Tag 130: Máncora

It is 22:25. Our mototaxi is waiting in front of the hostel complex. We remove our backpacks from various crickets, say goodbye to our newly found friends, and climb into the cramped taxi. It has been almost two weeks since Machu Picchu. Two very relaxing weeks.

After our 'Inka Jungle Trail,' we used the affordable hostel in Cuzco and its inviting atmosphere for three more days to sort ourselves out and play cards with a mixed group of travelers day after day. Our next destination was Lima. Since we didn't really feel like a big city and action, we simply booked a very nice, quiet AirBnB apartment to relax and work for three nights. After that, we finally went to Máncora. We longed for warm weather, beach, and sea. Stepping out of the bus, the heat hit us like a ton of bricks. With our backpacks on our backs, we set off in search of our hostel. We walked through the dirty streets, an unpleasant smell met our noses, we moved further and further away from the center, and the locals looked at us with surprised glances. After a while, we finally found our hostel. Passing through the big colorful gate, we found ourselves in paradise. The hostel actually resembles more of a beach resort with four colorful thatched-roof houses. We wanted to stay here longer. We quickly made friends. The daily routine was always the same: breakfast, sun, sea, sun, lunch, sun, sea, games, sea, cooking, dinner, campfire, complaining about the countless crickets. It was perfect. If you ignore the mosquitoes and crickets, we had a very nice time here.

The mototaxi drops us off in front of a small shop. This is where we are supposed to wait for our bus to Ecuador. We still have 20 minutes and exchange stories with a couple from the United States. 23:00, the bus should be coming soon. Time passes, we are tired. The only thing keeping us awake are the crickets that jump on us at regular intervals. The bus is now 1.5 hours late.

In a few hours, we will cross the border into Ecuador and leave Peru. Therefore, a little retrospective: Machu Picchu is probably the highlight of every tourist and definitely worth a visit. However, Peru has more to offer. The food is better than in Bolivia, but still not the best. In addition to alpaca steaks and guinea pigs, traditional food mainly consists of rice, chicken, potatoes, and quinoa soup. Traveling, accommodations, and food are relatively inexpensive. The landscapes are breathtakingly beautiful, the villages are very poor, and the cities are interesting. The people, like the Bolivians, are rather reserved but friendly. We had a good time as always and will miss Peru. Our highlights: Máncora, a small tourist fishing village with a beautiful beach, and Cuzco, a large city in the middle of the country with many tourist attractions, including, of course, the trip to Machu Picchu.