Our arrival into Peru and South America was anything but smooth sailing. While checking in for our flight from Mexico City, we learnt that we we´re over-stayers, ´Banditos of the State´ and in breach of our Tourist Visas. Upon entry to Mexico from Cuba 6 weeks earlier, we were issued a Tourist Visa allowing for a 30 day stay. When we crossed from Mexico to Belize, we paid a US$10 fee each to have our Visas suspended while we were out of the country, before re-entering from Gautemala. Unfortunately, our Visa was never suspended and the US$10 we each paid went to the tequila fund of the Chetumal Customs Officer. US$60 later we were issued a new tourist Visa, valid for one day which allowed us to then leave Mexico for Lima three hours later.
Lima represents the starting point for us on our pilgrimage along the South American ´Gringo Trail´ following in the footsteps of many friend´s travels in the previous year or so (Little Matt, Nicola & Jezza, Kate, Mike W, Julie & Geoff). And it is fair to say that all of them gave us the same advice – fly into Lima, sleep a night and leave! We will now add our voices to that advice. While there is nothing overly wrong with the place, there ain´t much right with it either.
Our two days here were spent taking in the historic centre of the city, wandering past chicken restaurant after chicken restaurant, being hassled by touts and being reminded by the friendlier locals at each turn that Lima was ´Muy Peligroso´ – very dangerous.
South from Lima, we hit the small town of Pisco, named after the national Peruvian drink (think of a fortified wine, but not as fortified as Italian Grappa – Brooooownnn!). We arrived on Fathers Day which saw many a local man with broad smile and beer in hand in the streets. A quick google later to ensure it was not the same in New Zealand, and we headed for yet another chicken restaurant.
From Pisco we took in the sights of the Paracas National Park, a desert peninsula and maritime reserve. Interestingly enough, artisanal fishing is still allowed in the marine reserve, and by artisanal we are not talking man in loin cloth with blow dart, but in fact men in 30 foot boat with scuba tanks (the Mayan people were technologically advanced). Paracas is also home to the mysterious ´Candalabra´ in the sand. Possibly made by Aliens, though more likely by locals each night with a decent rake...
In all our readings, both of us had managed to skip over the fact that much of Peru´s southern coast is desert. Thus we found our time in the park both surprising and interesting. The great scenery and wildlife were only interrupted by the world´s most annoying German in short shorts who insisted on recording every moment of the trip on his camera. This generally involved him clambering over you to get a better shot of what ever was on display.
From Paracas, we headed to the desert oasis of Huacachino, a very small town situated around a lake the size of a footy field, and surrounded by sand dunes of staggering proportions. Here we took to the ´101% total adrenal´ (every tour operator on our travels has a botched up translation to English in their advertising) dune buggy ride through the sand dunes. A fantastic blast through the sand was delivered, during which time we turned our hand to sand boarding.
The following day, we lined up a tour of three local wineries. Prior to being picked up, we had expected a group of 6 fellow travellers hitting a couple of pisco distillerys in an 8-seater. As it turned out, it was just the two of us with Harold in his pimped out (Peruvian styles) 68 Plymouth Satellite. Random as tour with the tasting room at the first winery closed for half an hour, then us pretending at the second and third wineries that we were fluent in Spanish as we toured the vineyards. Sampled some good drops along the way, getting mildy tipsy (it´s the altitude) and making a purchase of a nice Rose for some upcoming occasion (maybe breakfast).
And on to Nazca, home to the world famous Nazca lines (ancient patterns in the ground that are revealed when flown over). It seems every thrid person in Nazca has access to a Cessna and pilots license to take you on a flight of these attractions, so our first evening was spent sifting through the lies to find a good deal and decent operator. A booking made, despite the unwanted advances on Caroline by the tour operators eleven year old son with scabby lips, we rose early to get a view while the light was good.
Despite a two hour delay at the airport waiting in line behind another 30 planes doing the same tour, we spent 40 minutes flying over a dozen or so of the more prominent formations including the Astronaut, Monkey, Hummingbird and Condor. A fantastic experience and well worth the expense.
3 comments:
hey guys can you please pass on a thanks to Ocatagon for the birthday he must of seen me at the kinsale sevens and thought i have potenial to be a wrestler as i threw the big dont argue so many times anyway cheers for the birthday wishes by the way in america light beer is same alcohol pecentage just less sugar so your joke acouple of months ago wasnt that funny well not as funny as one of you sharting
anyway have fun and will see you on the flipside catch ya
tc
Who are the MAKO'S a bunch of gold fish or something that Maggie Pies eat.
Post a Comment