August 17, 2015

Flashback: Gateway to Peru

Landing at 2am and waiting for you backpack for an hour is not the most ideal situation in any country. In this instance it allowed for me to make friends with some of my fellow passengers and get some hot tips on how to approach the next 6 weeks in Peru. I was super stoked to have landed in a new country, knowing that there was a cab driver from the hostel waiting for me and I’d soon be asleep and have three days to explore Lima. I had a lot of energy for 2am as I’m sure you can imagine. During this waiting period, I exchanged emails with my new friend while he told me about the importance of always carrying Kleenex, how coffee comes in syrup form if you don’t specifically ask for espresso and that Peru is generally safe, however you should still keep your wits about you. Another fellow passenger was telling us about how she lives in the jungle for most of the year and we discussed travel vaccines and bug bites. Oh! The adventures to be had!

 

Historic Lima city centre

My cab driver and I cruised through the streets of Lima headed to Miraflores towards Kokopelli; stopping to drop off the interpreter, put some water in the engine and finally drop me off. The first hour of my Peru tour and it was an adventure already. Arriving at Kokopelli, I was quickly allocated a bed and off to sleep I went! I must say, I love the Kokopelli hostel in Miraflores (and in Paracas, however that’s still 6 weeks away at this point). Being objective in my assessment of the place: this hostel is not super quiet (there is a bar above and below you), the beds are comfy, some of the dorms have lockers with electrical outlets in them, some don’t, there is super cool artwork on the walls and the bathrooms are a bit random. The wifi is better than at my parent’s place (is it saying something that wifi in Peru is typically better than wifi in Australia??) and the staff are phenomenal. I sat up one night with Diego and chatted while he worked, super cool dude who ended up being a key player in the recovery process of my iPhone the night before I left Peru for Canada. Diego gave me some key places to visit in Lima city after I’d walked the streets of Miraflores for the day and needed something new to see. Diego gave me a vague map, with key Spanish phrases written on it for the locals to read when I got lost, and told me how to use the public transit system. Super fun! Karen is the other staff member whom I got to know while staying there. Karen is one of the most friendly people you will ever come across. Each time I stayed at Kokopelli, I wanted to stay longer so we could hang out more. Karen speaks about her friends from all over the world, friends made through cruise ship contracts and associated travels. When you’re having a conversation with Karen, each statement in genuine, each laugh is robust and contagious, and the teasing good natured. Karen will invite you to sit with her and her friends for breakfast, ask you to join her for a drink after work and give you directions to the post office when you can’t read the map for yourself. Hopefully she will be coming to crash at my place (address to be confirmed) in the summer. Love it when international meetings lead to domestic adventures once I return home.

 

Craft corner of Lima, Colourful!!

While I was staying in Lima, Mum had been doing some web searches/cruising facebook/reposting things that were Peru related. Mum sent through an article on 32 hours in Peru and all the highlights you should undertake. Some of these I had already ticked off (outdoor mall – this was very Western and not really what I had been seeking when looking for Peruvian things to look at. it does have beautiful views, worth a brief wander around. Booked the best seat ever through Peru Rail there – another story), I added in the Bridge of Sighs to my ‘list of things to do’ which you can walk the shoreline to get to. Isaac (dorm buddy from Seattle) and I grabbed a coffee and headed out on my last day in Lima, walking from Miraflores to Barranco and discussing the weird and wonderful aspects of life; including but not limited to Japanese proclivities, obesity and drug therapy, military service in the USA, dating and culture and beyond. Upon arrival at Barranco I took a lot of photos of the bridge, random street art and abused the free wifi at Starbucks (figured I’m an avid supporter generally, so it wasn’t too bad. I did find it offensive that it was 9 Soles for a basic coffee. Local equivalents are around 3.50 Soles. Pay for the brand I guess?) Isaac and I found this great place where we ate the most delicious ceviche, drank Pisco Sours and looked out over the Pacific Ocean. Local culture, great food, delicious beverages and beautiful views – what more could you ask for in a day out?

 

My new favourite meal – Ceviche

Upon returning to Kokopelli we met up with our other dorm buddies, two dudes from the UK wandering around South and Central America for a few months. There was a major Football tournament happening in Chile that Peru was doing pretty well in, so we headed downstairs to the Irish bar (every city all over the world has an Irish bar!?) to watch the game. Sitting around the table with some new friends – Scottish, English, American and Peruvian – I took stock of my situation. This is what I love about the randomness of hostels and independent travel, you can’t plan for this kind of interaction. The welcoming of strangers because you are sharing a sleeping environment, the openness of conversation as it’s a fleeting interaction where you can be 100% yourself with no history or expectations colouring the perspective you’re sharing, the ability to switch plans based on a suggestion that seems like a good idea. Is there a comparison outside of travel where you can build trust within yourself through problem solving, asking strangers for help and making choices that you’re instinctively okay with? Probably, it may not be quite as rapid as travelling and maybe not quite as fun!

Bridge of Sighs – Barranco

Turns out the first three days in Lima were quite eventful! At the end of it, I was itching to get out of the city and into larger landscapes. Ruins and mountain ranges were calling me to come play!

Happy Wandering!

Hx