Peru (4): PARACAS - again

11.01.

8th day

I'm there at half past 3 in the afternoon. The hostel is a bit different this time, a bit further from the beach, but very calm and relaxed. 

Also, I still have the band from the Kokopelli hostel around my wrist, so I can still stroll around as I like. I'll do that later. After a short stop at the cheap local food place, where they serve fried fish with rice to take to the beach, to tear it apart and then leave most of it to the dogs, we also go there. 

We hang out on the couches in the open air bar, chatting with other New Zealanders and Germans again. Fred, the Brazilian with his Cavaquinho, is back and then another German trumpeter joins in, who plays incredibly well. Otherwise, I don't have much to do with him though. Just saying.

Today won't be that long, I'm pretty tired because I slept badly last night, mainly because of the howling dogs outside the door. Apparently, some people in Huacachina walked on the dunes and howled like dogs, and the dogs from the hostel answered. Well, anyway, we only play 1 or 2 songs together at the Kokopelli and then go to the other hospedaje. I'll sleep much better tonight.

12.01.
9th day

Sleeping in. Awesome!
Actually, it's too late for breakfast again, but somehow we manage to get something at the hostel and have rolls with strawberry jam again, as always. After a bit of laptop time to figure out how the rest of the journey goes, we go to the beach. However, I caught something and have been suffering from bad stomach cramps since yesterday... nothing unusual here though. But so bad that I have to go to the pharmacy because I can hardly walk upright anymore. Using hands and feet, I make it clear what the problem is and hope that the strip of tablets I get without a leaflet has something to do with what I actually have. We'll see. Finally, sun, sand, sea. Listening to music and chilling. Wonderful. 

We sit together with several people from the hostel and enjoy doing nothing. Just having an off-day. 

In the evening, I go to the Kokopelli again because I saw that they offer salsa classes tonight. However, only a few girls participate, it's quite funny, but I'm supposed to be the man and admittedly I don't enjoy it that much. 

Why should I learn something that will confuse me later? I want to learn to be led, not to lead myself, that will only cause trouble later... :)

That's why I leave at halftime and go home.

13.01.

10th day

Breakfast is spiced up with a few eggs on the gas stove, you're really spoiled. Then it's time to pack up and check out. Hanging around a bit until it's lunchtime again and I look for something to eat with Max. And surprisingly, we find the best place so far, inconspicuous from the outside and with loud music, but really cheap and simply delicious. 

The yellow sauce of the Papas a la Huancaína, a typical Peruvian potato appetizer dish, is just amazing and to hell with good manners, the plate is licked clean. Can't do otherwise. Man. Delicious! Then some other dish that I have no idea what it was, some Seco meat with rice and sauce. Also great. So. Regular place after one meal.
There's a little female dog running around us, a Viringo - Peruvian hairless dog, of which there are incredibly many here on every corner. On second thought, they are just as cute as all the others, even though they only have a few tufts of hair on their heads and are otherwise completely naked. I fell in love.

We go to the beach one last time before I pick up my things from the hostel and get taken to the bus station. From now on, the journey continues alone.
Since the direct buses from Paracas to Arequipa were all fully booked because I once again decided too spontaneously, I first drive the 1.5 hours back to Ica to change buses there. In Ica, I meet the New Zealander from the hostel again, who is going to Cusco tonight, and we exchange some stories until my bus comes at 9 p.m.

Here we go. 13 hours overnight. But you're well taken care of and the seats are very comfortable. 

The movies offered on the bus are all in Spanish, but that's not bad at all because when you have to concentrate, you get tired and sleep well. That's what I did. 

Of course, with some interruptions, because everything is shaking and rattling and clattering and bending quite a bit. Left right left right left right..., I'm glad I chose a seat on the lower deck. 

In the morning, I receive messages asking if everything is okay because of the earthquake and tsunami warning. Earthquake? I didn't notice anything... I google it and indeed, at the exact time of the earthquake, I was in the coastal area that was hit the hardest... hmm... I didn't feel a thing. Well, everything was shaking anyway... strange. But well, I survived. Chaka!

...continue reading in Peru (5): AREQUIPA