Have Itch, Will Travel

It was time to go. After about ten months overseas, I was ready to go home and see my family again, though probably not quite ready to get back to the grind. It had been a fantastic experience; I had seen and done quite a bit, and more than I had my entire life. After a few sad days anticipating the goodbye to Joe and then, finally sharing one last day together, I was alone with Lima. I had my last meals at the usual places I ate, and said goodbye and thank you like I usually would do after paying, but it was difficult to ignore the sadness I felt. I wondered if they would wonder why I would stop coming. I strolled about the old city again, walked the now so familiar streets and sat on the steps of the church at the Plaza de Armas where Joe and I would talk and people-watch as we ate pizza and drank sweet coffee. I already missed Lima. I missed the large Plaza and its beautiful old buildings, the free concerts that entertained us there, the walks in Miraflores, the parks and malls,...

There is an excellent new resource on the web by a Dutch expat living in Peru and it's all about combi routes through Lima , including tips and jargon. If you're looking at spending time in Lima, Rutas Recomendables might be worth a look at; certainly, getting around Lima by combi or micro is something to experience if you've never done anything like it, it's easy and also very cheap!

While I was in Lima for the last part of my trip, Joe and I went clubbing, did our walks in Centro, watched movies and played a lot of foosball. We also went for a trip to Parque de las Leyendas in the middle of Lima . It is touted as a " zoo ", but it is no zoo I've ever visited before. Sure, there are some displays of African animals, seals and birds, that kind of thing, but it is not only the animal enclosures that draw the crowds (though the baby hippo and baby zebra that were there when I was were certainly cute). The park is a crazy mix of everything. Apart from the zoo, a decent part of it is parkland , complete with manicured gardens around a fake lake that you can cross in a rented pedal boat. There is also a section for jumping trampolines, rock climbing towers and mini slingshot rides, not to mention small museums around the place and massive adobe ruins too! The place demands a whole day of exploration and taste-testing the Peruvian snacks along the way. The...

With very little time to make good on my promise to be back in Lima before my birthday, I booked the three day direct bus from Buenos Aires to Lima. I bought the ticket the morning of the massive earthquake in Chile , that decimated the nation's capital, toppling skyways and buildings to rubble like you see in disaster movies. It was very real and the news everywhere in Buenos Aires was about that tragedy, as well as the recent smaller quake in beautiful Salta of Northern Argentina. The quake didn't impact my travels, though the bus had to change its route to avoid the disaster zone. All in all, three days on the bus wasn't so bad... if you can believe that! The most memorable things of the trip included the ever changing scenery out the window as we drove across Argentina, in particular, the Andean snow capped peaks , pink with the low light of the rising sun. It was quite a sight when I woke up that morning. We entered Chile in the middle of the freezing high altitude nig...

During one of our walks exploring Lima , Joe and I headed for the street where people go to get fake IDs, certificates and the like. Joe had told me about it earlier and it interested me because it was situated behind the Palace Of Justice . At first we thought we wouldn't see any dealings because it was a Sunday, but a block from the street, we were approached by a man with scars on his face. Joe told him he was interested in a fake certificate and the man invited us to sit on some chairs near his tienda stall and wait while he contacted his mate. As we waited, Joe instructed me not to talk as to give away that I was foreign and to act cool. Paranoid, the man noticed a young guy standing against the fence on the other side of the road and asked us if we knew him. Joe replied off-handedly that he was our security guard, and the man nodded in understanding. Soon, his mate arrived and discussed the details and price with Joe, and not long after that was sorted, we could barely conta...

