Popular opinion said stop in Paracas rather than Pisco. This was a wise decision as Pisco is still trying to recover from the devastation caused by an earthquake back in 2007 when around 80% of the town was destroyed. So Paracas was the next dusty little seaside town. While checking into the Hotel I met a very nice young American couple the Purpera’s, who were also spending a couple of days there. David suggested we settle in then find something to drink. We did that all right, a bottle of dark Bacardi Rum from Cuba a large bottle of Coke and as much ice as the Hotel could muster. We then moved a table into the shade and proceeded to finish the bottle!! I’ll be catching up with them hopefully in Cleveland Ohio.
Not the Bacardi Rum but another favourite here Inca Kola!!
The sea front at Paracas
Feeding time for the Pelicans
Next stop was Lima and as with any capital city I wasn’t looking forward to getting into the middle to find a Hotel. Turns out that coming in from the south isn’t that bad, leaving through the northern suburbs on the other hand is a nightmare and so would arriving from that direction be. A visit one day to the local pre Incan ruins was very interesting, considering they only excavated them in the 1980’s and up to that point the locals had been using the mounds covering them for motocross and other recreational pastimes. The following day I caught a cab into the old part of the city and wandered around the main plaza’s and the church of St Francis which has catacombs underneath that reputedly hold the bones of some 25,000 people. Unfortunately photo’s were not allowed, but some of the bones have been arranged into very macabre patterns.
The Pre Incan temple in Lima. There must me millions of bricks!!
A very blue church
The Presidential Palace
The north of Peru is to my mind was very uninspiring, a lot of desert (more than I expected) that slowly follows the coast through Piura and Tumbes to the border with Ecuador. One thing that did make me smile was while I was in Piura I went to find a barber for a haircut. After searching for an hour I found a street where there were numerous hairdressing salons but not a male barber in sight. I chose one and asked for a number 3 buzz cut. The job duly done and quite well I asked the price. At first I though she said 30 soles (about $10) but no it was 3 Soles, yep $1 for a haircut, now that’s value for money!!
Very impressive piece of art in the square in Tumbes
Tumbes outside the Hotel in the Plaza St Martin
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| One to keep an eye on!! |
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