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| A WEBSITE TO RECORD MY LIFE |
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Peru and Bolivia, Summer 1998 I have written this page to help anyone planning to go to Peru and as a reminder to me of what I did. We followed the route that most tourists do and visited most of the popular towns so I have broken it up into town by town. I have rated the hotels we stayed in from no stars (dump) to five stars (Ritz). The exchange rate in July 1998 was 3Soles to $1 and 5Soles to £1. The prices I have written down are what I paid - they could have changed by now. Before you go make sure you set up a Gmail account. There are internet booths in most towns and it's an easy and cheap way to keep in touch. Also take an ISIC card - nearly all the attractions have student rates.
In July 1998, Rebecca Stonehill and I flew to Lima. Flights cost around £550, but you have to book far in advance (at least six months) before they sell out. Our luck started well when we were upgraded to business class on the way out, though once we landed we found our bags had all been left in Amsterdam. Spending three days in an unknown city with the same clothes on isn't pleasant. We got a taxi into town from the airport. As you leave the terminal building the taxi-drivers are all queuing up to overcharge the unsuspecting tourists. The best thing to do is leave the terminal and go out onto the main street to pick up a taxi. It helps if you speak Spanish! It's a 30 minute journey into the middle of Lima. You pass through some pretty run down suburbs but once into the city itself it's not too bad. There are no rules on the road - whoever is biggest has right of way. We checked ourselves into Hostel Espana Lima is very cosmopolitan so there is no problem changing money or getting cash out of an ATM though long queues do seem to form outside the banks early on in the day. Venturing into town, the Plazas are fantastic to sit in and watch the world go by. This is especially true of the Plaza de Armas, the main square in town opposite the presidential palace. As you sit down to read and watch, the police blow their whistles at the street children trying to sell their sweets to you for three-a-dollar. All views from the presidential palace are kept immaculately clean, though go one metre out of the palace's view and you will find rubbish, dogs, urine and tramps in true third world style. The Peruvians are very proud people, especially now as the Japanese-descended president has turned the country around since the days in the early 1990's of 1000% inflation to create one of the fastest growing economies in South America. The Plaza San Martin is also very agreeable. The city centre is pedestrianised which is good and has a good selection of shops, though half of them sell fried chicken. The Peruvians are mad for their high speed chicken (spit roasted). The pedestrianised streets become very crowded, a perfect hunting ground for pick pockets. The main market is interesting to walk around with anything for the housewife on sale, from cow tongue to underpants. As you walk onto the main highways, you come across a different atmosphere. Millions of buses, taxis and cars, not even fit for a British scrap heap, make their way at negligible speed. In general, don't expect to eat anything extravagant unless you're prepared to pay. There are some very good cerviche (raw fish naturally cooked in lime juice) cafés around, but I can't remember where they are. L'Eau Vive has a simple set menu for £5 which isn't bad. Restaurant Machu Picchu has a simple and filling set menu for S/4.50. Three days later, our rucksacks turn up and was nice to get changed. I had especially packed some super quilted toilet role to take care of those passing moments which Becks managed to lose before I had even had a chance to use it. This was not good. She had lost my only token of western life. There are many museums in Lima. The Peruvians are very interested in their history. The best is the Museo de la Inquisicion (very good English speaking guide on a free tour) and the tour around the Church of San Francisco catacombs. Becks and I got tired of city life after four days, especially with Lima's climate of constant smog and cloud, so we got ourselves a fight to Cusco. We booked this in Hostel Espana for $59 on Aero Continente. We got up at 6am to get the flight and got to the airport to find it was delayed four hours. On top of this there were few amenities in the domestic departure lounge. Aero Continente is a real chicken airline. It's everyone for themselves. There are no seat reservations so you just have to sit wherever you can find a seat. Watch out - the locals do smell, especially the women! Once we arrived in Cusco (at 3248m), surprise, surprise, we had to wait another four hours for the next plane because our bags had been left behind again! Cusco is a fantastic city, though can get very touristy in high season. Expect