Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Trujillo- Perú

It took us 18 hours to get here, but it really didn't seem that long, having slept for most of it (i brought a pillow instead of a towel...thusfar, a trade I consider worthwhile, having got a good 12 hours of usage out of the pillow, and not having needed the towel in my present, unbathed state) The town reminds me of Ecuador mountain cities like Cuenca, except without the altitude headaches and the cold, so thats nice. We walked around a fair bit this morning trying to find an open place to eat, and again this afternoon, because the bus dropped us off a fair distance from the town centre, but we got to see some impressive ruins this morning, the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (I like d the drive there: through the dusty countryside, low adobe houses and walls, the river winding through a desert, sights i haven't seen in Ecuador) Our hotel is a bit of a dump, no toilet seat or showerhead, no sheets yet, and some suspect foreign hairs and foodstuffs on the carpets, but for $3 a night, we can't complain. Tomorrow I think we will switch cities, to the smaller beach town, 20 minutes away. I feel like such a tourist, gosh, but i guess its fun if you are so painfully aware of how ridiculous you look, wandering around with a map, white skin, and a dazed look on your face, counting unfamiliar change and getting ripped off by every other transaction you make (so far, twice by the same taxi driver, twice at the border by men who sold my travelmates the forms they could get for free at the window, and other instances that have slipped my mind...we've only been here a day! Perú seems less friendly than Ecuador)

4 comments:

Pamela Joy said...

Sounds exciting though. Good thing I'll have you or I KNOW I'd be getting ripped off at every turn... I probably will be pleanty as it is. Oh well, I guess my skin color and years of indirect (or not so indirect) U.S. opression make me deserve it...
I sent out my support letters last week. Exciting. Here, I'll e-mail you one.

Megs said...

peru eh! Rock on. i can totally see you waltzing down the street, feeling over aware of the fact that you are a tourist and disliking it every second of it...yet rejoicing in new travels!

Unknown said...

Bethany,

Thanks for sharing the cool travel pics and description. I have to admit, I struggle with the idea of my little girl (Pamela) hanging out in "developing" countries. I had a very tough time when Julia went to Africa alone to meet people she had never worked with before. It is a comfort to me to know that you will be there to help Pamela learn the ropes and learn to speak street gang spanish.
I think I will step up the praying!

Kent
aka Pamela's Dad

shinbone #4 said...

More details! Please?!