The situation in Peru and Bolivia has been a little rocky of late. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what was going on...something about mining companies in Peru and something about transportation in Bolivia (the usual). So Kin and I had to scratch Ayacucho off our list (though that was more because of rebels and general politics) and our plan to go to Puno and Lake Titicaca from where I would have made my way to Bolivia fell through. Instead, I added another stamp to my passport by crossing over to Chile. It's a welcome little break from Peruvian chaos. Don't get me wrong, Peru is a beautiful country with tons of diverse things to see, but it's also pretty dangerous. I was completely wrong when I first wrote that Peru was a lot safer than everyone claimed. The two main things I learned during the past two months are that 1) I don't deal very well with people telling me I can't do things and 2) I really should listen to them more. After Yurimaguas and almost getting my camera stolen a second time (instead, my friend Sarah got her -luckily, only 3$- sunglasses stolen right off her head) , it started to sink in a little more. Luckily, when I got to Lima I had Karina to remind me to lock the doors when we got in a cab, always watch the driver's hands, always clutch my purse, etc. etc. etc. The thing is it gets really exhausting being so justifiably paranoid. And traveling (mostly) alone, as a girl, just makes things that much harder. I'm the prime target. And I will never ever get used to the constant hissing of men. If at least they bothered to properly whistle instead of tsssssssss! I will definitely appreciate the safety of Canada a lot more when I return.
So anyway, after two months of crossing my fingers that I will be taken to my destination safe and sound (rather than every ATM in town or to some ditch on the side of the road somewhere) every time I get into a cab, safer, more reserved, and more relaxed Chile is a bit of a relief. I'm staying in Arica until monday night. A small quiet beach town that doesn't have much to visit and where everything, except the market down the street, seems to be closed on the weekends. Not the best tourist destination if you feel the need to visit something exciting every day, but if, like me, you just want to take some time to read and be able to walk around without being bothered, it's just perfect!
While I'm here, I'll also catch up on some overdue blog posts, starting now with a few pictures from Chiclayo, Olmos and Sincape:
About a month ago, I contacted Lisa through CouchSurfing and met her at the hostel she booked for us in Chiclayo. She has been living and working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Olmos (a small town about 2 hours away) for almost two years and is hoping to say for a third year. She invited me to come check out Olmos and introduced me to several other PC volunteers. It was a great opportunity to get off the tourist trail and see what kind of work the Peace Corps does since volunteering with them is something that has been on my mind since the age of 10 until I recently forgot about it...Lisa's main project is working with an animal breeding and rehabilitation center which I also got to visit. To end the weekend, Lisa's friend Carolyn invited us to visit her tiny village, Sincape, and bathe in the river. Thank you Lisa and Carolyn for showing me your little part of the world!
Chiclayo's Plaza de Armas
Mercado Modelo
Pimentel (nearby coastal town)
Olmos is known for its limes and was hosting the Festival del Limon (and the kid dressed as an orange may or may not be picking his nose)
My favourite part of Lisa's rehabilitation center! Two monkeys were rescued from a zoo where they were taught to pretend to cry and beg. They really like to hold hands...this went on for about 20 minutes.
Sincape
Carolyn's home...
...and her backyard.
At the river, the little boys were catching fish with a spear.
More belated posts to come...
-S xo
