Arrived at our hotel at 5pm just in time for Happy Hour hosted in the front lobby: delicious wine and a toast to start to our holiday. We walked around Chinatown looking for a reasonably-priced dinner with patrons already in the restaurant, we wanted to be sure it was good. We were accosted on the street by two women encouraging us to go to their restaurant just up the street. We looked at the menu and it looked pretty good and we were promised free pot-stickers and ice cream ... sold. We climbed some dubious looking stairs, but when we reached the top we were pleasantly surprised by a full restaurant. Many of the patrons were Chinese too, so we took that as a positive sign and we weren't disappointed. The meal was capped off with green tea ice cream.
10Sep2014 - San Francisco
Completed the SF Urban Challenge/Walking Tour. It took us a long time as the WiFi was pretty sketchy at the best of times. It was a great way to see the sights and out-of-the-way places we might not have otherwise seen. We went to the Fortune Cookie Making Factory, the Cable Car Museum, and Fisherman's Wharf. We covered a lot of miles and we were lucky enough to have the sun shining for the entire time. I was surprised to find San Francisco as tropical as I did. There were a lot of palm trees and warm breezes. We ate dinner on the wharf over-looking the water; calamari for me and Jeff had prawns and chips. We each had a glass of wine ... it was all very civilized.
11Sep2014 - San Francisco
We walked some more. We took buses to see the Golden Gate, walked in Golden Gate Park and along the waterfront. When we were in the park we were trying to decide which way to go when a park employee approached us and asked if we needed help. She suggested the San Francisco Botanical Garden (which we had passed but decided against spending the $14 entry fee). She just took us to the nearest gate, unlocked it and let us in. She told us about the man who commissioned the park, how to get around it, and how she was one of the hippies that hung out in Haight-Ashbury District, the birth place of hippies. On our Urban Quest one of the questions was “what California city is known as the Capital of Peace and Love?” I actually thought that is was LA, I was surprised to find out that the hippies originated in San Fran. So, much to learn. Back to the park; we walked through various areas of vegetation, from all over the world. Wetlands, desert, jungle, and native plants were all represented. We stopped for lunch at a waterfront cafe and had a healthy meal to carry us through the evening as we were going to fly to Lima at around midnight. On our way back to the hotel, we decided to give away our transit passes which were good for the rest of the day and the next. We waited on the street, at the top of an escalator, leading from BART transit, where we would see people with backpacks on, coming from the airport. We saw our target after a 10-15 minute wait. I approached a young couple with packs and explained the situation and that we were wanting to give away our passes. They looked a bit doubtful at first, but once they understood we weren't trying anything funny “we don't want money, we just want to pass them on”, they were very happy. It sure felt good to do that for fellow travelers.
When we arrived at the airport to make the next leg of our trip, we were witness to a young woman being arrested at the airport. We had just taken a seat at our gate and noticed a number of officers speaking with the woman. We couldn't hear, but the woman looked pretty relaxed and she was even smiling at one point. It was very odd to hear one of the officers say “see you later Jessica” as she was being led off in handcuffs. She replied “thank you”. Very polite even under arrest. In fact these two were far more civil to one another than a cable car conductor we had, who yelled at people. While we were on his cable car the conductor yelled at a man for jumping on the car while it was still moving and then he yelled at a hotel bellhop to “get a real job” after the bellhop opened a car door in the path of the oncoming cable car. Granted the conductor had reason to be upset at both these situations, but it seems to me he was a bit under pressure from something.
Boarded the plane to Lima at 11pm. Imagine ... flying on 9/11.
12Sep2014 - Lima
We arrived to get a taxi to the Hilton Hotel. What a taxi ride that was. First of all our driver tried to tell us it was 70 soles to the hotel, when we already knew it should be about 45-55 soles. They have a very different driving style down there ... YIKES! We arrived at the hotel a bit jittery, unpacked, and headed to the swimming pool and hot tubs on the 11th floor. My first impression of Lima is quite different from what I was expecting. It is much more grey, run-down, and so many buildings are unfinished. This surprised me for a large city. The beaches were not appealing and it took some processing to get used to it. The only people who were down on the beach were those who were surfing. No one was just sitting and enjoying the view. This might have been because the area along the beach was a large construction site and very loud and dusty. It was a bit disappointing. The hotel was lovely however, and we swam in the pool that looks like it is on the edge of the building.
