Tag: South America

The sights – and smells – of Islas Ballestas…

by Gary Patrick Brown, posted in Islas Ballestas, Peru, South America

Our departure from Lima was at 0500, something which didn’t seem to faze the new passengers too much. In fact, I felt a little sorry for them as their growing excitement having boarded the truck for the first time was not met with the same enthusiasm by us ‘oldies’ who promptly fell asleep due to the ungodly hour. The early departure was required to avoid the heavy traffic in Lima which seems to have peak times of 0000 – 2400. Peruvian drivers also appear to have no concept of lanes despite the clear road markings. Thankfully the journey out of Lima was much nicer than the one we undertook to enter the city. After a short time we stopped at paradise, which in this instance was a petrol station that served delicious coffee, had clean working toilets with plenty of loo roll, and a nice view of the mountains to boot. We felt it necessary to warn the newbies to not get used to such luxuries.

By 1030, we had reached Paracas from where we took a speedboat out to the Ballestas Islands for a spot of bird watching. The excursion should really be entitled ‘bird smelling’ for the odour emanating from the impressive rock formations was, well, impressive. Of sorts. This guano was historically exported as fertiliser and if you are so inclined, there’s a great article here with details of the history and process.

It was great to see tiny penguins next to huge pelicans, and we were also treated to some snoozing sea lions. My favourite part was on the return journey when we watched cormorants divebombing the fish below, one after another.

The Ballestas Islands are often referred to as the ‘poor man’s Galapagos’ which seems rather harsh given the rich abundance of wildlife on show. This biodiversity is the result of two merging currents in the Pacific Ocean: the warm waters of El Niño and the cooler waters of the Humboldt (named after the Prussian naturalist Alexander von Hi Humboldt who also has a penguin named after him), which create the perfect environment for plankton and phytoplankton.

And here endeth today’s lessons. This stuff had better turn up on Pointless at some point or I’ll be fuming!

Living for Lima…

by Gary Patrick Brown, posted in Lima, Peru, South America

If you’ve been following my blog, you probably won’t be surprised to read that the 11 hour drive to Lima was pretty spectacular. We passed through incredible mountainscapes (is that a word?) and the trash that littered previous roads gave way to a verdant valley which was being farmed. It’s intriguing to see that the farming here is still all done by hand, with nary a combine harvester in sight. Truly back-breaking work in the heat. I got to ride up front with the driver and was afforded some unforgettable vistas.

Lima is the second biggest city in South America, by population, with 8.9 million inhabitants (São Paolo is the largest with 12 million) and it felt like most of them were driving into the city at the same time as us, despite it being 3pm on a Wednesday. The city is very clean and by far the most modern on the trip up to this point. We also had the luxury of staying in a centrally located hotel which, after a few nights of hostels and campsites, was most welcomed. I was happy to be sharing a room with Sebastian, one of the guys I went rock climbing with in Baños, as it was his last night with us before flying back to Germany. I now know how the Spice Girls must’ve felt when Geri Halliwell left the band. We were also joined by some new passengers which resulted in us now having two trucks to accommodate the enlarged group. Unfortunately, this also meant that our original group would be split across the two vehicles which was a shame as we were just starting to really get to know each other.  Now we’d have to start over again with the new people. I suppose that’s the nature of a trip of this kind though and I didn’t dwell on it too much. As it was the original group’s last night together, we had a group dinner at which some awards were given out. I was nominated ‘Party Animal’, however, given that I’d not stayed out past 2230 on any night thus far, I assumed it was ironic. S’funny how a few years ago I would’ve gotten it for the right reason.

The following day, Ian, Sebastian and I spent the morning exploring the Miraflores district and the beach. I got my first sight of a Starbucks and the taste of a soy latte after three weeks of truck-stop slop was like manna from heaven.  Don’t judge me. Miraflores is a beautiful part of the city and is a strong contender for favourite place so far, although it’s heavily weighted due to the fact that the stunning, landscaped gardens are also a cat sanctuary. Thus far, South America seemed to be the domain of the stray dog, so it was nice to see some feline friends frolicking so carefree and contentedly.

