limalimalimalima

In the last three weeks i have slowly made my way to the coast of Peru and up to Lima.  I spent quite a bit more time than I expected in Cusco, meeting up with some familiar faces, and sadly saying goodbye to some others.  A few too many big nights and my funds were disappearing quickly, so it was time to move on.  A lonely overnight bus ride to Arequipa, and i checked into Bothy hostel hoping to catch up with Robyn from the Inca trail.  I was in Arequipa to visit the Colca Canyon, the second deepest in the world and over twice as deep as the Grand Canyon (technically speaking).  After getting the low down from Robyn over  dinner, i was booked in for a three day tour of the condor canyon.  I´d have to say that I was extremely lucky in the company i scored for the trip, as it was more like a relaxing stroll than a trek.  The afternoons were spent lazing around the beautiful camps set deep in the canyon, drinking overpriced beers with my fellow ¨trekkers¨.  Three of the best people I have met on this trip, all Swedes, made the trip a real blast.  Can´t wait to visit Sweden. Anyway...The canyon is more like an enourmous valley surrounded by mountains...not like I had imagined.  The final day we ascended over 1100m, which was about the same as the inca trail, but due to the altitude difference, it was not nrealy as difficult.  We were at the top by 9am and after a visit to the hot springs back on the bus to Areuipa in time for the weekend, and what a weekend it was. All I can say is that a visit to the Point Hostel Arequipa should be on the ¨dont miss¨ lists in the lonely planet.

I needed to leave Arequipa, and the Swedes were heading to Cusco, so my fellow compatriot Amy and I courageously (under the circumstances) booked a ticket to Ica and Huacachina, home of sandboarding in Peru. Last year i visited the Oregon dunes in the US, and i guess i beleived the claim that they were amongst the biggest in the world.  There is no way they could be even compared to these mountains of sand that we were gliding (or cartwheeling) down.  Being on the dunes for sunset was mightily spectacular, and fun.  The loco dune buggy drivers made the trip back nearly as fun as the actual sandboarding.

It was time to leave Huacahina for Lima, and im glad i travelled in the company of spanish speaking travellers.  I guess you´d have to say it was the lowlight of my trip, but the ¨bus incident¨as i would like to call it, definatley created a bond between Amy, Emma and I.  So with all my precious belongings stolen (read ALL as including my Camera including memory card, iPod, Passport), the three of us hit the town to collectivly drown my sorrows.  We tried cerviche for dinner, a local specialty of raw fish in lime juice which is exquisite, but definatley not as good as sex, as one traveller i met had claimed.  The night ended with a memorable drink called super sexy, which is definatley was not, tasting like flavoured metho.

Needless to say the next few days was a haze of admin, as Amy liked to call it, and getting sick of doing admin and partying with the Loki Hostel crowd.  I have however managed to get a new passport, new camera, and a learn to speak spanish book....probably a bit late on that one.

Lima is a bit of a contradiction.  It´s massive city, but is completely shrouded in fog (and a bit of smog) for most of the year.  This makes it seem almost endless, but at the same time small because you can never see very far.  There is money everywhere, especially in the suburbs around my hostel, which makes it hard to beleive the extreme poverty I have seen on the way here.  I don´t not like Lima, I was only planning on spending one day here before running off the Huaraz, but I´m kinda glad i got to see a bit more of it.  And I still haven´t booked my bus ticket out of here....