One night, Joe and I looked for a club to do a bit of dancing. We took a cab to Miraflores and scouted "Pizza Street" where a lot of pizza restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs were. Joe enquired about door charges (mostly s/.20 and usually with a jarra of beer), the price of beer and checked out what kind of music was being played before we made a decision. A club around the corner called T umbao VIP was one of the better clubs there and that night, a popular Cuban group was performing. Joe hit up the bouncer, a big black guy at the door, and was told that tickets tonight would be s/.40 each, but... for s/.40 in his pocket , he could get us both in. At first we thought that we'd get a stamp on the wrist and just flash it to (re)gain entry, so I was a little apprehensive since we wouldn't actually have tickets to prove we had paid. I knew that Joe was keen to go as he was a big fan of salsa cubana , and thought, "Sure, what the hell?" So we hung about across t...

Deciding that it was time I tasted a real pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken), Joe led me towards a restaurant from a popular chain specializing in the Lima original recipe. But before we rounded the corner, he pulled me aside and said in all seriousness, "Look, Lani. This is how it works in these places - when a couple walks in to order, they never let you have two chicken breasts. It's always one, and the other is the leg." I protested that the thigh and the drumstick were actually my favorite parts, but he went on, "For this dish, the breast is the best, so you go in first and I'll follow later." So I went in and took a seat. The waiter handed me the menu and I saw that it was a little more expensive than we had originally planned for, but the waiter was hovering and I felt bad leaving. I could see Joe pacing across the street and considered signaling to him the "expensive" gesture, but I knew I would get caught. So I ordered, ensuring that I...

From Callao, we tried another hostel in downtown Lima, within a few blocks of San Martín Plaza , cinema complexes, the shopping district, restaurants, bus stops, and around the corner from everything else; a XXX cinema, hookers' corner, gay clubs and a street Joel said was the limit between safe and unsafe neighborhoods. After a few nights, we again relocated to a place just a block from the Plaza de Armas , and near everything else. I spent a few weeks there, some days exploring the streets and walking for miles, other days visiting parks, watching movies, going to clubs, bars or just chilling out. Parks And Plazas The Circuito Magico del Agua is a beautiful large park where a dozen different water fountains are on display twice a week. From traditional style fountains to interactive ones, a couple of hours spent there was worth the small entry fee. One of the major fountains was a water jet, mist, laser, projection and music extravaganza. There was a water arch you could walk un...

Like Logan to Brisbane, the port town of Callao sits near the larger Lima and has a bad reputation. One of crime, violence and gangs . But unlike Logan, Callao has an importance to Lima; it has the international airport and Peru's main seaport too. It is the hometown of Peru's most famous bank robbers. "Jango" was so well known that as soon as he walked into a bank, bank customers would lay on the floor without him needing to draw a firearm. He later served his time in jail and is now an Evangelist preacher. "I would not want you to go to Callao alone, but you're with me so it's okay. We're not going to visit the dangerous places and I know the bad boys," Joel said when we were staying a few nights in the town. We stayed in a pleasant suburb opposite a park and school, with a mercado just behind the block. Joel told me of a significant gang member of Callao known as Subaru. He was a young man with a lisp and robbed people with a gun and no spoke...

We finally reached Pucallpa and took a mototaxi to the main square. It was not a particularly interesting town; the church was a strikingly modern structure but there were no signs of colonial style buildings that give many Peruvian cities their charm. Most of our time was spent in the nearby town of Yarina , about 10-15mins on a mototaxi away and situated on the banks of Yarinacocha lake. It is prettier, with a dozen or so topiary ficus trees in the square, sculpted into figures of local wildlife like turtles, armadillos, birds and llamas. But the tourist spot is by the lake, where restaurants, vendors and launches sit, awaiting tourists. We took a launch to a small zoo called La Jungla that was really not worth the visit (Quistococha is superior) unless you want to see and have a photo with one of the several enormous anacondas there. The largest is 6-7 metres long with a body thicker than a man's leg. One night, we found a club with a live Latin band and spent a few hours dan...