Ian and I went to visit some ruins where the assigned tour guide, Jorge, imparted information with a barely concealed eyeroll. It wasn’t particularly interesting despite his antics (although I  did wolf down the best mac and cheese of my life at a nearby restaurant, so it was totally worth it) and we ended up talking a lot about our respective childhoods and relationships. It was a real bonding moment and I’m glad that Ian and I will be on the same truck all the way to Buenos Aires.

On our final evening in Lima we watched a ‘Magic Light & Water Show’ in a park near the national stadium. The amount of work that must’ve gone into choreographing to music and producing the spectacle was pretty mind-boggling and it was a great way to sign off our time here. Unfortunately, a 0430 wake up call the following morning meant that we couldn’t replicate the antics from the night before, when we gatecrashed a Peruvian open-mic rock night, but with the Peruvian football team playing New Zealand in a world cup qualifier in a few days, I’m sure there will be a chance to celebrate / commiserate* with some Pisco in the days ahead.

*delete as appropriate

A not-so-promising start in Peru…

by Gary Patrick Brown, posted in Peru, Punta Sal, South America

We left Cuenca bright and early (and with moustaches in aid of Movember) at 0700 to start the long drive south to Punta Sal in Peru, allowing us time to cross the border and reach our accommodation in good time for dinner which was being laid on for us. Having fallen in love with Ecuador, I was excited to enter a new country. My enthusiasm was slightly dampened when I saw that the relatively short queue at immigration was moving slower than a sloth. Thankfully, the line to exit Ecuador is next to the one to enter Peru and the process was painless. Neither immigration officer spoke to me, but I didn’t take it personally and was just thankful to be back on the truck within an hour.

Almost immediately upon entering Peru, it was evident that we were in a different country. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for the right reasons. There was rubbish EVERYWHERE you looked. You might say it was a blot on the landscape, but there wasn’t much landscape to speak of, just flat, scorched earth with barely a sign of life. It was quite the comedown after the incredible topography of Ecuador. After an hour’s drive, we stopped in the small town of Tumbes to eat lunch and to draw out/ exchange money. The phrase ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’ may well have been coined by the first person trying to get cash from a South American ATM. Despite the machines proudly bearing stickers showing they accepted all manner of Visa, Maestro, and Cirrus cards, the reality is somewhat different. However, after the 7th attempt, I had some nuevos sols in my pocket and could at least buy some lunch for me and Charlotte (who hadn’t been so lucky at the cashpoint). Lunch in this case was a very unsatisfying brown roll with three (yes, I counted) slithers of avocado and no butter. However, considering it cost the equivalent of €0.30, I suppose I shouldn’t complain.

Shortly after lunch, we sighted the Pacific Ocean, but the usual excitement with which the sea is usually greeted wasn’t on show as the landscape remained barren and strewn with detritus. There began some murmurings of apprehension about our upcoming stay, and I think a lot of people started to scale back their expectations. We needn’t have worried though. Almost out of nowhere, our campsite appeared and there was a visible group exhalation once we had spotted the pristine beach. We pitched our tents on the sand and cracked open some beers while marvelling at the incredible sunset that played out before us. I love sleeping by the sea and the soothing sounds of the waves soon had me in dreamland. I was disturbed at 0330 by my tentmate, Astrid, waking me up to look at the full moon and its reflection dancing on the waves. I might’ve been annoyed on any other occasion, but it was a pretty incredible scene and we chatted about how lucky we were to be on this adventure.

The entire group opted to spend the next day relaxing at the beach, unsurprising given the 11 hour journey undertaken the day before. I managed to catch up on a bit of reading but managed to persuade Ian to grab a beer at lunchtime which pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day. We chatted for a few hours before someone spotted a sea lion in the surf. I ran out to look at the magnificent creature but the site of his distended stomach and infected eyes was anything but magnificent. The mood turned somewhat sombre, especially when we discovered he was the first of three to wash up that day, along with two turtles. Despite being initially excited at the prospect of a swim, I declined to dive in on this occasion. Following a delicious beach barbecue, Astrid and I elected to pack up the tent that evening given that our departure time the following morning was at 0400. Yes, you read that correctly. Astrid managed to bag herself a bed in a cabin, while I chose to sleep in a hammock under the stars. It was incredible, unlike the wake up call at 0345.