long queues outside the banks so try and get money out on your credit card. To explore Cusco, the best thing to do is buy a visitor ticket, which costs $5 with a ISIC card. These babies let you into most of the tourist sites in and around Cusco. None of the museums in Cusco are outstanding though the Inka sites around the city (the Sacsayhuaman, Tambo Machay and Qenko ruins) are very interesting. I recommend you hire a guide, especially for Sacsayhuaman. Many will come up to you and ask whether you want one. One of the biggest mistakes of my trip was to not hire a guide for a couple of quid a time. The Santo Domingo church is built on Inka ruins and is very interesting. Definitely get a guide for this. It only costs about $0.50. In town, Becks and I tried to book into the Santo Domingo Convent, which somebody had recommended, but it was either busy or we needed a reservation, so we weren't allowed in. So the first night there, Becks and I stayed at Hostel Tumi 1 There is the usual fare in town to cater for the tourist. You would think you were in Italy with the number of pizza joints around. Some of these to serve excellent food, especially Pizza Maggy. The Cross Keys pub is a great place to go for a quiet lager and watch CNN. Being in the centre of town the pub has good views of the Plaza de Armas and a pleasant clientele. The Plaza is great to sit in and relax. You will find the children will come up to you and want you to buy something. When you decline, they will just hang around and chat. All very friendly. We met up with our friends three days later. They had been studying in Manu National Park for two months. We bumped into them in the main square and went straight to Cross Keys for a lager. Later on we went off to Pizza Maggy to eat. In a lot of restaurants you get the local bands coming round, thinking they're going to be the next big thing. To start with they make a welcome addition to your evenings entertainment, but after a while they get annoying and become a pain in the anus. Van, Rachel, Carla and Alex had organised for us to do the Inka Trail over the next few days along with a great American girl they had been working with in the jungle, Larissa. An organised tour of the Inka Trail costs about $56 for a student and lasts four days. It's very hard to find a reliable company in Cusco - all of them want to offer the cheapest deal but invariably they cut corners which do detract from the enjoyment. Therefore, try to spend a bit of money and go for something in the $80 region - you'll benefit when you go. Saying this, it is very easy to do the trail on your own. Just take a tent and some food and go. So many groups pass that it's hard to get lost. The Inka Trail takes four days. The first day is relatively easy. The second is when you have to go over a Warmiwanusca (Dead Woman's) Pass at 4198m. This is a bastard. Not only is it all uphill but at altitude you have to rest every ten steps to get your breath back. It doesn't help if you have the shits (like Carla did) as this drains your energy. The third day combines ups and downs, with a couple of passes you have to walk over, but nothing too strenuous. In the afternoon you pass through the cloud forest, which is spectacular, but very high and has a long drop at the side of the path. At the end of the afternoon you walk downhill, following some pylons to a youth hostel. This was very busy when we arrived so grab a space to sit early on and pitch your tent before everyone else does. It is very expensive here and unfortunately has only one toilet which seldom can handle the pressure it is put under. While Becks was making use of it she let out a piercing scream - everyone in the hostel went deadly quiet. We ran to see what was happening, fearing she had been bitten by something nasty or had slipped on a turd gone AWOL- she had actually screamed because she couldn't undo her buttons! Behind the hostel is the Huinay Huayna ruins which is stunning - certainly worth the effort to go and see. The next morning (4th day) we got up at 4am to be at the main site by sunrise. Just before you come to Machu Pichu you arrive at the Sun Gate (Intipunku) - this gives a great view of the lost city below. The site itself takes a few hours to walk around but this depends how excited you get about these things - for me not much. Next to Maccu Pichu is the expensive Hotel de Turistas which has a restaurant - don't bother with it. When you want to leave you can either take the expensive bus down to the bottom of the valley or run down the zig-zag slope. Save your money - it's a quick and fun descent taking about 30 minutes. A walk down the valley past Puente Ruinas brings you to Agues Calientes - a poor town which specialises in fleecing tired tourists. None of the restaurants shine here. The are all crammed around the central train station. We ate in Restaurant Sechosa which is crap. I left my light blue Polo cap in there so if it's still there please send