Friday, 31 October 2014
Lima
Lima is Peru's (pronounced Peruuuuh, as in gap yaaar) capitol, and with the risk of sounding like a fried negg, I don't think that much to it.
Its what you'd expect from a capitol in a developing country - Thousands of cars, non-stop noise, bars and restaurants, mcdonalds and starbucks. To be fair though, I'm not much of a big city person anyway, they give me headaches.
Yesterday, I went with Andrea, my room mate, to Gamarra market in Victoria (I'm staying in Miraflores, another district within the capitol) I needed to get some bits and this place is meant to sell clothes on the cheap.
In my minds eye, I could see a small hustle-and-bustle market...I was wrong. This place is like a small city with thousands of locals selling from countless shops and hidden malls. The buildings are arranged into blocks, are high rise-ish and contain separate shopping centres that go below ground and 5/6 stories high. The streets are teeming with locals showing off their merchandise and attempting to lure you in to their make-shift shop. Everyone in Gamarra seems to be on the pay-roll whether they are selling snacks and drinks, shoving business cards in your face, selling pineapple or ice creams, cleaning the street or providing security. The latter are spaced out and can be seen on-guard outside the shop entrances...it didn't give me much peace of mind to be honest, if someone was going to pick pocket me they were going to, and I wouldn't have a chance of getting anything back. At least the risk of violence was reduced.
Now, Im not a fan of shopping...noooo waaaaay baaabbyy...even walking through Grand Arcade makes my head pound and pores sweat...so after 6 minutes in this place I was done. Luckily Andrea speaks Spanish so could ask people to point us in the right direction. I had no idea where we were or how to get out...there aren't any landmarks...everything is the same...Id say there were 6 or 7 unique shops, but on a crazy loop...like a 3D scooby-doo background with much more noise.
We eventually found what we were looking for: Andrea, a jacket and some bottoms and for me I managed to get: flippedy flops, sunglasses (Bay Rans), Jeans, long sleeved T and some Noike socks...Im not kidding about the Noike. I should've brought these items with me, but they cost very little and without the need to buy them I wouldn't have experienced Gamarra market.
As we left the market I was read my fortune by a Peruvian gypsy lady by a religious building of sorts. I didn't understand a word of it, but I'm going to assume everythings wonderful. Andrea's fortune teller took a 20 Sol note and tied a knot in it, then said she should keep it so that Andrea's bad luck will evaporate. The cheeky cow! The teller had to make do with 1 sol in the end...guess her luck wasn't great either.
Got back after a crowded bus journey and had one of the best beers I've ever had...Im sure that logically it wasn't, but beer tastes magical after a hard day...good old victory beer. Cusquena is one of the local beers which is available in some supermarkets in the UK, should you want to share the experience.
That's my most interesting event in Lima...I also saw some fountains...meh...
Time for me to leave - as I type, Im sat with bags packed ready to jump on the Peru Hop bus service...one of these hop-on-hop-off jobs. I was a bit hesitant at first as they're almost invariably over priced, but will be a good opportunity to meet fellow travellers and learn some bits...Also did a similar thing in New Zealand which was class.
The journey goes from Lima to Cusco. Cusco being the area famous for the inca ruins, the most famous of which is Machu Picchu. Im buzzing my balls off for the 4 day Inca trail to this place...but the journey there is a long one...and takes at least 3 days by bus, stopping in various places. Luckily time is on my side, so if I see somewhere I like, I can stay for as long as I want and then hop back on the bus.
So there we go...first couple days done! Will blog again in either Paracas or Huacachina...
In a bit x
The first step
Easy now hombre's...
So I've arrived in Lima, Peru after a gruelling journey from Gatwick.
Leaving is always tough, and I've spent the last few days as a nervous wreck - wondering whether what I was about to was brave or just fecking stupid. I suppose it's only natural for me to doubt what I was doing and that voice in my head grew louder each day, saying things like ''What the hell are you doing, you knob-head? What if its all just a waste of time and money? What happens if you get ill or lose your passport? What about the people you're leaving behind?''
That voice was in charge as I sat in the departures lounge at Gatwick airport, especially when my flight was delayed for 2 hours. Last chance to get out. The flight's delayed, might not even manage to get the connecting flight in Madrid, then what? I'd had enough of this incessant nagging so took myself off to the wetherspoons for a pint and some self-talk.
The hardest part is leaving people behind - Im lucky to have some extraordinary people in my life, people I will sorely miss. It must be difficult for these people too, and the strength they have shown has helped me make this first step.
So with this in mind, and a few kind words from San Miguel, I set off to the departure gate.
