Tuesday 31st December 2013 Hogmanay
Miles Today 134 Total 32,263
Today was a relatively short and quick day. Getting out of town was a bit of a dodgem style affair.
 |
| This was on the side of a bus, translates to "Tourism, Red Eric". Sums up the bus drivers we have come across so far. |
130 miles of open desert goes relatively quickly but as there is little scenery change it can get boring.
 |
| Transport in the more remote desert villages. |
 |
| Then the desert got bleaker. |
 |
| Sadly, so far, Peru in general is very dirty. |
 |
| There were lots of these beside the road and its probably due to falling asleep from straight boring roads. |
 |
| Then it got really deserted. |
 |
| And proper wind blown crescent shaped sand dunes. |
 |
| One up front, two inside and even 2 more over the back wheels. |
 |
| As it was New year, fireworks were being sold everywhere. |
 |
| ...and even by kids. |
 |
| The town square. |
 |
| In my last post I mentioned snowmen..... |
 |
| ..and Santa with his sleigh. But still no snow for about 1000 miles around. |
After a wander around and a bite to eat we kinda got bored so bought some beer, went back to the hotel and at midnight all hell broke loose outside. There were so many fireworks that the sky was lit up for about 40 minutes and the almost as quick as it had started, it stopped. It was then to bed.
Wednesday 1st January 2014.
Miles Today 0 Total 32,236
Happy new year to all. It started well for me, I won the Pinch, Punch, first day of the month battle. I am still well behind in the league but a win is a win.
We had a quiet day, watching telly and then we eventually went out for some lunch. We found another local restaurant and joined the locals out enjoying their New Year dinner. It was amazing how quiet the streets were after last night. No vehicles honking their horns, hardly any people laughing and joking and no fire works. It was like a completely different place. I have been a bit put off of Peru so far, by all the rubbish that is lying around, and money is being spent to do up the roads and buildings, but there is a lot of poverty around, and a lot of people begging. We had a meal the other night in a local chicken kitchen, and I didn't finish all of mine. I looked up and there was a man in his 30's pointing at the chicken bones on my plate and then indicating his tummy. Ray gave him the bones through the window, and he ran off with them like he'd just won the lottery, it was quite sad, I'd have happily bought him a meal.
 |
| New years day dinner. £14, not bad eh. |
 |
| Girlie cops on bikes. |
 |
| The cathedral |
EDIT 03/01/2020. I have no idea why, but I was just (6 years later !!) browsing the blog and realised that nowhere had I mentioned the name of this city. It is Chicklayo, The odd thing is that I have been here before on Halloween 1997. Some police friends and I decided to take an expedition across South America, Atlantic to Pacific, via the Amazon and the Andes. This was our finishing point and we rode into this city on pish bikes surrounded by hundreds of other cyclists. At the time we were confused as to why they rode in with us but when se arrived at the square above (by the Cathedral) we were met by a civic reception. Virtually the whole town had turned out to greet us. Even the kids were given the day off school. It was completely mad and we were all in tears whilst we were presented with the freedom of the city certificates by the Mayor. It was then a short ride down to the Pacific for a swim. Mad mad mad. It had all been organised with out our knowledge by our support party (other British police officers and the DINOES, the anti drugs police of Peru). Thanks guys.
 |
| OK...OK...I get it..... You don't take VISA. |
No comments:
Post a Comment