it to me. As soon as the train arrives - jump on. It gets very busy and you want to get a seat. The train takes about an hour and a half back to Quillabamba. We had a bugger up and had to then hire a mini-bus to get back to Cusco - our guide was a bit of a retard and had not organised anything. We spent another couple of days in Cusco sorting ourselves out and getting our washing done at one of the excellent laundrettes - good value but make sure you keep a list of the clothes you give them. From Cusco we got an overnight bus to Puno. Puno is a very unexciting town so don't bother planning to spend much time there. There are loads of hotels but most of them are really run down. We first looked at Hostal Roma (no stars) which was so bad it had a bucket of water as a shower - we moved on rather quickly. We then went to Hostal Extra The Floating Islands are situated in the middle of Lake Titicaca. They are made up of interwoven reeds that float over the lake and are home to the 300 Uros people. The islands have become horribly overcommercialised and tourism now rules the lives of the people. I would recommend that you give the tour a skip because there is an air of exploitation here. The tour costs S/10 each. Walk down to the harbour in Puno to buy yourself a place on one of the many boats making the trip. It takes about three hours in total. Isla Taquile in the middle of the lake is a fascinating island. The people make their own clothes and walk around knitting hats and socks to sell at the island's cooperative store. It's a great place to go and spend some quiet time exploring and relaxing. What you eat is at the mercy of what there is, which is usually fish (which is very good). As you arrive you have to walk up the cliff to the village centre. This is quite a tiring walk but it is nice to stop often and inspect the lake and other islands. In the village everyone is assigned someone to live with. There are no hotels. Van and I were put with Francisco, a kind little man who made us feel at home until it was obvious that we didn't want to buy any of his clothes. The girls were assigned to someone else. Our room, if you can call it that, was a mud hut, about eight foot square with a double bed and wrapping paper as wallpaper. Not exactly the penthouse suite! It's nice to walk down the cliff to the other side of the island and sit and watch the locals fishing. They are as interested in you as you are them. A day on the island is enough to satisfy anyone. After returning to Puno we took the bus into Bolivia via Yunguyo which included crossing the Strait of Tiquina. Border controls are no problem, but make sure you've kept the little white piece of paper they give you when you go through immigration or they will charge you $5 to replace it. We arrived in the town of Copacabana on the edge of Lake Titicaca, 10miles into Bolivia and stayed here for a couple of days. We checked into Alojamiento Aroma The main square in Copacabana can be good fun on Sundays when everyone brings their cars in to get blessed by the priest. They let off fireworks and open cheap bottles of champagne over their vehicles so they presumably won't break down. The beach can be busy over the weekend and is a bit dirty but is nice to go and have a walk along the lake. One night Van and I went up to Cerro Calvario to look at the sun set - this is fantastic, especially as it goes down over the islands in Lake Titicaca. There aren't many places to drink in Copacabana except for "Andy's Place" run by a weird German bloke who lives here half the year. The bar is in his front room and is well decorated and has a few backgammon boards to play with. It is situated just west of the ENTEL office. Also in town, near Alojamiento Aroma is Sunja Wasi. This is a café/restaurant which has a nice relaxed atmosphere and a library, courtyard and map room though is a bit expensive. The best, and cheapest, place to eat in town is the market food hall. After a couple of days we carried on to La Paz. I was expecting La Paz to be very poor and run down, though once you are in the middle of the city it is very cosmopolitan. You have to get a taxi from where the bus drops you off to get into town - don't try and get a minibus if you've got lots of luggage - they get busy and you piss everyone off. If, like us, you don't actually know where you're going, you can miss your stop and end up in the middle of nowhere, like us! Eventually, we checked into Hotel Torina To do something really cool, go down to Camel Tours opposite McDonalds on Av 16 de Julio. These English boys will take you on a mountain biking tour you will never forget. All downhill, you can chose to ride along different routes, one being a disused railway. Van and I discussed whether we wanted to do it. By the time we decided yes, the last places had been taken. The trips leave La Paz every few days. This was one of the biggest disappointments of the trip. For another good time, take the bus out of