Short trip to Piura and Canchaque

Together with the other two volunteers from Chicklayo and the friend of one of them, we made a relatively spontaneous small first trip inland. Fortunately, my host family didn't mind, as they knew that Mia (one of the other volunteers) and her friend, who is from Chicklayo, speak Spanish and are familiar with the area.

We started on Saturday at 5:30 am with the bus to Piura, a city with about 500,000 inhabitants further north than Chicklayo - 3 hours by bus. The view from the bus window became increasingly monotonous over time. This is because Piura is located in the "Sechura Desert". The 3-hour journey also brought a 5-degree increase in temperature.

We were only in the city for a short time, but it really is beautiful. Despite being located in the desert, there is more greenery here than in Chicklayo and the houses have more charm.

However, we continued by bus to a nearby town. From there, we took a safari truck through the desert landscape to a lagoon where we went kayaking. Afterwards, we enjoyed the nice atmosphere created by a family there, including hammocks and an outdoor kitchen. They even made us food and gave us the tip to go "sandboarding" nearby. So, shortly afterwards, we were in the middle of a dune landscape on our boards, having fun.

After spending one night in a small hotel/hostel in Piura, we then traveled to a landscape that was the exact opposite of the desert. After another three-hour drive, we arrived in the small town of "Canchaque". We were now in the "Sierra" (mountain range) at an altitude of about 2000 meters. And yes, what can I say, I was immediately impressed. The view of the green mountains and the charming little town were definitely a highlight of my time here.

We spent two days here, with short hikes, swimming in the waterfall pool, and many restaurant visits.

On Tuesday, we traveled back to Chicklayo. All in all, a really beautiful little road trip that showed how much Peru has to offer. And that was just four days and two different places. Now I'm looking forward to starting my everyday life in Chicklayo with project work. I'll be in touch again.