After hot tub therapy, we walked around the corner for a meal at Tanta. Tanta is a chain of restaurants we noticed later. I had a full view of a couple sitting behind Jeff in the restaurant; they were very caught up in one another (perhaps she a bit more than he) and didn't seem to be aware of the outside world. He was probably twice her age, I do love to people watch. It was a very good meal; our first in Peru, Jeff had lasagne, I can't remember what I ate.
13Sep2014 - Lima to Cusco
Off to the airport for our flight to Cusco. No breakfast. At the airport we found out that our flight was full (despite our booking, seat assignment, and early arrival at the airport). However, as a compensation we were offered a free lunch and $45 US each for the inconvenience. We got our flight at around 2pm and it was off to Cusco. We were met in Cusco at the airport by our driver who took us to a lovely hostel with a fountain in a centre courtyard. It was comfortable and clean and we were eager to get out and see some sights. We walked to a square close by and I was amazed at the women who still wear the traditional Peruvian costume; gathered colourful, full skirts, thick stockings, and bowler-shaped hats. At the back of their hats, two very long and black braids fall down their backs. Around their shoulders they wear a colourful sling in which was either a small child, produce, or wares to sell. I managed to get a few of these lovely sights on camera. I was definitely in a different world which is just what I wanted for this adventure. At dinner, Jeff had alpaca which he found to be perfectly cooked. After supper we walked around the narrow streets, cobbled streets, and streets lined with small stores selling trinkets and alpaca products. We found the people friendly and I felt safe at all times. At one point in the evening there was a parade of cars and trucks loaded with people (just like you see on TV), pouring out of the cabs and beds of the truck. Children, men, and women waving flags and blasting horns and music in an attempt to get you to vote for their political candidate. This is not the way to get my vote!! Our guide (who we had yet to meet) told us that it is mandatory to vote in Peru and if you don't, you are charged a fine. He says he hasn't voted and is only too happy to pay the fine; he says that all the candidates are interested in money and power and not the good of the country. We asked him why he didn't just spoil his ballot and he said because it is used to add to the person who is already in the lead. The number of candidates in this election was rather overwhelming, I don't know how anyone would choose. It makes you wonder how many people just cast a vote so they don't have to pay the fine.
14Sep2014 - Cusco to Ollantaytambo
Walked around Cusco again and watched the festival of Cusco's inception (what I gathered from speaking to a local 75-year-old man). The children were all dressed up and there was a parade (the second since we arrived). The first parade was very official and regimented with Jesus being carried on a cross through the streets, the second was more military and marching bands, and this last one, school children in uniforms and young children in costumes. We saw little princesses, little policemen, little band members, and tall men on stilts. I got the impression that the family is very important and a lot of attention is paid to the family. We got some lovely shots of the children in their costumes. It was quite an affair. At 11:45am we were picked up by a driver who drove us 2 hours to Ollantaytambo. Such a varied countryside! We drove in silence as we could not communicate apart from hello and good-bye with a "gracias" thrown in! We were quite confused when we arrived at the hostel. It wasn't the KB Hostel we were expecting and the room was set up with 2 single beds when we had asked for a matrimonial room. Our hostel manager couldn't explain to us what was going on so Jeff and I set out to find KB. The GPS led us astray and we had no luck with finding our man. We returned to the hostel wondering if we were about to have one of those holiday mess-ups one hears about at times. Shortly after returning to the hostel, we received a phone call telling us that we were going to be picked up for our first mountain bike ride. We got ready and waited to meet Earbing. He took us to Pumamarca which is the site of some Incan ruins. The remains resembled faces which is how it was meant to be; this is the location where anyone travelling in Incan times, through this area, had to stop at this location to be given the approval for passing through. It was a look-out and military station protecting the Sacred Valley and beyond. It is mind-boggling how these structures have lasted the tests of time and time again.
We cycled down from Pumamarca back to our hostel. We passed through a little village where a young boy tried to race with us part of the way and we had to watch for cows and sheep on the road. We said goodbye to Earbing and washed up for dinner. Tonight we ate at a local and authentic pizza restaurant. The pizza is cooked in an adobe style igloo-shaped oven. Our waitress was responsible for serving everyone, tending to the fire and cooking the pizza. The poor girl, she worked very hard, I don't think she was too happy. I overheard some patrons talking about the length of time it took to be served. Not too obvious why. I hope she was well tipped.