A few hours later I arrived in Madrid, where I imagined It would be a massive rush to the next gate. Thankfully I still had plenty of time. What to do? ... Burger King? Yes please. I had a Big King meal. Something about it looked familiar: the burger itself went bread-burger-bread-burger-bread, with cheese, salad, gerkin and burger sauce in between. Big King...can't think. Anyway, it was spot-on.
Had the usual boarding procedure when abroad - a hint of a queue that quickly dissembles into a melee of foot shuffling and shoulder barging. I put aside my natural English urges and joined in...managed to gain at least 30 places, which is lucky because the plane would have probably left without me otherwise. I've never fully understood the need for people to rush in these situations.
I found my seat, which was next to a timid little Peruvian lady...Mine was the aisle seat - handy for toilet runs. I just hoped this ladies bladder was up to the trip otherwise I'd be up every ten minutes.
Reasonably uneventful flight - besides a douchebag dressed as Indiana Jones causing a fuss because he didn't have an aisle seat. He was one of those guys who pretends ''its allll good'' and he's not really that bothered, but still continues to nag the busy air hostesses.
I perused the out-dated on-board entertainment system and found Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Half way through, the head servant rang the bell for dinner so I popped up to the carvery to collect my selection of the finest 28 day matured, oak smoked meats with all the trimmings. Not really. It was, as you'd expect, rice and chicken in a really hot little container, served with a bread roll. Complimentary glass of vino rojo though, thank you very much.
Fell asleep shortly after so I missed the end of the film - I do hope the apes and humans found a way of settling their differences that didn't involve monkey violence.
Woke up needing the biggest poo. I considered holding it in for the remaining 90 minutes but the poo needed me too. We were in this together and I was going to have to break my don't-poo-in-public rule just this time. As I went to get up my path was blocked by the trolley, carrying breakfast. I had to make a decision there and then to eat first, try my best to enjoy it and then do what needed to be done.
I didn't enjoy breakfast, partly down to it being a hot floppy baguette filled with ham and mustard, but mainly down to the pressure on my prostate. Of course, when the time came for me to release my bowels, my poo became shy and rescinded back into its cave. ''WE WILL MEET AGAIN!'' I shouted as I awkwardly squeezed out of the tiny cubicle, ignoring the looks of the people in the queue.
Being very much a modern day Jesus, I helped the little old lady with her luggage. I took the opportunity to ask her what I should pay for my taxi from the airport into Miraflores. Always good to get an idea of prices because its easy to be taken advantage of. As soon as I walked towards the exit I could see the faces of local taxi drivers light up ... "oh, look at this white idiot...I bet I can have his pants down here...TAXI?...TAXI?" I explained where I wanted to go and asked how much. First guy said 100 sol: way off...the next guy was up for negotiation so I managed to get him down to 50. As an extra precaution, I went back inside and asked the official taxi people how much they charged...123 sol. ''Do me a favour love, its 50 outside" They weren't budging on price so I went back out to my guy and sealed the deal. As we walked to the car I had a flashback to the film Taken with Liam Neeson, you know the bit where the frenchman preys upon the girls outside the airport. I asked for documentation in my best spanish accent. He showed me, I was happy, and we moved on.
The drive was ridooonkulous - real life mario-kart but with worse language. I was humbled as we drove past a favela - Id almost forgotten just how bad some people have it in South America. The divide between rich and poor it easy to see, as drivers in BMW's ignore the woman attempting to sell them newspapers at a red light.
Apparently, In Peru you drive however you want...Doesn't matter what side you drive on and indicators are seldom used. At one point there were three lanes of cars fighting for one lane, up a hill. Oncoming traffic had to go up on to the gravel to get round. Everyone beeping their horns and shouting out of windows, side mirrors clunking against one another. My driver didn't look at all bothered, considering he was the target of most of the abuse. I let him do his thing as I was pretty eager to get to the hostel.
My choice of lodgings, HosteLima, is basic and cheap...but has all the amenities you'd want at a backpacker's hostel...free wifi, big TV, pool table and two computers. Its clean and has its own bar and hot showers. My bed was ready at the hostel so I sorted myself out with a hot shower and a snooze before heading out to see what was going on in town....
So I've arrived in Lima, Peru after a gruelling journey from Gatwick.
Leaving is always tough, and I've spent the last few days as a nervous wreck - wondering whether what I was about to was brave or just fecking stupid. I suppose it's only natural for me to doubt what I was doing and that voice in my head grew louder each day, saying things like ''What the hell are you doing, you knob-head? What if its all just a waste of time and money? What happens if you get ill or lose your passport? What about the people you're leaving behind?''