After the Gilmer wasted a couple of our days, we eventually found the Henry . The trip to Pucallpa was uneventful, though there are a few things that stand out more in my memory than others. The food was generally worse than the Eduardo , but I found the soup for dinner particularly delicious. It was enough for me, but for most of the other passengers, hardly. The people were more sociable and played card games and chatted. We met a few locals including a middle aged woman and her toy boy, only traveling to experience the boat trip, and a fellow traveler from Korea. There were powerpoints that worked when the generator was turned on in the evenings for lights, so I was able to recharge my iPod and others recharged their mobile phones. There was more hammock space on the top decks than the Eduardo , though the spot we chose was by a broken window and the cold wind chilled me through the smallest square inch of exposed skin. That's about it! We were so glad to finally reach Pucallp...

I took two boats while in the Peruvian Amazon; the Eduardo I from Yurimaguas to Iquitos and the Henry VI from Iquitos to Pucallpa. Here are a few things I learned from my experiences that might help you if you are looking at doing the same. About The Boat And Routines The passenger decks are clear floors with benches against the sides and usually a table near the kitchen. There are rails to hang hammocks from and toilet/shower cubicles in the back. Sometimes there is a tv or music over the speakers. Cabins with bunks are available for your comfort and security, though the inflated prices makes them hardly worth it since they are often hot, cramped and the food served is the same as the hammock-sleepers. The food is simple and sometimes not very appetizing. Breakfast is sweetened watery semolina and bread (getting staler each day), and if you're lucky you get butter on it. If you're really lucky, you get a thin bit of luncheon meat too. Lunch and dinner is white rice, a boile...

We were ready to leave Iquitos so we went to the port to look for a barge that would take us to Pucallpa . We chose the Gilmer IV , a large good-looking vessel with open sides. Though it was more expensive, I thought the other option in a small old ship with enclosed walls would make the four day trip unbearable. It was quite empty of passengers and of cargo, and Joel reckoned it wouldn't leave that day. He was right, but we decided to stay onboard that night, hoping it would leave the next night. We were to spend another painful and boring day on the vessel. It was particularly difficult to be cooped there because one of us always had to stay with our bags in case someone came onboard and then back off with them. So, we couldn't even go for a wander in the nearby markets together to entertain ourselves. We planned to get our money back and seek an alternate vessel if it didn't leave that night. As dinner was served, Joel spoke to the gay cooks and learned that the boat wo...

On the other side of Iquitos was the district of Nanay , a place with its own little mercado , outdoor kitchens selling delicious meals and a floating restaurant on the river. Paddleboats could be rented for an hour of diversion, but instead, we sought out a launch to take us to visit the Boras tribe. The short tour, if arranged with an agent could cost some s/80 each, hyperinflated for foreigners, but at the Nanay dock, we found a launch to take us for half that, including the s/.20 donation to the tribe. It was a disappointing visit, unfortunately far from the real experience I was looking for. Instead of visiting an actual village, we were taken to a spot where a performance hut was built specifically for tourism. Inside were the drums used to communicate between villages, a long plank of wood with the head of an anaconda for ceremonial dancing, and artesan crafts for sale. We were greeted by the Apu (chief) in his traditional dress, and after a brief talk about his tribe, we watche...

We arrived in Iquitos at 7pm and made our way up the muddy and littered slope of the river bank dock. For a city dependent on barges bringing in cargo and passengers, the port was devoid of any kind of ramp or structure to allow easy foot access to the boats in the water. The first two nights there, I fell sick with the flu, confined to bed with a fever increasingly uncomfortable in the oppressive humidity of the jungle. But on the third day I had my energy back, and the flu had simmered down to a runny nose and annoying cough. So Joel and I explored Iquitos, visiting the large and dirty mercado of the Belen district. Muddy water lined with river silt crept between my toes and flicked up my legs. No matter how careful I was to tip toe around the puddles, there was always someone nearby who didn't care to splash in them and onto me. The mercado had a bit of everything; from breakfast juice bars where you could get your fill for s/1.50 to hot foot stalls that served barbeque and...

