7:30. I am really tuckered out from dancing all day. So, I mentioned that we met in the plaza ��WHY ARE THERE NO PLAZAS IN THE STATES?! Every city in South America has a central plaza. It is a place to go meet the people, and I think it makes for a better quality of life.. There are no clicks, groups, or races. It is just a plaza for the people, ALL PEOPLE! I guess that is a benifit of Spanish colonization, rather that British. I really don't know when I am going to leave Trujillo. If I had my way it would be at least another month, but I can't do that. Only 10 days left........... |
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8/13 |
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I almost didn't get out of Trujillo. I really wanted to stay and spend time with Paola, but I had to get going. Only one of 10 bus companies goes north, but I found it. 11 hours of bus later I am in the border town of Tumbes. Just North of Piura and almost to Ecuador. Tumbes was actually an Ecuador town until the boarder war in 1940. There isn't much to do here but relax, or be hassled by the local border businesses. They don't know which way you are going, but they will offer you something. Need Soles, dollars, a bus to Lima, or a taxi to the immigration office. It was kind of annoying at 6 am after only a few hours sleep, but they are just trying to make some money. Ma�ana I cross into Ecuador, then on to Quito at no particular rate. As long as I am there by the 24th at 2pm, I will be fine. I am only about 13 hours by bus from Quito now....... |
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8/15 |
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Enter Ecuador |
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Well...I am in Ecuador. Crossing the border was very easy and straight forward. Then I jumped on a bus to the town of Machala. About an hour into the 1.5 hour trip we stopped. Ah, roadblock...hmm. So we walked about a Km with banana farms on each side of the road. Not to bad, their were taxis waiting on the other side of the roadblock...ok cool. No one seemed interested in telling me what the problem was, they just wanted some cash out of the deal. I got to Machala for 3 dollars. So I start looking for a night bus to Quito, everyone keeps telling me to come back tommorrow. I ask, is there a bus tommorrow....They don't know....hmmm. I was starting to get really pissed off, i mean REALLY PISSED OFF! Finally I came to a bus office that was worked by an old man. He explained that the banana farmers are protesting and all the roads out of town are closed for an indefined time. Then he offered to sell me a mule. He had no idea how much I needed that joke right then. Thanks old-timer! People in town seem to think that it will be at least a week, well my flight is in a week. So I headed for the airport. This airport is tiny, only single engine planes and no schedules. She said that there might be a flight in the next few days to Guayaquil, or maybe not. So, I contacted the local port...no boats to any other major cities. If there is no other option by Friday I am walking out of here. I bought a map, and asked the cops where the roadblocks are. I can take a cab to the roadblocks, then walk to the next town, or maybe find other transport. Things have definately gotten interesting.......... |
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8/16 |
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8/18 |
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Joe's Log (not very supplimental) In the last episode, our hero was stuck in the small town of Machala at risk of missing his flight. Well, their is no bus terminal in Machala, only about 10 bus offices spead out through the city. I spent all of Tuesday walking to and fro the major companies. I have many friends there. Only one bus company was taking people to the roadblock, to walk the rest of the way. Right as I stopped by, they got a cell phone call that a bus got through. It was like "The Empire Strikes Back" when all of Hoth rejoyced upon hearing..."the first transport is away, the first transport is away." They told me that we leave in 15 minutes. So I ran to the hostal, packed and ran back just in time. As we left town, the protesters were building a new roadblock out of huge rocks. I guess the company that I took got 3 buses through, and one other company got one. I was in the Guayaquil bus terminal, watching the protests on the news. The news claimed that no transports got out of town in the last 2 days....WRONG! They also said that the protesters were ready to stay there for at least a week. So here I sit in Quito at the same internet cafe, and computer that I entered my first log last year (not including the O'hare one) From here I can crawl to the airport for my flight. I wanted to spend some time in Guayaquil, but after the possibility of missing my flight, I just got here as quick as possible. I slept like a baby on the 8 hour bus trip here, and arrived at about 7:30am. I am killing time before I call my friend here, so I don't wake her up to early. It if wierd being here in Quito, I am not used to knowing a town so well. I walked past the hostal that I found last year (lost and no spanish) and the little store that I had my first meal in. I just pointed at a snickers bar, an apple, and a Sprite, then gave him a five and hoped for the correct change. I got a really good laugh out of that memory. I was so intimidated of this town 13 months ago. Now, the only other major city in the world that I know better is Milwaukee. Speaking of which, I will be there in one week and 12 hours. I will be sad to leave, yet glad to be home. I think 8 1/2 weeks was the perfect time for this one.......... |
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8/19 |
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I got ahold of my friend Maria in Quito, but here house is full. I am really low on cash, an won't update much anymore. I basically have enough to eat and stay in a hostal. I found a place for $3 a night with kitchen access. But I will be really bored for the next week. I am going to help Maria paint her Salsa studio to pass time. Other than that I am going to walk around alot because it is free. I guess I won't be able to date any Ecuador girls. Oh well, there is always Milwaukee girls. (that was a joke) If anything interesting happens I will update, otherwise not until I get home. Now that I figured out my budget, I can't wait to get home. I will see all you folks in about a week. Until then, be good, and if you can't be good, have fun.......... |
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8/22 |
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We fiished painting Maria's dance studio just as students arrived for class. One guy from North Hollywood sat on a stool and got red paint on his butt, that was funny. I have just been killing time. Alot of solitaire and hanging out in the hostal. Quito is the least friendly city I have been to yet. I hear alot of people in cars yelling at me "go home Bush". Yah, screw you, I hate him too, and I have to live there. But my money is going to be just enough, I have $5 for tommorrow, $25 for the international airport tax, and $25 for the two days of airport. I guess I budgeted just right. Tommorrow I am going to try to get a free dance lesson for my painting. Then I don't know, not much time to kill anymore, as I have to be at the airport around 11am Wed. I look forward to being on my couch with my cats, bass and PS2. But I will have absolutly no money, just like normal. Reality sucks, but here I come........... |
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8/27 |
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Ok, got my flight out of Quito at 2:50 on 8/24 to San Jose, Costa Rica. 2 hrs in SJ and of to Miami. During the 17 hrs in Miami I got about 6 hrs of sleep then found out that Tropical storm Katrina was headed our way. At this point I had only $1.70 for a cheeseburger at the King. I really couldn't get stuck there for 3 days. All day I watched the weather and walked around the airport. My flight was scheduled for 4:48 to CHI, and at 4pm the storm was upgraded to a phase one hurricanne, and all flights after 7pm were cancelled. I finally headed toward the gate, and when I got there the flight had been postponed to 5:25 and I would miss my CHI-MKE flight. As we boarded the plane it was rocking back and forth from the wind. We actually took off on time as the plane sheared from side to side. I got to O'hare and found out that my flight had just left, but there was another united flight to MKE in 20 minutes. I ran all the way across O'hare airport and checked in. The flight was oversold by 10 seats but I got on stand-by. Somehow they let me be the 1st stand-by passenger and I got home at 9:30. I had a pizza and 2 beers with my mom at Zaffiros and hit the casa at about 11pm. Since then I have slept, watched parts of "The Motorcycle Diaries", played PS2 and pet my cats........ |
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