15Sep2014 - Abra Malaga, Moray, and the Salt Mines
Today we met Mat from NZ. What a great guy! We took the van up Abra Malaga, which is a mountain that stands at 4100m above sea level (the pass of Abra Malaga, which lies at nearly 14,500ft above sea level and at the foot of the massive glacier of Veronica (17,500 feet). From there, we began a 50 km descent that is one of the longest possible in the world, through gorgeous terrain). This is also the route for the Inca Avalanche Mountain Bike Race held every April. It can be seen on YouTube so you could get an idea of the terrain. Jeff and I did parts of the off-road course, but Mat did more of it; he is a bit younger (28) and has been mountain biking a lot more that Jeff and I have this year or last. We have set ourselves a new goal ... more mountain biking!
Believe it or not, the ride up in the van took longer than for us to ride down the 50km. It was an amazing experience dropping down 5,000ft! This is especially so on the road one is sharing with Peruvian drivers. Having said that, they drive, I mean they really drive. They don't drink, eat, read, text, or even sit back. They are focused on the road. They honk a lot, but that is to warn on-coming traffic that they are nearby. Whether it is behind a car they want to pass or rounding a corner of a single lane road, they don't slow down, they honk! It is an adrenalin rush, to say the least (more on that later).
At one point in the morning, Carlos, Jeff, and I were waiting for Mat. We were at a roadside stand where a woman was cooking corn. Carlos treated us to a local treat; corn on the cob (which is very different to the corn in Canada) and cheese. I can't say it was a treat I would go back for, but it would probably sustain a person needing quick and satisfying energy. Once we hooked up with Mat, we returned to Ollantaytambo for lunch. We ate at a lovely restaurant that had been recommended by Carlos. I used my limited Spanish for most of the order. It bothered me (quite) that some people entered the restaurant and just started speaking English, assuming to be understood. I found this rude. Not that I am perfect in any way, but I like to ask, in Spanish, whether the person to whom I am speaking, speaks English. It struck me as interesting that when Jeff and I went to pay for our lunch, the host shook my hand and Jeff's. He didn't do this with anybody else who had eaten there. Thinking on this, I wondered if it was because of our attempt to speak Spanish. I had complimented him “muy buena” on the delicious carrot-ginger soup and lentil salad. Whatever the reason, it was a gesture of friendship. So off we went again, loaded in to the van, and drove to Moray. This was an incredible sight. It is a site of Incan ruins (if you can call it a ruin) which seems very much intact. It is a series of circular terraced depressions that go as deep as 98ft. The circles are perfectly round and enormous. It is thought to have been set up as a climate monitoring station. Oh those Inca! While we were there, someone was having a very personal experience. Two women and one man had placed themselves at the deepest level of the circle and were in quiet meditation. After about 15-20 minutes (that we were present for) the man spent a long time in a tight embrace with one of the women. What a sacred location for this kind of experience. Not far behind us, a bus load of tourists arrived of the teenage variety (English speaking). They were very loud and giggly. We needed to get on our bikes again. From this point we mounted our bikes and headed downwards to another area of interest; the salt mines of Moras. Again, the Inca were hard at work, building a series of terraces on which to harvest salt. The salt water flows from an underground stream and as the salt moves down the terraces, it warms in the sun and evaporates leaving behind some of the best salt in the world (“nutshell” explanation). After this visit, we continued on our mountain bikes (again downhill) back to Ollantaytambo. Tonight we had dinner at a restaurant located close to our hostel. I ate alpaca kebabs which were delicious. I must add at this point the local drink is called a Pisco Sour. I had one, while Jeff had a "Machu Picchu". We walked around the square before heading back to the hostel. Buying bottled water was a must for us, but it seems such a shame that Peru doesn't have a recycling program (that we saw). I can't imagine the numbers of bottles tossed by the tourists. An irony of the trip was that if we participated in the hotel conservation program in San Francisco (no washing of sheets for the duration of our stay) we were awarded with bottled water.
16Sep2014 - Inti Punku
Today a feat of endurance was claimed! We walked 15km round trip, which doesn't begin to explain the feat. It was a climb up to the Sun Gate or Inti Punku which is part of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We gained 3280ft or 1000m of altitude. We started at 2823m/9262ft and finished the hike at 3938m/12,900ft. It was a hike that took all day (9:00-4:00) including rest stops and lunch. Carlos made us lunch to eat at the Sun Gate on our arrival, which was around 2pm. Imagine me, eating Oreo cookies at 12,900ft. They NEVER tasted so good!! At the top there was a magnificent view of the Sacred Valley and the Andes. It was a breath-taking 360-degree panorama and of course being at high altitude, I felt a little light-headed. Despite the fact that it was a hike of pure climbing, we saw some lovely sites along the way. Cows, sheep, alpaca, and horses grazing at various altitudes seemingly without a home, but they are herded back to their farms at various times in the year. What a life for livestock: eating at will, basking in the sun, and just hanging (literally, some of them hanging off the mountain). At one point there was a beautiful sight of Peruvian trekkers coming down the trail with their mules carrying gear. It was a step back in time. I managed to get some shots of the moment. As can be imagined, our hike down was quite a bit faster that the way up. We were tired! We didn't go too far for dinner, but we needed water and so we stopped in to a nearby restaurant and had guacamole and deep fried cheese to dip. We had a celebratory Pisco Sour and then walked home to get some much needed rest.