town to Seja in Elalto (up the hill out of La Paz). Here is an even bigger witch market and they sell all kinds of wonderful paraphernalia to the superstitious. It is also less touristy and you can mix with the locals. Try explaining to one of the vendors that you want something to spice up your love life! There are a lot of cheap restaurants and bars up here as well, many of them having a giant TVs showing films while you eat. I hear from a couple of Old Radleans we met in Coroico (see below) that the place to go is La Paz prison. Here, you ask for Fernando who is inside for drugs offenses and has just been moved down from New York. He will take you on a tour of the prison (which houses the scum of the earth) for a small fee after which you will have the chance to "shop". Apparently you can buy anything, from wooden carvings to hard drugs at knockdown prices! All of this is illegal, but the authorities turn a blind eye as they all get a slice of Fernando's fee. After spending a few days in La Paz we made our way to Coroico, three hours drive outside the city where middle class Bolivians go for their summer holidays. The drive in the minibus is scary as you traverse along the mountains but you are surrounded by stunning scenery. The minibuses leave all day from La Paz and costs about $2. Coroico is a great place where it is possible to relax, escape the chaos of the city and go on walks in the mountains. We checked into Hostal Kory We spent three good days in Coroico then returned to La Paz for the night. The next day we went back into Peru via Desaguadero by catching a bus from La Paz to the border, going through immigration, then catching another bus from the border to Puno. This is all very easy, and cheap. In Puno we spent the day drinking coffee waiting for our evening bus to Arequipa. This eight hour bus trip was something to remember. There is no tarmacked road from Puno to Arequipa - it's all dirt. We sat at the back of the bus over the back axle. We were thrown all over the place and could not sleep all night. I would recommend taking the train to Arequipa. Apparently it is a great trip with stunning views. You arrive in Arequipa at the bus station which is a couple of miles from the centre. Take a taxi from here into town as it's too far to walk, and you'll get lost. You can haggle the taxi drivers down to peanuts as there are so many of them. We checked into Hotel Reyna To get to Chivay, we took a bus with Trans El Chasqui, which was reasonably comfortable and good value at S/12. It takes three hours to get there and there are a few departures during the day. There is a S/1 departure tax at the bus station. In Chivay we stayed in Hostal Anita We returned to Araquipa and spent one more night there before planning to move on to Nazca. But, while waiting at the bus station, Alex had her ruck-sack nicked from under our noses. To this day I do not know how anyone could have touched it, let alone take it, but it shows that you must be on constant guard - keep an arm or leg on your bags; sway around when standing still and look anyone in the eye who is watching you so they know you are on your guard. After spending another couple of days in Arequipa sorting things out we finally got to Nazca by taking a CIVA bus for S/23. Nazca is home to the world famous lines, which can be seen best from the air. What is not known is that to get into the air is extortionate and going up the lookout to look at some of the lines is not worth the time. When you arrive in town, the bus drops you off just outside. The taxi drivers will tell you stories about the costs of different hotels but don't believe them - just go into town and take your pick. We stayed at the Hotel Nazca The next day, Van, Rachel and Alex took a taxi to the lookout to have a better view of the lines while Becks and I took a taxi to Ica. This cost S/8 and took 1 3/4 uncomfortable hours squashed into the back of a 1950's American beast. Ica is a very pleasant colonial town and capital of the department. The tourist police are extremely friendly, so much that you think they want something in return, but no. We stayed in Hostal Europa From Ica we moved on to Pisco, home of the famous Pisco Sours. Pisco is one hour north of Ica. Here, we booked into Hostal Pisco After getting organised back in Pisco we took the bus back up to Lima, which takes four hours. We spent three days in Lima wondering around and spent one day in the suburb of Miraflores, where the middle class all live. I found this a disappointment. Not only was there not much to see (except for a McDonalds!) but all the restaurants were very expensive. On Terata, there is an internet booth where you can make cheap international phone calls on the computer though the quality in not great. The Brenchley Arms pub looked good, and reminded me of home, though it was closed when we went by. From here Alex, Van and Rachel flew home, leaving just Becks and myself. We decided to make our way north