For s/.60, we bought our tickets about the Eduardo I , a blue barge that services Yurimaguas to Iquitos on a three day trip. Mounds of produce and products were loaded on the lower deck, along with chickens in boxes, emaciated cows in tiny pens and pigs dragged aboard kicking and squealing. The upper decks were reserved for passengers and their belongings, with a few more secure cabins and bunks for a whopping s/.150. We had enquired a shipmate about departure time the day before, and though he told us it was to be 8pm, when we arrived at the main port of La Boca to buy our tickets in the morning, we found that departure was set for noon. Hurriedly buying a few essentials like toilet paper, lunch boxes and water, we made a dash to pack our belongings and claim a space to string up our hammocks. We boarded at around 0930, secured our bags around a post and hung up our hammocks. By 11, most people had done the same and the decks became a tangle of colorful hammocks hanging so close to...

Joel and I took a bus to Yurimaguas , where there are no more roads further into the jungle. We intended to take a barge down the river to Iquitos but hung around for a few days, even bumping into the relatives he grew up with when he was a child. In a nearby plaza, there was a community party happening, thrown by the local government to celebrate twenty years in power. A live Latin band had half the town dancing before fireworks were launched from the children's playground... with children happily playing in it. The next day, we visited the river playa , a shallow bit of stream with a low current, where the young people of the town come for a swim and hang out. Music blasted from large speakers powered by a car battery while a few small stalls were set up selling snacks and drinks. By the time we left in the afternoon, it was a party, but Joel wanted somewhere to dance. We dried off and changed in the middle of the trees before taking a mototaxi to Oasis . Oasis is a party resort...

A few times, Joel and I went fishing off the pier at Máncora . Most times were fruitless attempts though once in a while we caught a couple of small catfish. I had left my handline behind in Huanchaco so we bought another from a small ferretería . After breakfast, we would ask for chicken or fish guts from someone at the mercado before making our way to the pier. On our last day, we got snagged real good and all attempts failed miserably to release our tackle. But a fellow fisherman helped us out by cutting our line and donating a bit of lead and a hook. Our bait was chicken which Joel theorized would be better than fish since he reckoned the fish would want something different to eating other fish all the time. As we waited for the smallest nibble to keep our hopes up, we watched the fishermen haul in scores of buckets full of fish by hand and rope from a dinghy to the waiting trolley on the pier. The sea birds hovered close, waiting for the odd fish to slip from the bucket. I notice...

One night in Máncora , Joel and I had just finished eating at Señor Chino's and decided to go for a walk to work off the food. We heard some music from across the street and saw people gathered around the entrance of the small hall there, and decided to find out what was going on. Working our way towards the door, we saw a party happening inside; people wearing formal dresses and suits, a decorated table and a live Latin band. As we enjoyed watching people dance and listened to the music, the doors were closed behind us. A man offered us some chairs along the side of the dance floor which we decided to take, shrugging, and then suddenly, another man who looked like the bride's father offered Joel a glass of beer. Without wanting to offend, Joel took it and we continued to watch the party quietly. It wasn't long after that yet another man approached with a large bottle of beer and some glasses for us. We got through nearly half the bottle when we were caught out and shown th...

I was spending between s/.12 and s/.30 on each meal, so Joel showed me where to go for lunches and dinners under s/.5, including a soup entrada and a drink... the mercado . Every town has at least a couple, a market that sells everything cheap. Smelly, noisy and wet, but they usually have an area to eat. La Señora In Máncora, Joel and I usually ended up eating at a small kitchen near the mercado , run by a lady we referred to as La Señora. Blue plastic table cloths over wobbly tables and the cacophony of chickens hidden just from view, it was an easy place to spot. Sometimes there would be a dreadful ruckus from the chook pen, and we knew what was on the menu for the next meal. Scruffy dogs circled the tables, looking at us imploringly, and cats sat at the space between our feet, mewing their most pathetic meows. But meals cost s/.4 or under, were decent, filling, and best of all, the fish was always fresh. Señor Chino And The Royals Because La Señora didn't serve dinner, we would...