17Sep2014 - Ollantaytambo to the Jungle
Today was touted as the “best day one could ever spend on a bike”. It was also the day that we met the gang with whom we would spend the next four days. Daniel and Marlena who live in Ireland, but are originally from Poland, Mat (one t) who was from New Zealand, and Jordan and Victoria from Houston, Texas. A mixed bag of culture, language, and accents, but so much fun. We made a very compatible group. We loaded up with eight bikes, all the gear, all the bikers, and toddled off in our blue van. Up and up and up we (again) to the top of Abra Malaga, then over the top to the back of the Veronica (pronounced Beronica) Glacier which is where we had our first bike descent 2 days earlier at 4100m or 1350ft. When we reached the summit we disembarked and loaded up for the bike ride (food, water, safety vests). All I can say is the rest was all downhill. 50Km of pure downhill on a paved road of switch backs and solid double yellow lines. Did I mention that traffic markings and lights in South America are only driving suggestions? Despite that fact, I felt reasonably safe. We were instructed to cycle in the middle of the lane, this way if we were in trouble we would have one of two ways to go vs going over and down in to the valley of sure death. I have to say that when we were being passed by cars going in the same direction, they gave us the full lane, even if there were double yellow lines they had to cross over. There were two instances when I felt as though my heart seized ... on the way around a sharp corner, staying in the middle of my lane, a car, coming in the opposite direction cut the corner (by crossing the double yellow lines) into my lane. It was a moment of life review. The other experience must have been so traumatic that it has completely left my brain. Our tour leaders were very safety conscious and we were always closely followed by our tour van and this road was not a particularly busy one.
At the base of the mountain, 50km later, we sat and ate lunch again prepared by Carlos. Sandwiches, chocolate, Oreo cookies, bananas and oranges. We were in a village called St. Maria. From this point, we loaded back in to the van and drove to an undisclosed location where we transferred from the van to two cars. This was the start of the ride of our lives. Our destination was St. Therese where we would find our Ecolodge for the night. We wondered if we were actually going to get there because eight lives were looking death in the face in those two Toyota Corollas. The drivers must have been hired out of St. Maria because we didn't know them as tour drivers. They were mad-men. If you can picture travelling at 60km/hr along a dusty, single lane, gravel road, with twists and turns, switch-backs and a 1400ft drop less than a shoulder's width from the road, this was bad enough, but it got worse. It started to rain heavily, so heavily we couldn't have the windows open. The car started to fog up on the inside as well as the outside. Most cars have a defogger. This one had a blanket over the dash with Mother Mary looking over us and Jesus hanging from the rear-view mirror. Thank God! The fog, mist, and rain did not deter our driver, he maintained his speed while having no ability to see beyond the windshield. Carlos who was sitting in the passenger seat had to wipe the condensation from the window so our driver could at least see the outside fog. At one point we were completely blind because the fog was so thick. We three in the back thought we were going to die. We did come within an inch of T-boning a Mercedes van which would have sent them over the edge to a 1400 ft (not kidding) drop, but we were lucky and they were luckier.
I found out a few days later just how Jeff felt about the ride; he had seemed so calm and quiet sitting next to me. He too thought that we were in serious risk of death. I am so grateful that he didn't show his angst in the car. I was thinking his calmness meant that “this is normal in S America”. Needless to say we made it to our Ecolodge.
It was a little oasis in the middle of a town that was under much construction and seeming disarray. The cicadas were so loud I thought it was construction equipment down in the street below, but it was after-work hours. As the name identifies, this lodge was built to encourage respect and care of the environment. It was almost like a tree-house built on various levels. The eating area was open air with a thatched roof, two hammocks, and a seating area to sip on your Pisco Sour or coca tea. It was lovely and we were presented with a delicious supper and breakfast during our stay. The avocados were the size of melons and the bananas plentiful and delicious. In the evening of our stay we had the opportunity to visit some local hot-springs. Banos Termales de Cocalmayo had three different pools with an area of hot water flowing over rocks that one could sit under. It was a great way to cap off a very intense day of travel.