Since then, we have travelled through some pretty cool terrain to Huanchaco and Huarez which is where I am now. At one point, the endless rice fields made me think I was back in Asia. Unfortunately, for the past few days I’ve been in bed with a dodgy tummy, so I’ve had to forgo more rock climbing and a nine hour hike to the incredible Laguna 69, so there’s not much to report. I think the culprit for my illness is the chicharrones I had during a truck picnic. I’m not too mad though as: a) they were delicious and b) I’ve lost some much needed weight. We start the drive to Lima tomorrow and I’m hoping that the rest of my time in Peru is a bit more adventurous than lying in a bunk bed with intermittent sprints to the toilet.

Cuando en Cuenca…

by Gary Patrick Brown, posted in Cuenca, Ecuador, South America

In my previous post, I said that the journey by road was the best I’d ever experienced. I lied, forgive me. The journey from Chugchilán to Cuenca has usurped the number one position on that particular chart, and I have a feeling it might be something that happens regularly over the next few months.  The journey took 11 hours on the truck, but it really didn’t feel like it at all. I was so transfixed by the journey that I forgot to take many photos.

The journey took us past the dormant volcano Chimborazo, the highest mountain in Ecuador. The summit of Mount Everest is the highest point on the Earth above sea level, while the summit of Chimborazo is the farthest place on the surface of the Earth from its exact center, due to the fact that the Earth is not a perfect sphere but instead bulges out at its equator. Chimborazo is only one degree south of the equator, while Everest is 28 degrees north. Chimborazo’s summit is therefore 2.1 kilometers farther from the Earth’s center than Everest. And here endeth today’s geography lesson.

We drove along the Quilotoa Loop and I was constantly amazed by the little towns which seemed to be plonked at random on the mountainside. At one point, we saw a village which was completely engulfed in clouds, something I’d never seen before. It was very cool.

After eleven hours we arrived in Cuenca, Ecuador’s third largest city and from my limited foray in the country, its most beautiful. The colonial buildings made me feel like I was in Madrid at times and it is by far the cleanest city I’ve visited in Ecuador. We stayed in a nice hotel in the city centre and I was glad to be put in a room with Ian and Matt, the two guys I’ve bonded with the most so far. The next day I took a sightseeing bus around the city, having not been inspired by Matt’s suggestion of a run along the river (he doesn’t know me very well obviously). It was a great way to see most of the city as we only had one full day in Cuenca which, surprisingly, is home to the Panama hat. The name originated from the fact the hats were first sent to Panama before sailing for  destinations around the globe and, therefore, acquiring a name that reflected their point of international sale rather than their place of fabrication. Gosh, I’m full of facts today. It’s almost as if I listened to the bus guide.

Here’s another one for you: the city of Cuenca has 52 churches so you can observe Sunday worship in a different church every week for a year, if you are so inclined. I’m not. There’s no denying the beauty and imposing nature of the buildings though and they fit in effortlessly with the surrounding architecture.

The bus took me to a viewpoint above the city that afforded a great view of the sprawl which is not really felt at street level. You won’t be surprised to hear that the best part of the whole day was the glorious Alaskan Malamute that I spotted during a coffee break. He was so chilled and very affectionate so naturally I left the viewpoint and spent the next twenty minutes petting him. I wonder if I can persuade my boyfriend to get a malamute when I get home in February. LOOK AT HIM!!

I also managed to find a hoody to replace the one I lost, although I’m still on the hunt for a pair of flip-flops which appear to be ever more elusive the further I travel in this continent. Who’d a thunk it?

Today is my last day in Ecuador and it’s been a great introduction to South America. I definitely want to come back and explore other areas, including the Galapagos which I wasn’t able to fit in this trip. Likes? Definitely the variety of amazing landscapes, from the towering Andes in all different hues of green and brown, to the varied cities and villages, to the biodiversity of the jungle. The people are smiley and friendly and the food has been delicious. Dislikes? Well, overtaking on the roads is a potential Olympic sport, and there were too many close calls for my liking. The absence of toilet roll in most bathrooms is also something I’ll never get used to, no matter how many reminders I’m given.