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Whoah.... I am pooped.
So after I last posted I ended up running into some people who I had meet the week before in Banos! Some students doing an exchange program in Quito Ecuador were down in Cuenca for the weekend, and I had dinner and went SALSA DANCING with a few of them. Something t5hat they mentioned when we were at dinner was that if someone is in Peru for more than a month, they need to get a certain identification card or when they exit they will have to pay around a 200 dollar fine. Some other people that I had met on the Nariz del Diablo train ride mentioned that usueally visas are for 90 days, and that I should check my passport.
Well, I did, and realized that no one had stamped my passport (the visa part, I think) when I entered. Awesome. So, I left Cuenca the next day, trying to book it to the border in the four days I had before my month was up. I was getting up at 5:15 every morning, starting biking around 6:30, and finding a campsite around 5:00 PM. The first two nights I camped with beautiful vistas of two different towns (some small on eht first day, and then Catamay and the Loja airport), my third night I slept in some gravel pit at the precipice of a mountain with a moody donkey closeby, and my fourth day I made it to the border.
I had no problems crossing to border. Nada, zero zip. I was worried for 5 days straight over nothing.
Got into Peru and immediately noticed the difference. Compared to Ecuador, Peru is very poor, and many people had told me to be careful when I am traveling, as they are lots of robberies. Awesome. So, I am taking precautions, such as sleeping (like last night) next to a border patrol house or (like tonight) in a fire station! A firestation! I had heard that Los Bomberos will let bikers spend the night in their stations, and it turns out to be true. Tomorrowe I am going to go on the less traveles carretera viejo (old highway) to Chiclayo, passing through some inca ruins maybe the day after tomorrow. Northern Peru is very flat (and dry, barren, desert, windy...etc.) so I am able to cover a lot of distance. I am going to guesstimate.... about 100 kilomenters. or more! (or less) which is roughly 60 miles. All in one day. Neat.
Allright, chinese food is calling me (super cheap and filling and I am TIRED of bread and fruit.)
ciao!
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