18Sep2014 - Zip-lining and Aguas Calientes
At breakfast time Carlos took a poll to see how many of us wanted to go zip-lining. Three of us wanted to take it on; Jeff, Mat, and I were keen to go. When we arrived at the zip-line area, there was a very long line of people waiting to be fitted with the safety gear. We were at the back so unfortunately we weren't outfitted. However, we were to carry on and the gear would be brought up to us. This meant that we were able to climb the mountain not having to carry the gear. It was a steep climb and I was visualizing how to perform CPR based on two people who were sweating profusely and pale pale pale. They had to lug heavy ropes, hard hats, carabiners, and wear the harnesses all while we climbed 616 ft straight up. The gear was brought to us from the first people who finished the zip-lines. Then we were on our way down six different lines across the jungle valley. It was magnificent. On the last zip-line we were able to attach ourselves as though we were Supermen flying across the canopy of trees. Jeff took a video of me as we were able to go at the same time on different but parallel lines. It was quite the rush.
We returned to our Ecolodge, gathered our gear and set off on a hike which would take us about three hours from St. Therese to Aguas Calientes. We stopped along the way for lunch at a restaurant beside the train tracks we were following. We ate a local beef dish and rice, cold beer, and water. The amusing moment in this restaurant came when we all realized there were two very large TV screens showing a movie. It was so strange to be sitting under a tin roof, no walls, a crowd of picnic tables, in the jungle, watching TV. Two TVs, one at each end of the “stalls”. Mat didn't want to move, he wanted to watch the movie starring Cameron Diaz, he figured Machu Picchu could wait! :-)
We hiked along the railway tracks which meant it was very level and there were lots of people doing the same thing. The train would pass from time to time transporting people to Aguas Calientes, the final stop before going to Machu Picchu. Jeff was not feeling well at all and when we reached our hostel, he went straight to bed. The rest of us went out to find a place to eat that was reasonable and safe (water wise). We had a place recommended to us so off we went. We had a really great time; next to us sat a very long table of 11 year old boys and girls. The restaurant owner was having some sort of promotion and brought all these kids in; it sure filled the restaurant. Once the children discovered we were foreigners (what was the giveaway?) they were very intrigued by us. They asked us where we were from, our names, how did we get so tall? What were their names in English? Their faces were all so beautiful and I was taken by their interest and enthusiasm, they were really bright and happy kids (the pizza they were eating might have contributed to this). I forgot my camera that evening but I will get some photos from my US and European companions.
Back to the hostel and to meet our guide for the next day. Alberto gave us an idea of how the tour would go. To get the full experience, we were encouraged to get up at 4am in order to get there and watch the sun rise over Machu Picchu. Once breakfast was arranged for 4:30am we were off to our beds. Jeff was feeling a bit better, but he still needed some recovery time.
19Sep2014 - Machu Picchu
It was very dark when we woke up, but it wasn't hard to get out of bed. I barely slept as the anticipation of seeing Machu Picchu was too much to result in slumber. I never thought I would see this place of mystery. Kindly, our hostel provided us all with breakfast before we left. As we walked down to catch the bus, the streets were active with people getting ready to visit Machu Picchu and everyone looked fairly alert. Someone told me that the bus ride up to Machu Picchu was really frightening with the switch-backs and the valley immediately below the bus. For our crew ... not an issue. We knew REAL fear on the road. This was not it.
Machu Picchu was phenomenal. We arrived in the dark and watched as the sun rose over the ruins. It was incredible because you could actually see the sun's movement. It felt very special and we were privileged to have the sun shine. I feel sad for those that spend days on the Inca hike and arrive in a cover of cloud. We had sunshine for the entire day, which is appropriate for MP, as the Sun was the icon of worship for the Inca. During our tour with Alberto, we learned how the Inca built MP using only materials available in nature and using the shape of the mountain and the outcroppings to create a place that was in harmony with its surroundings. It is still unknown how the stones were made to fit so perfectly, or how they even managed to carry the rock from other locations. They were an amazingly hard working and intelligent people (unless of course, aliens were involved).
