Moutain Scenes

So what have we been up to??? Well the most exciting thing that happened in Mancora was that everyone in our hotel got held up at gun point and all our belongings were stolen! Ok just kidding...we had a fantastic 5 days relaxing, fighting off pitbulls, watching spectacular sunsets, drinking fresh juice, walking the beautiful beaches and the swimming in the ever changing ocean. It was a much needed and much appreciated rest! The biggest decision we made every day was what to eat...and with little spanish, it was a chore at times...altho we are understanding lots...the speaking is slow!
So after our posh ride into Mancora, we got the shock of our life when we learned there was only one bus out of Mancora to Chiclayo...the El Dorado. Of course it´s over charged, but what do u do!! Anyway our pricey bus turns out to be the smelliest rattle trap u ever saw!!!! Everyone in Peru gets on to sell you something, screaming their sales pitch at the top of their lungs to be heard over the loud music while falling all over you as the bus jerks and turns up the sand cliffs to climb out of Mancora.
Making it Piura, we met up with some fellow travellers and we banded together to keep sane, and of course all eyes on our luggage as we changed buses!!! Travel stories shared around, and felt lucky that we hadn´t lost anything when we heard their tales.
Got a bus from Chiclayo to Cajamarca, which seemed like a cadillac after the previous ride, and I saw my first rat!!!! It was about 8 inches long plus the tail and took a liking to us canadians!!! Thank goodness for Andrew´s quick thinking and shooed it away b4 I saw how close it was to running over my feet! It was 11:30pm, and dark, so it was only when it ran into a hole in the wall behind me that I got a good look at it. Our dear friend Trevor came to meet us and took us to a warm bed!!! After a rough nights sleep (more altitude sickness katrina) we explored the beautiful mountain town of Cajamarca (3000m)in the pouring rain. Finding our way to our canadian friends home, we had a hot shower and a peaceful rest...hard to find in the noise of the cities here! They have hot mineral springs pumped into their pool...it was cleaning day tho, so we missed out! Left early thurs am to make the trip back into the Andes further for a week in Coyunde. 6 hours of breath taking scenerary ranging from 10-12000 feet on a rough gravel road. Straight down to the valley with no guard rails...it is one of the better mountain roads in Peru tho.
Buses here are so fun! 60 people on a 40 passenger bus...andrew had a few visitors on his arms, people sitting on buckets on the floor, produce everywhere...it is quite the scene! Everything gets hauled from tubs of octopus to live chickens in bags!!!
Ooo and the places they stop for eating!!! Dirt hut with all kinds of fresh skinned animals hanging on hooks between tables...chickens, guinea pigs dogs at the feet of the table looking for a scrap! Oh and we´re getting used to the ¨no privacy¨ thing here in Peru...anywhere is fair game for relieving oneself!!! Finally arriving in Chota safe and sound, we´re off to Llajas for the night!
Ciao
AnK