Peru - Piura

Yet another country.

We took the overnight bus last night from southern Ecuador (Loja) to northern Peru (Piura). It´s nice take overnight buses to save a hotel expense, but we miss out on the views. We were glad to be out of Loja: their New Year´s celebrations were a bit disheartening since they burn paper floats, not so much that as the theme of main one was an Anti-U.S. theme of Uncle Sam, U.S. Military and an a general Anti-American attitude. I could only shake my head in disappointment, because of all the respect I immediately lost. Though no one has ever said anything, their actions speak louder than their words. I´m sure that only a few ruin it for the rest, but no one objects, and the American becomes the target of everyone´s criticism and hate despite the fact our tax dollars reach as far as their ungrateful hands to support their economy and perhaps help in ¨progress¨, not that that´s a good thing and of course the sword is double edged, but one should not bite the had that feeds you, as they say. Needless to say, I didn´t stay up ´till midnight.

Aside that I needed the rest to get over this (I´ve concluded viral) infection, of which I am greatly recovering, the celebrations would have just pissed me off making me a hazard to myself and those around me. Besides, even after all these countries and everyone lighting firecrackers, I still can´t get used to a M-80 going of one meter from where I stand. Maybe it´s just me.

So yeah, long bus ride, easy border crossing at 3:AM, the guards and customs were literally in their pajamas. We rolled in to dry, warm, low-elevated, Piura and waited for the town to wake up (We arrived at 6;AM) and found a cheap place, took a cold shower, waited for the banks to open so we could get some Soles (one Sol) which are 3.5 to one dollar and have been so for a couple years according to Scott. Am very much looking forward to seeing the northern coast over the next couple days. Our plan is to be in Lima by the 6th or so, where we´ll have a house and time to relax, and fully recover from this sinus/ear/throat infection that I bring with me from Ecuador. I´ve taken enough antibiotics to make a horse sterile, so I should be good to go, i.e. 100% in a couple days, not that it has slowed me down too much.

Ecuador, in summary, is a nice place to be. The mountains are forever high and the people are forever interesting. However, what we saw was the colder aspects of both. We never saw the really poor 3rd world aspects either. The dollariziation also effected our experience making everything seem like a rip-off, when compared to the previous months of our trip. I can´t get over the mountains though, it would be nice to have a mountain bike or a 4x4 to just wander and explore the little villages and disappear. Of course there is Amazonia, of which we saw none, maybe next time.

We'll be in Peru for the next few weeks. I hope for the best, yet everything is so much better after getting rid of this illness (The back of my throat was white, around my eyes, especially my right one, were swollen, not to mention the glands in my throat; my ears wouldn´t ¨pop¨ and it hurt to swallow. I hope I don´t have to go through it again anytime soon).