Northern Peru - A ping pong between mountains and coast

After a turbulent time in Ecuador, we landed in Lima on October 15th. With a bit of sadness, we realized that we had seen so little of this amazing country. The positive side of this situation was the extra time we had in Peru. Given the size of the country - Peru is about the same size as Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal combined - we did not expect to get bored. So we started our journey to the next country with great enthusiasm.

Lima

The good mood was slightly dampened shortly after our arrival due to two circumstances:

- We found out that we had been carrying a larger reserve of Colombian pesos with us for weeks. On the very first day of our trip, we had the brilliant idea of hiding a certain amount of money in our luggage. This hiding place was so well chosen that the cash could not be found by anyone - including us. The poor exchange rate finally caused us to lose about 25 €. It should be noted that 25 € is a lot of money for two frugal long-term travelers like us. In fact, this is about our daily budget in Peru including accommodation. Slightly annoyed and exhausted, we found a taxi to take us to the Miraflores district where our hostel was located. But then the next disaster happened...

- We negotiated a price with the taxi driver and got into his car - without a taxi sign, but at least with tinted windows. During the drive, he told us that the agreed price had to be paid in dollars, although we were under the impression that our deal was in the local Peruvian currency. This forced us to pay almost three times as much as we had agreed. Fearing that he would simply drop us off somewhere on the street if we continued to complain, we gave the crook a financial boost. We hope he can invest it wisely - either to pimp his car or to get some marijuana. Note: it smelled extremely like marijuana and we felt really uncomfortable for the first time in South America during this ride. Apart from our financial losses and a small stomach ulcer due to the anger, we arrived safely at the hostel and had our 4-bed dorm to ourselves! With the motto "Eini in die Hapfn, morgen is a neuer Tag" (roughly translated: "Put it behind you, tomorrow is a new day"), we were optimistic that we would be blessed with more luck the following day. And so it was. We made peace with the capital of Peru and enjoyed two great days in Lima.

Mancora

Since we were not able to travel from Ecuador to the nearby seaside resort of Mancora, we had no choice but to take an overnight bus from Lima to travel 1,200 km north. Besides soaking up the sun, trying our hand at surfing, and enjoying delicious food, there was not much else on the agenda. But after the challenging weeks, it was exactly what we needed! During our walks on the beach, we made some shocking discoveries but also a really pleasant one.

Yay - she's alive :)

Culinary

The Peruvian national dish "Ceviche" (raw fish in a juice made of onions and limes, served with sweet potato and corn kernels), which convinced us more than anything, together with the affordable daily menus, formed the basis of our culinary experience. We also fell in love with the dessert "Churros" (fried dough sticks with sugar and various sweet sauces). As a result, we had to stop at a street vendor almost every day. Although Peru, compared to the other South American countries we have visited so far (Colombia and Ecuador), has the best culinary reputation, we have not been able to fully embrace the amount of fatty food. Unlike what we are used to at home, here people eat a warm meal three times a day. And by that, we definitely don't mean porridge for breakfast. On an empty stomach, they consume suckling pig, shredded beef, fried fish, and more. Furthermore, there seems to be an animal substitute for pacifiers for Peruvian babies...

Chachapoyas

Once again, we chose an overnight bus to continue our journey to Chachapoyas. Apart from the fact that we felt like our bus driver was in racing mode on every trip, this time an unexpected event occurred. A landslide forced us to take a break of over 4 hours - somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Since no responsible person showed up during this waiting time, some of the affected passengers took matters into their own hands and started to remove rocks, stones, and mud to clear a small path for traffic. With a lot of skill and a lot of courage, our driver managed to maneuver the double-decker bus through the mud bed at the edge of the abyss. This action took our breath away and gave us a few gray hairs. Sitting in the front row of the upper deck offers a great view, but in such situations, it puts a strain on the nerves. All in all: Who needs the police, road maintenance, and other authorities when you can simply do everything yourself?! Chaotic, spontaneous, resourceful, communal, relaxed - all attributes that characterize the South American mentality.