Alberto left us after our tour and we decided to climb Mt Machu Picchu which is at 10,000ft. MP is at 7900ft. It was a great climb with a 360 degree view of the Sacred Valley and the four mountains that protect MP in the North, South, East, and West. Just before we reached the top, half the group stopped to wait for the other half. It was spectacular, especially since the area at the top of the mountain is essentially a precipice without guard rails or safety measures. It is a wonderful place to stop, but don't try to eat there, it is not allowed. We stayed at the top for about an hour just taking in the view and wondering at the magnificence of this magical place. We came down the mountain after a rest and then (crazy as we were) set out on another hike to find the Inca bridge. The trail was a path along narrow outcropping hugging a cliff wall, again with a huge drop below. The outcropping ends and a bridge is needed to get to the other side. Three wooden logs constitute the bridge. They aren't lashed together, they just join one edge to the other. A gate prevented anyone from trying to see if it would hold them. I was glad for that, I am sure someone would have wanted to check it out more closely.
It was getting towards closing (5pm) and it had been a long but super day; we headed back to Aguas Calientes on the bus and Mat, Jeff, and I went for a cold drink. Mat introduced me to a dark beer, I think it was a chocolate beer, and it was delicious. Jeff had Pisco Sour and we chatted happily about life in NZ and BC. Mat has a job with the NZ government; he works with a team of professionals mandated to create programs which encourage families and youth to seek out healthy activities. The problems of obesity and inactivity are not just in North America.
At 6pm we all congregated at the hostel to go for dinner. We went back to the restaurant we were at the previous evening and had pasta, chocolate beer, and Pisco Sour. Instead of a table full of 12 year old kids, we were graced with an authentic Peruvian trio. The music was so happy and peppy that the “internationals” got up and danced and pulled other patrons to the floor as well. We were introduced by the band as the people from Ireland, Canada, and New Zealand. The US contingent didn't come because of stomach troubles. I am so glad someone had the presence of mind to ensure we caught the train back to Ollantaytambo at 9pm. A 17-hour day and we still weren't home. Mat entertained us in the train by singing his favourite songs of the 80s. Mat will find out at Christmas that we filmed his solos. Arrived in Ollantaytambo at 11:30pm and promptly fell in to bed.
20Sep2014 - Ollantaytambo to Cusco
Ollantaytambo to Cusco by car, and then Cusco to Lima by plane. We had a quick stop in Cusco so Jeff could pick up his GoPro which he had left there at the beginning of the trip. Arrived in Lima in the late afternoon. Took a nap, ate, slept. We got a great deal this time in the Hilton. For only an extra $40 a night, we were upgraded to the 10th floor, a bigger bed, and admission to the Business Centre which included all our meals as well as a happy hour. We took advantage of that and although we didn't join happy hour, we ate very well three times a day. Well worth the price of admission!
21Sep2014 - Lima
Walked around Lima within the vicinity of the hotel. Tried to join a walking tour, but there was a global demonstration in support of climate change, so we missed the group somehow. It was very interesting to see all the pictures various countries has designed which showed how time was running out for the earth, in a satirical way. The park where the demonstration was taking place was called John F. Kennedy park. It was populated by stray cats. I sat down at one point and Jeff went off to look at something. By the time he got back I was speaking French to a Peruvian man who had studied in France, and a cat had taken up residence on my lap. It was a warm place for the cat, but I had a very difficult time keeping up to the man. He had studied environmental studies and knew a lot about Canada and the pipeline. After I left the cat and the man, Jeff and I walked through a seaside mall, which was filled with stores such as Nike, North Face, familiar restaurants and coffee shops like Starbucks. I was very tired after our very active week and needed to return to our hotel around 3pm in order to get more sleep, not before buying chocolate however.
22-23Sep2014 - Lima to Shawnigan Lake
We caught the walking tour today which took us to the heart of Lima. It was a square with beautifully constructed buildings of bright colours. We managed to see the "Changing of the Guard" for the government building which was not too unlike watching the same thing in London, England. In the square, I caught a group of gun-laden (note: big guns!) policemen playing with a stray dog. They were all standing around the stray who had exposed his belly for a rub. One of the officers conceded. It was a Kodak moment and I caught it. We left the walking tour when we noticed the time was moving along and we needed to pick up some gifts to bring home. We found a great shopping area courtesy of the tour, did a quick shop and caught the bus back to our hotel to pack and start our journey home. We spent a lot of time in the Lima and Houston airports with a final stop in San Francisco where we caught the plane to Victoria. Almost there. Just an hour from the airport and we would be home. After 40 hours of being awake, we made it to Shawnigan Lake, picked up Tiggin, and once again ...
... fell in to bed.
