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So it has been a few days since I wrote my last blog and we have done lots in that sort time! From the last day I wrote we went cycling along the beach which was really nice following a map to a place called Barranco which is a bohemian city in Lima which was really nice...we found a plaze in the centre surrounded by a church, library and fountain and ate lunch! From here we tried to find a nicer beach than the day before and got very lost, it took a peruvian lady to walk and point us in the right direction! However, we walked down and down with our bikes not thinking what goes down muct come back up! We got to the bottom and drove along the beach, which still wasn´t massively nice but was better! We then decided to cycle along the beach to find an easier way to get back up! However the cycle turned to dirt track and then to motorway which was quite scary! We then found some more steps up a different part of the mountain but was still extremely epic carrying our bikes up a mountain!! But made it back! That night we went to a really nice restaurant called Norkys where we had our first taste of peruvian cuisine! Lomo Saltado (beef, onion, pepper, rice and chips) was really nice! We then wandered to a flea market and got personalised purses and a bag! From there we explored the strip of bars and had a pisco sour (peruvians national drink) which was horrible!! Egg whites and pisco! Worth a few sips but no more!
The next day we were up at the crack of dawn and got a bus to a place called Huacachina, we drove through Lima city and saw huge poverty, slums being built in mud slides and many shanty towns along the way! Very glad we didn`t stay here or visit as it didn`t look too safe! I also had an old man sitting behind me who almost hit me with his walking stick and tried to get Reanne to carry his bags! But the journey was ok, we got to see a lot and arrived in Ica, had luch and got a taxi to Huacachina! We got recommended a hostel which was really nice! Had a pool and we got to share double rooms! We dropped off our things and went to explore...we were told of a lagoon in the centre and when we turned the corner the sight was magnificent! We were surrounded by sand dunes which a picturesque lagoon in the centre! Words cannot describe this place...it HAS to be seen! That night our hostel had a bbq and as many drinks in their happy hour for 5 pounds! So the ron and xokes (as they called them) were going down well, and we had a great night talking, meeting other travellers and dancing!
The next day we went dune bashing and sandboarding so we were strapped into huge 4x4 trucks and headed for the dunes...it was probably the best trip I have ever been on, the drops and flying through the dunes was very scary but amazing! The views vere incredible...in the middle os the desert with nothing in sight! Sandbaording was also really fun, we mastered some steep drops! That evening was a lot more chilled but we still went to the bbq and met a guy called Rubin who had travelled a lot of South America so he is our new lonely planet...only we couldn´t take him with us!!
The next day was very relaxed, we went and chilled out on the sand dunes and hung by the pool waiting for our first night bus! The experience of a night bus wasn`t too fun! The drivers are crazy and the roads out here anyway are like a free for all, they may as well not have road markings and indicators...who knew they weren´t needed in Peru!! It`s sooo scary! So driving down a cliff at about 90mph with the driver slamming his breaks on and flying round the corners was not too enjoyable!! But we survived it...needless to say I did not get much sleep!
We arrived in Arequipa and went to a hostel that Rubin had recommend only to find that it was full! So our taxi driver found as another which wasn`t too great but really good location! Arequipa is a town based between two active volcanoes and is very pretty. There are a lot of peruvians here...many selling on the street or begging for money. That night we went out for a really nice meal where they gave us ponchos to wear to keep us warm and played cards!
Today we went on a bus tour around Arequipa which was a really good way to see everything, it was only 2 hours so was good! We had good views of the volcano and drove through some of the nicer parts but also saw more shanty towns built in the mountains. We visited a lama farm, another town and ate fresh milk ice cream which was really nice and got a good feel for the area. We then went and had lunch and are now waiting for a night bus to take us to Cuzco to go and see the famous Machu Picchu...although there are currently floods there right now so we are hoping it will be ok by the time we arrive there!!
Other than that my general view on Peru so far is that it is really beautiful, but a lot of poverty and a lot of areas that could be very unsafe. Everywhere we go we get stared at and taxi drivers beep at you all the time! They are also a lot smaller with lile to no boot, so I don`t understand how they thought they would fit four of us in with our back packs! They still tried though! Am really looking forward to Cuzco and we are celebrating Lucys birthday there tomorrow! I hope all is well back home and missing you all a lot!
Lots of Love
Georgia
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