Chachapoyas is beautifully situated, surrounded by mountains and crossed by the Utcubamba River, which over the centuries has carved a nearly 1,000-meter-deep gorge (Canon del Sonche) into the colorful limestone and sandstone. Such an area makes the hearts of nature lovers beat faster.

The trip to the archaeological site of Kuelap (Machu Picchu of the North) was an interesting trip surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Since we hadn't absorbed much culture during our journey, we exposed ourselves to it this time and didn't regret it.

The highlight of this region for us was the hike to the Gocta Waterfall. It was discovered by chance in 2002 because the locals (who knew about this natural wonder) didn't tell anyone about it in order to avoid the curse of the mermaid living there. That's why it remained undiscovered for so long and is still not as crowded as other giant waterfalls, even though it ranks among the highest in the world at 771 meters.

Cajamarca

The second stop in the northern Peruvian Andes was Cajamarca. The journey there (of course overnight) increased our level of tension and led to even more gray hair. The serpentine roads winding up and down through the mountains were so narrow that our bus had to reverse several times. As the road was partially unpaved and extremely steep, the tires spun several times. It was an uncomfortable feeling with no guardrails and a sheer cliff right next to the road. Luckily, it was dark, and we didn't see everything. Getting some sleep - no chance!

In Cajamarca, we spent some great days hiking and exploring a bit of culture. After Kuelap, we also made our way to the "Ventanillas de Otuzco," a burial site from the pre-Inca period.

Cultural account: 2 points

We also treated ourselves to a half-hour hot bath at the Inca baths, which left us with wrinkled fingers and feet. A dream after 2 months without a bathtub.

The Stone Forest - Cumbemayo, not far from the city, was definitely worth a visit as well. A beautiful hike among huge rock formations that were isolated on a hill.

Trujillo - Huanchaco

The ping pong between the coast and the mountains continued. The beach town of Huanchaco was supposed to give us a few more sunny days by the sea and prevent our tan from fading. In addition, Huanchaco is a good starting point to get to know the city of "Chan Chan." Chan Chan was the capital of the ancient Chimu Empire, which was dominant in the 14th and 15th centuries before being conquered by the Incas in 1470. The special feature of this city lies in its structure made of clay and sand. It is very impressive to see and gives us the third stamp on our cultural passport!

We came to the realization during our journey that we enjoy the most when we have diverse landscapes and activities. A mix of hiking, relaxing, and sightseeing is especially appealing to us, and we are happy to be able to pursue our desires 😊

Huaraz

After the ping, it was time for the pong again, which means mountains and thin air. We visited one of the most impressive regions we have seen so far: the Huascaran National Park. We settled in Huaraz, from where we took day trips to unique natural wonders. 4 days, 4 excursions, 4 hikes, 4 lagoons, 4 times happiness. We will let our pictures speak for themselves - simply unforgettable!

Paracas

Using the budget-friendly option of an overnight bus, we continued towards Paracas via Lima. During a boat trip to the "Islas Ballestas," we encountered thousands of birds and got to watch South American sea lions and fur seals sleeping and cuddling. We were also entertained by the penguins waddling around the cliffs. The thousands of birds are not only beautiful to look at, but also highly sought after because of their excrement. Although we knew that animal excrement is used as fertilizer, we found it peculiar and labor-intensive that bird droppings are particularly valuable. So there are actually people who still scrape vomit from the cliffs to export it as fertilizer for good money. Although we still don't know where our professional journey will take us after returning home, we hope it won't end in such a shitty way.

Huacachina

For our last warm stop, we chose a little oasis known as Huacachina. There, we were able to express our fascination with the desert once again. The walk on the surrounding sand dunes and the beautiful sunset were especially unique.

For the first time, we treated ourselves to a fancy hotel with a pool to create a real vacation feeling. It was a truly unique place where we spent a last day in summery temperatures and soaked up enough - or maybe too much - sun before heading to colder and higher regions. In Cusco, Martina's parents will visit us to travel the south of Peru with us for 3 weeks. We are looking forward to it and are excited about what we will experience there...

One thing is certain - we will let you know in our next travel blog.

Until then - hasta luego!

PS: You can find more pictures in the "Photos" section.