to Huaraz. Huaraz is where all the serious climbers go. We arrived just after the high season so it wasn't too busy. From where the bus dropped us off it was a short taxi to where we wanted to stay, Hostal Churup Becks and I took an afternoon trip to Monterrey, where they have some hot springs. To do this you have to catch a bus from near Hostal Continental - the buses are not allowed down Luzuiaga. In Monterrey, the pools themselves are pretty filthy so get yourself a private bath - there are even "matrimonial" ones for couples! This is included in the entry price of S/3. The next day we took a tour to the beautiful Lagunas Llanganuco. It's best to get there early in the morning for the views. Even though we did this through a tour company it's not necessary as there is a lot of transport between Huaraz and the Lagunas. The tour companies do stretch out the day unnecessarily but if you do want to go on one shop around as in the end they just throw you all on the same bus, especially in low season. You will not get an English guide. We paid S/20 for the tour and S/5.20 for entrance into the national park. One trip we did that I found very interesting was going to Yungay. This is sometimes included in the trip to the Lagunas Llanganuco but I do recommend getting an English guide to show you around this town and to appreciate its history. In 1970 all 20,000 of its inhabitants were buried within two minutes by a landslide travelling down the valley at 500mph. Pretty awesome stuff! You can still see school buses sticking out of the ground, bent double by the force of the land slide, which was started by an earthquake. There is a S/1 entrance fee to Campo Santo. The next day we booked a trip with Julio at Mountain Bike Adventures. Julio has spent three years in California so speaks good English. He is also an avid mountain bike fan and will take you off for the time of your life. For $20 per person, he hires you a good mountain bike (with front suspension) and you take a taxi to the top of the Cordillera Negra where you spend three hours traversing the range then cycling downhill back into town. The day trip is excellent fun, though your hands and bottom take a good battering. I bought this as a present for Becks as it was her 21st birthday, though it didn't go to plan as she woke up feeling very average that morning. The next day we made our way up to Trujillo via Casma. A lot of the buses go via Chimbote, though it's a pretty grotty town. We therefore decided to change in Casma where it only took half an hour to flag down a bus travelling through to Trujillo - wait outside the Castrol petrol station on the main road. On the bus from Huaraz to Casma you really mix with the locals, as they throw their sheep on the roof of the bus, so make sure your ruck-sack is protected! Trujillo is a very pretty and prosperous town, similar to Arequipa. It's a good place to spend a couple of days relaxing. We stayed in Hostel Lima For a couple of days we went up to stay in Huanchaco, a small fishing village on the coast. To get there take one of the frequent buses from anywhere on the northern side of Espana. Apparently it is unsafe to walk. We checked into La Casa Suiza When we returned to Trujillo after a couple of days we went for a look around Chan Chan, a city built around 1300AD and inhabited by many different civilisations. It is now in the process of being restored. A tour around the parts of the site open to the public is well worth it. It costs about $5 and there are guides waiting to snap you up at the entrance gate. You need a guide to understand the significance of some of the pictures on the wall (like horizontal lines which are supposed to depict waves in the sea). Stories about the lifestyles of the leaders are fascinating. The museum on the road back into town is a bit of a disappointment, so don't bother with it, especially if you can't speak Spanish. We caught the overnight bus back to Lima with Ormeno (Continental) which was very comfortable. Back in Lima we spent a couple of days in Hostal Lima, chilling. On the day we were due to fly home we took the bus to the suburb of Barranco. This is a stunning little town and I wish we had spent more time there. I recommend taking a day to explore it. On the 16th September we flew from Lima back to London via Amsterdam. We caught a minibus to the airport on the road running parallel to the river on the other side of the river to the palace. Take a minibus with "Aeropuerto" in the window, but be careful if it's busy because your ruck-sacks can get in the way and piss off everyone getting on and off. Don't worry if you get to the airport late because there's always a huge queue to check in, but do make sure you reconfirm your seats a couple of days beforehand. |
which was not bad but a bit run down. It was housed in an old colonial building. There is not much to see in Puno itself, but being on the edge of Lake Titicaca there are a few things to see out of town.