3/26 As expected none of us slept well. The bus stopped several times, which means lights and noise. Oh well, we have a 6 hour ride to sleep some more. It worked out really good. We found another awesome taxi drive in Arica who did the following: found us breakfast, helped us exchange money, drove us to the border and took care of all the paperwork (G lost her receipt we got when we came into Chile. You need it to leave, but Carlos made it happen), drove us the 1 hour to Talca and took us into the right bus office to get our next set of tickets...all for $20 US.
As we crossed into Peru, the landscape remained the same... dirt, sand, rocks and no trees or bushes. But all of a sudden we did see a cactus farm. Pretty cool.
Now, we are on the bus to Arequipa. We will spend 1 night there and will leave tomorrow night at 8pm. Another sleeper. It is the only time they go there, but it is the full cama seats. Much better. I will make some observations of Peru as I notice them.
One important thing to know is the money. No more 10, 000 bills. There are 2.5 soles per US dollar. We have to change mental gears.
The Inca Trail is coming soon. I am starting to get a little nervous. Although none of us felt any effects at 4,200m. That is a good sign. Plus we will be in Cusco 4 whole days before we start the trail. According to the travel books, plenty of time to acclimate to the elevation. Hopefully this is true.
This 6 hour ride went pretty quick. We saw a couple of solar farms and the bus had to stop to let the herd of goats cross. The herder was a little kid maybe 7 or 8 years old. Really cute.
Ariquipa is a big city. Our hostel is in an old colonial house right in the city. We spent the evening walking around towards the famous plaza. The architecture is amazing and so is the cathedral. On our walk we came across an Easter parade. The local churches all have a float of Jesus. The floats are carried on peoples' shoulders. There is a marching band that played a religious song and people follow with candles. Very interesting. We ate dinner on the balcony level in the plaza. Potatoes are the staple here. Peru has over 400 different types of potatoes, the most in the world. The food was delicious. I don't think I have eaten anything that I did not like so far.
Our hostel has a terrace on the roof overlooking the city. We spent a little time up there watching the world go by. The garbage trucks here have a loudspeaker and they play music. There is no traffic control at the intersections. A real free for all.
Our room is huge with a sitting area. Such luxury. The beds are comfortable. Thank goodness. We all need a good nights sleep.
As we crossed into Peru, the landscape remained the same... dirt, sand, rocks and no trees or bushes. But all of a sudden we did see a cactus farm. Pretty cool.
Now, we are on the bus to Arequipa. We will spend 1 night there and will leave tomorrow night at 8pm. Another sleeper. It is the only time they go there, but it is the full cama seats. Much better. I will make some observations of Peru as I notice them.
One important thing to know is the money. No more 10, 000 bills. There are 2.5 soles per US dollar. We have to change mental gears.
The Inca Trail is coming soon. I am starting to get a little nervous. Although none of us felt any effects at 4,200m. That is a good sign. Plus we will be in Cusco 4 whole days before we start the trail. According to the travel books, plenty of time to acclimate to the elevation. Hopefully this is true.
This 6 hour ride went pretty quick. We saw a couple of solar farms and the bus had to stop to let the herd of goats cross. The herder was a little kid maybe 7 or 8 years old. Really cute.
Ariquipa is a big city. Our hostel is in an old colonial house right in the city. We spent the evening walking around towards the famous plaza. The architecture is amazing and so is the cathedral. On our walk we came across an Easter parade. The local churches all have a float of Jesus. The floats are carried on peoples' shoulders. There is a marching band that played a religious song and people follow with candles. Very interesting. We ate dinner on the balcony level in the plaza. Potatoes are the staple here. Peru has over 400 different types of potatoes, the most in the world. The food was delicious. I don't think I have eaten anything that I did not like so far.
Our hostel has a terrace on the roof overlooking the city. We spent a little time up there watching the world go by. The garbage trucks here have a loudspeaker and they play music. There is no traffic control at the intersections. A real free for all.
Our room is huge with a sitting area. Such luxury. The beds are comfortable. Thank goodness. We all need a good nights sleep.
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