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Other entries in Trujillo

Buses ala Peru

Decided to travel north by bus since I had had such a pleasant experience going south.  Took the Ormenio Business Class bus to Trujillo - scheduled for an 8 hour drive up the PanAmerican highway.  Well, I found out the hard way that "Business Class" does not mean that it would be a good way to travel for business.  The buses are regular grey hound type buses that are rather worn out, a bit smelly and without the "stewardesses" or meals.  For an 8 hour ride, this was not a good choice! 

In Peru, nothing leaves as scheduled and the buses are no exception.  The bus was supposed to leave at 9:30 AM, but didn't even arrive until 10:30.  Then we spent another hour getting through Lima and finally onto the PanAmerican highway heading north. 

The scenery was very interesting and full of contrasts.  Since we were along the coast, we could often see the Pacific Ocean either crashing into steep cliffs or onto a sandy beach.  Beautiful!  Then we went through the barren, rolling foothills of the Andes that had intermittent sand dunes filling in the crevices in the foothills.  So barren!  We would wind around through the hills and all of a sudden, there was a lush green valley below.  So strange - still can't see where the water comes from to create such a lush valley.

Since lunch was not served on the bus, we stopped at a little "bus stop cafe" out in the boonies for a quick lunch.  There is quite a bit of security around all the bus stations and stops.  The buildings and loading areas are always behind huge locked fences and this was no exception.  At least they have our safety in mind! 

We finally hit Chimbote, the last major city before Trujillo, where most people got off.  It was already after 6 and we still had 120 km to go to get to Trujillo!  We were going along fine, when the bus blew a tire out in the dark, barren land.  Luckily, the bus driver could change his own tire and we didn't have to wait for any one to rescue us.  We finally made it to Trujillo 11 hours later and I got to a hotel for the night.  By this point, I was questioning this trip!

Trujillo is a very large, bustling city of 1.5 million - the 3rd largest in Peru.  It is filled with cabs honking their horns and running through intersections.  It is also filled with casinos, but no easily seen bars!

This week they were scheduled to have their annual spring festival - the El Festival International de la Primavera.  This is their major festival when people come from all over to view and participate in the festivities, so the town was really busy!  It is a time where lots of parties, parades, music, Peruvian famous marinera dance demonstrations, "paso horse" (elegant horse dealers with ponchos of linen and hay hats with the horses trodding with a very unusual walk) and lots of other stuff happens.  There was even a schedule printed up to give you an idea what was going to go on.  However, they up and decided at the last minute to move the festival to the middle of October, but that information never got out to the tourists!!!  That's Peru!

I did, at least, get to see a demonstration of the marinera dance at a party I attended with the owner of a hostal I stayed at.  The marinera is a famous Peruvian dance that is done in a very elegant and formal costume and handkerchiefs.  It is a very romantic, yet fast dance.  Beautiful to watch! 

At the hostal I stayed at, there were lots of young travelers from around the world.  They would arrive all hours of the day and night since the buses came and went at all hours.  The hostal was in the house of two tour guides - Michael and Clara.  Michael is English and Clara Peruvian - and according to the guide books, the best tour guides in Trujillo which I found out first hand to be true!  They would have tours going to the main places daily, so whoever was around could join in for a small fee.  My first tour to Chan Chan, I did not go with them.  I spent about the same amount, but sure I didn't get all the information.  Archeology is their passion and you could really tell that.  Plus, they have lived there SO long that they have watched these places be discovered and excavated, so their stories were very interesting.

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