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10th March 2011
Journey - Home (Liverpool, UK) to Lima, Peru
Hours of travel (door to door) = 21 hours
Peru.The Lonely Planet promises beaches with incredible surf, immense sand dunes in the desert, deep canyons, dense jungle, historic archaeological sites and high mountains with unrivalled trekking opportunities (or words to that effect).Is there anything this country doesn't have?Well, I'm not sure yet, but I'm feeling increasingly sure that 3 weeks won't allow me to even scrape the surface of the rich melting pot of culture and scenery this country has to offer.
So I have arrived after 21 very long hours of travelling.The hotel is great (see more reflections below). Basic, but clean and overlooking a lovely courtyard. It is also 25 degrees at 8pm which is a nice change!
Thoughts like this were somewhat far from my mind as I left the flat this morning.The beauty of living ten minutes from an airport is you can catch an extra ten minutes in bed.It is also one of the disadvantages: that ten minutes might have turned into thirty after a late night packing and sorting things out.Still, I arrived on time and was already regretting that extra top (or three) and pair of shorts I put in my pack.It is a little tricky packing for 30°C heat and a 4 day trek with no showers (apart from the meteorological variety) and possible sub-zero temperatures.I'm hoping I can shed 2kg in toiletries!
I had no time to browse the shops, or get coffee, as the boarding was swift.The City-Hopper flight was prompt and efficient, affected only slightly by the dubious smell of the egg and cheese mayonnaise salad on fruity bread (I'm sure that isn't traditional Dutch cuisine, KLM!).
Upon landing in Schipol airport in the Netherlands to await my connecting flight, I had a little bit of time to road test my new notebook PC.It worked great.The WiFi didn't. Surely not a sign of things to come?If an airport the size of a small village cannot provide easily accessible WiFi, what chance do I stand in the Andes Mountains?Anyway, I have made my technological bed and I am determined to remain prostrate within it, until it is taken from me or I break it.The investment has already been useful: I typed some of this on the plane, played patience and organised my iTunes library.I also have a selection of films to watch if I get really bored and my six cell battery lasts the distance (thanks to Ben for that hint).
After dodging the drug dog training in the departure lounge (Katherine and Jen, you would have loved them and Julia, one of them looked like Bernard, maybe he could retrain?), I perused the shops and marvelled at the Euro/Pound exchange rate (yes, I was bored).I also watched the world go by. Literally.The airport remains a literal hive of activity, busy worker cabin crew bees buzzing from gate to gate, drones of tourists from every nation you can name mill aimlessly in and out of shops, awaiting the God in the Tannoy to tell them they had better traverse the 1 mile concourse asap or have their bags offloaded.
Next was security. This gate had 2 of those fancy xray machines that apparently can see through clothing.I was half expecting to be beamed onto the aircraft from there.
The flight was tediously long. I had the window seat and luckily the seat between myself and the gentleman sat on the aisle seat of our row of three was empty.He was a very pleasant man, and didn't mind my requests to get up and walk all the way round the 10 metres of plane available for us.This is one of the things I found so intriguing about travelling, these fleeting encounters with strangers.I knew this man's name, his job, that he had four children living across the world, one grandchild, he spoke three languages and he was moving to Equador. Yet at the end of the flight we said goodbye knowing we would likely never cross paths again.It makes me curious about the human spirit that we feel the need to ingratiate ourselves with strangers in this way,
Interestingly, the expensive 'Economy Comfort' seats that cost more were empty.There was a reasonable supply of food, snacks and drinks.I had a Gin and Tonic at some ridiculously early hour - partly to celebrate Part A and being on holiday, but also because I already had no idea what time zone my body clock was in.
The film selection was interesting, Black Swan being an option but given last time I discussed that film I nearly caused severe amounts of incensed Facebook wall graffiti, I thought it was more apt to watch the film about the book of the face, The Social Network.Thoughtfully scripted, the plot was made more interesting by both its basis in fact and that the viewer is able to relate to what Facebook actually does (imagine a 2 hour film wittering on about coding for a less recognisable contemporary website and I am sure the majority of the audience would have been lost at the very mention of Java script). Particularly poignant was the scene about Mark Z adding the relationship status option because that is what Facebook will be used for "to see if someone is available" (or to "get laid" as Eduardo said. Tsk. Boys).With a surprisingly convincing performance by Mr Justin Trousersnake (Timberlake - why do we call him that?), it was definitely worth a watch, aside from the dodgy sound quality of the aeroplane headphones.
Sleep, or at least good quality rest, evaded me for much of the flight and then I missed the ice cream round as a result too, which was possibly the highlight of my day when I whimpered pathetically at the Steward to have some.The other highlight was as we finally descended to Lima, and the Andes mountains appeared like snow-capped archipelagos in a vast white candy floss ocean, with the sun beginning to change red for the evening sunset.I didn't have my camera, and so my words cannot quite capture that scene.
Landing provoked a riotous round of applause and then shouts from the stewardesses like irate teachers at the passengers already trying to open the baggage cabin doors before we'd even left the runway.
My hotel had arranged a driver to collect me. He was there with a sign, his name was Pedro and his English was as good as my Spanish!We embarked upon a scary navigation across Peru. I seem to recall blogging extensively from Indonesia about Sumatran drivers. Well Peruvian drivers are just as skilled, and as vocal with their horns as the Indonesians.We dodged and weaved, inches from buses and pedestrians, traversing side streets and cutting back into the main traffic like we were in a weird pseudo-South American version of Grand Theft Auto, made all the more realistic by the copious numbers of policemen trying in vain to direct the traffic.Where were all these people going at 7pm?Well in a city this large, I guess we can't ask them.
Such musings bring me to the end of a very long first blog entry about nothing special for most of the 21 hours (although you did get a film review in there, so I expect to see my Wall alive with the sound of dissent later).You know I'm here safe, and ready to put pen to paper about even the most mundane experiences and so I will try to post when I can.Don't forget the comments section of this blog site, or there are the usual Twitter, Skype and Facebook avenues.
Adios amigos (with sincere apologies for the terrible Spanish). I'm off to find Pisco Sours and local cuisine J
- comments
Janice McColm Sounds like a half decent beginning to a fabulous holiday. Have a great time xxxx