Posted by Jonathan:
Annnnnnnnnd we're off! We jumpstarted the trip through Ecuador only spending a day before heading to Peru. Reasoning was, I had been there before and we will be back through it to fly out in December. While in Ecuador we spent a day walking the streets and boardwalks of Guayaquil (the largest city in Equador). We also managed to find our way up to a lookout giving a 360 degree panarama of the city.
Annnnnnnnnd we're off! We jumpstarted the trip through Ecuador only spending a day before heading to Peru. Reasoning was, I had been there before and we will be back through it to fly out in December. While in Ecuador we spent a day walking the streets and boardwalks of Guayaquil (the largest city in Equador). We also managed to find our way up to a lookout giving a 360 degree panarama of the city.
From Guayaquil we caught a night bus south into Peru (crossing the boarder was a cinch - the only thing the border patrol officer said to me after reviewing my passport was "there are alot of beautiful women in North Carolina, yeah?"). After a few more bus tranfers (mostly because we got off the bus in the wrong town at about 4 A.M.) we arrived in Huanchaco, which is a town nestled against a sand cliff.
This little fishing villiage on the north coast of Peru has several draws for tourists - Chan Chan ruins (largest adobe city in the world), Huaca del Sol (Peru's largest pre-columbian structure), and Malabrigo (one of the worlds longest left hand point breaks). You now probably see why I nudged this town into our itinerary. The waves come in and wrap around the bay and once they have broken they look like a horse shoe as they head to shore.
I rented a board and wettie (water was icy cold) and spent several hours surfing while Jenn played photographer.
Surfers are not the only ones that enjoy catching some waves though, fishermen ride them in on Totora boats after securing their daily catch.
After saying bye to Huanchaco, we gathered our things and once again set out on a marathon bus ride, but this one had a surprise in store. We arrived at the bus station 2+ hours before its departure to Huaraz but there was only one seat left. We checked the later buses but they were fully booked - economic and VIP were booked for 2+ days... so our only option was to paper rock scissors for the open seat (Jenn always throws scissors so 'buckets'). Luckily for Jenn, the ticket agent said there were other bus lines that went the same route - so we went in search for some empty seats. It just so happened that the taxi driver we hired had just gotten off work from his day job (at one of the bus companies) and said they had a bus that ran that route and left in one hour. With the help of our handy taxi driver we snatched up two of the last four seats for the ten hour journey. The only seats open were by the bathroom, which proved to be far worse than I ever could have imagined. Not only was the bus twisting and turning on a bumpy dirt road as it climbed several 4,000+ meter passes, but also everyone on that bus used the bathroom at least three times and only one in ten would go for the flush. Within a few hours we balled up our ear plugs and shoved them deep into our noses trying to control the monster of an odor. Even now, a day later, I catch whiffs of the wretched smell as if it has somehow burrowed into my skin; or maybe its because we are still wearing the same clothes and haven't showered - really hope I haven't been smelling myself this whole time...
Currently we are in Huaraz which is the jumping off point for the Cordilleras Blanca, which are known for their trekking, big wall climbing, and ostentatious summits. The Cordilleras are second to the Himalayas in being the highest mountain range in the world with 22 summits over 6000 meters. For now we will spend a few days combating altitude sickness and making sure we are acclimated to the quick change in elevation. Then we'll hire a donkey and head for the hills to spend a few nights among the frozen water falls, glacier lakes, and snow capped peaks.
Currently we are in Huaraz which is the jumping off point for the Cordilleras Blanca, which are known for their trekking, big wall climbing, and ostentatious summits. The Cordilleras are second to the Himalayas in being the highest mountain range in the world with 22 summits over 6000 meters. For now we will spend a few days combating altitude sickness and making sure we are acclimated to the quick change in elevation. Then we'll hire a donkey and head for the hills to spend a few nights among the frozen water falls, glacier lakes, and snow capped peaks.