That voice was in charge as I sat in the departures lounge at Gatwick airport, especially when my flight was delayed for 2 hours. Last chance to get out. The flight's delayed, might not even manage to get the connecting flight in Madrid, then what? I'd had enough of this incessant nagging so took myself off to the wetherspoons for a pint and some self-talk.
The hardest part is leaving people behind - Im lucky to have some extraordinary people in my life, people I will sorely miss. It must be difficult for these people too, and the strength they have shown has helped me make this first step.
So with this in mind, and a few kind words from San Miguel, I set off to the departure gate.
A few hours later I arrived in Madrid, where I imagined It would be a massive rush to the next gate. Thankfully I still had plenty of time. What to do? ... Burger King? Yes please. I had a Big King meal. Something about it looked familiar: the burger itself went bread-burger-bread-burger-bread, with cheese, salad, gerkin and burger sauce in between. Big King...can't think. Anyway, it was spot-on.
Had the usual boarding procedure when abroad - a hint of a queue that quickly dissembles into a melee of foot shuffling and shoulder barging. I put aside my natural English urges and joined in...managed to gain at least 30 places, which is lucky because the plane would have probably left without me otherwise. I've never fully understood the need for people to rush in these situations.
I found my seat, which was next to a timid little Peruvian lady...Mine was the aisle seat - handy for toilet runs. I just hoped this ladies bladder was up to the trip otherwise I'd be up every ten minutes.
Reasonably uneventful flight - besides a douchebag dressed as Indiana Jones causing a fuss because he didn't have an aisle seat. He was one of those guys who pretends ''its allll good'' and he's not really that bothered, but still continues to nag the busy air hostesses.
I perused the out-dated on-board entertainment system and found Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Half way through, the head servant rang the bell for dinner so I popped up to the carvery to collect my selection of the finest 28 day matured, oak smoked meats with all the trimmings. Not really. It was, as you'd expect, rice and chicken in a really hot little container, served with a bread roll. Complimentary glass of vino rojo though, thank you very much.
Fell asleep shortly after so I missed the end of the film - I do hope the apes and humans found a way of settling their differences that didn't involve monkey violence.
Woke up needing the biggest poo. I considered holding it in for the remaining 90 minutes but the poo needed me too. We were in this together and I was going to have to break my don't-poo-in-public rule just this time. As I went to get up my path was blocked by the trolley, carrying breakfast. I had to make a decision there and then to eat first, try my best to enjoy it and then do what needed to be done.
I didn't enjoy breakfast, partly down to it being a hot floppy baguette filled with ham and mustard, but mainly down to the pressure on my prostate. Of course, when the time came for me to release my bowels, my poo became shy and rescinded back into its cave. ''WE WILL MEET AGAIN!'' I shouted as I awkwardly squeezed out of the tiny cubicle, ignoring the looks of the people in the queue.
Being very much a modern day Jesus, I helped the little old lady with her luggage. I took the opportunity to ask her what I should pay for my taxi from the airport into Miraflores. Always good to get an idea of prices because its easy to be taken advantage of. As soon as I walked towards the exit I could see the faces of local taxi drivers light up ... "oh, look at this white idiot...I bet I can have his pants down here...TAXI?...TAXI?" I explained where I wanted to go and asked how much. First guy said 100 sol: way off...the next guy was up for negotiation so I managed to get him down to 50. As an extra precaution, I went back inside and asked the official taxi people how much they charged...123 sol. ''Do me a favour love, its 50 outside" They weren't budging on price so I went back out to my guy and sealed the deal. As we walked to the car I had a flashback to the film Taken with Liam Neeson, you know the bit where the frenchman preys upon the girls outside the airport. I asked for documentation in my best spanish accent. He showed me, I was happy, and we moved on.
The drive was ridooonkulous - real life mario-kart but with worse language. I was humbled as we drove past a favela - Id almost forgotten just how bad some people have it in South America. The divide between rich and poor it easy to see, as drivers in BMW's ignore the woman attempting to sell them newspapers at a red light.
Apparently, In Peru you drive however you want...Doesn't matter what side you drive on and indicators are seldom used. At one point there were three lanes of cars fighting for one lane, up a hill. Oncoming traffic had to go up on to the gravel to get round. Everyone beeping their horns and shouting out of windows, side mirrors clunking against one another. My driver didn't look at all bothered, considering he was the target of most of the abuse. I let him do his thing as I was pretty eager to get to the hostel.
My choice of lodgings, HosteLima, is basic and cheap...but has all the amenities you'd want at a backpacker's hostel...free wifi, big TV, pool table and two computers. Its clean and has its own bar and hot showers. My bed was ready at the hostel so I sorted myself out with a hot shower and a snooze before heading out to see what was going on in town....
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