I had done some research before I left Quito and a direct bus would be around 90 dollars. I thought I would try to plan my own trip instead, both to make it cheaper, but also to get to cross the border by foot. I took a bus for 10$ from Quito to Huaquillas which is the city at the border to Peru. I left Quito in the evening and reached Huaquillas in the morning. I´ve heard stories about people being hustled once they get out of the bus by people charging crazy amounts to help you get to Aguas Verde, the first city in Peru which is only 5min on foot from where the bus stops. I also been told only to change money official places, since the people on the streets will give you fake money and you can end up in jail for this reason.
I tried to find a place to change money. This was not easy. The bank didn´t do it and I coulnd´t find a place that did. I asked a policeman who walked me to a house that looked closed. He knocked on the dark toned window and a small hole opened in the glass where I should put in my money. Nothing was written on this window so you had no chance of knowing that you could change money there. Anyway, I got a good price and were now ready to cross the border. I met a guy who could take me to Tumbes for a reasonable price. He started of by saying 30 soles, but I got him down to 20. He had a really old and rusty car, but it worked :) Once we were driving, we found out that I didn´t check out Ecuador. Don´t forget this! Either I would have to turn around, walk back and get the stamp, just to find another cab and then check in to Peru or I would have to take a detour with Sebastian (my "cab" driver) to a place where you could do both. I took the detour which made the trip 20 soles more expensive... Remember to get your stamp out of Ecuador before entering Peru! I thought this was necessary to cross the border, but no. You can just walk into Peru without showing passport to anyone.
I arrived to the terminal in Tumbes. A very small and chaotic terminal. The main door was closed and you could only access through the big gate where the busses where driving out and all sellers and passengers were standing. I must´ve looked a bit confused, because I was confused! Many people told me to go to another terminal to get to Lima, there would be more busses and cheaper companies (in exchange for the quality). This sounded right since the terminal looked small and I knew that there would be cheap companies somewhere. Someone waved me over to a small motortaxi and told me the other terminal was close and they would take me there. They said it was free. Of course I should have known that nothing is free. There were two guys, one driving and one sitting in the back talking to me. He seemed like a very nice guy. But on the way to the other terminal, he suddenly mentions that it will cost me 60 soles and it turns out this terminal is 30 minutes away. This sucked! I knew from the start that something was wrong, but when you are a bit confused, tired after sleeping on a bus, sweating in the sun and carrying all of your stuff - you might not think very clear. I was wondering why no one told me that I should have stayed at the terminal since it turned out to be where most companies where driving from. Not one seller told me to buy a ticket to his/her bus. This might also be one of the reasons that I got on the motortaxi.
Anyway, I came to the other terminal which was in a small fishing village. There was just one bus company, but it had both a bus for 50 soles and one for 100 soles. I chose the one for a 100 soles since it would be a lot more comfortable (it was a 22hour ride) and it would get there a few hours earlier. Once I bought the ticket, I had to wait for 2,5 hour before the bus came. I went to the beach and looked at all the big birds flying around. A fisherman passed me and said something - he told me the name of the bird. He was an old short peruvian man who was walking to the market with his catch. We talked in spanish for 10 minutes and then I went to sit on the beach for around an hour. Afterwards I went to a restaurant and got some food. On the way to the restaurant I passed a house. It was made of wood and it was just one big room with kitchen, livingroom and everything. The door was open and I could see kids on the couch, a woman walking around and a rooster also walking around..
At the restaurant, the radio was on. The song "Land down under" by Men at Work came on. This song always makes me happy and reminds me of my childhood for some reason. Suddenly I was really happy, even though I just got hustled for 60 soles.
I thought about it. In total my trip from Quito to Lima had costed me the same as it would if I had just taken a direct bus. It could have been cheaper, but at least it was not more expensive than the easy solution. This way I learned about being hustled, I got to try crossing the border and getting by on my own and I got to spend a few hours in a wonderful little village by the sea :)
I am now more aware about when people try to fool me. I am also more aware of not looking confused. While I was hitchhiking in Europe, looking confused was the best, everyone would come and help you with directions, give you a ride etc. In South America most people will take advantage of you if you look confused. Straight back, chin up and you should be fine :)
The bus came and it was much more comfortable than I had imagined. Great soft seats and lots of space. They called it bed seats. I sat next to Joseph. A catholic preast from Venezuela, going to Lima for a week. Really nice guy who liked to talk :)
When I arrived in the terminal in Lima, I was met by a taxi driver from the bus company. He offered me a fair price to get to Miraflores, the area where my hostel was located. I didn´t book a room, but I found it on the internet and thought I would stay there. I was talking with the cab driver and suddenly he said that earlier this day, he drove to girls from Germany to that hostel and they said it was full. He wanted to drive me to another hostel near it. He claimed it had the same owner and it was a really good hostel. I was very determined and after telling him several times that I wanted to go to the hostel that I first mentioned, he drove me there. The hostel had plenty of space. YES! I avoided being tricked :)
Insulin:
The night before I left Quito, I filled my thermos with water and placed it in the fridge. Just before I left I put the insulin in and hoped it would keep cold. After around 15 hours of traveling, I reached the small fishing village where I had to wait for 2,5 hour for the bus. I then tried to find a cafe that could give me some icecubes, but without luck. I returned to the terminal (the terminal was actually just a desk where I could buy a ticket, besides that, the guy also had a small shop with snacks and beverages and he had an internetcafe - all in the same place). I asked if I could keep my thermos in the freezer with the icecreams while I was waiting for the bus. That was no problem and he even looked out for my backpack so I could walk around town without carrying it :) My thermos got a lot colder and the bus was a bit cold which was perfect. As soon as I reached a hostal in Lima I put the insulin in the refridgerator and I think it was cold all the way from Quito to Lima. Buy a good thermos and use icecubes.
I tried to find a place to change money. This was not easy. The bank didn´t do it and I coulnd´t find a place that did. I asked a policeman who walked me to a house that looked closed. He knocked on the dark toned window and a small hole opened in the glass where I should put in my money. Nothing was written on this window so you had no chance of knowing that you could change money there. Anyway, I got a good price and were now ready to cross the border. I met a guy who could take me to Tumbes for a reasonable price. He started of by saying 30 soles, but I got him down to 20. He had a really old and rusty car, but it worked :) Once we were driving, we found out that I didn´t check out Ecuador. Don´t forget this! Either I would have to turn around, walk back and get the stamp, just to find another cab and then check in to Peru or I would have to take a detour with Sebastian (my "cab" driver) to a place where you could do both. I took the detour which made the trip 20 soles more expensive... Remember to get your stamp out of Ecuador before entering Peru! I thought this was necessary to cross the border, but no. You can just walk into Peru without showing passport to anyone.
I arrived to the terminal in Tumbes. A very small and chaotic terminal. The main door was closed and you could only access through the big gate where the busses where driving out and all sellers and passengers were standing. I must´ve looked a bit confused, because I was confused! Many people told me to go to another terminal to get to Lima, there would be more busses and cheaper companies (in exchange for the quality). This sounded right since the terminal looked small and I knew that there would be cheap companies somewhere. Someone waved me over to a small motortaxi and told me the other terminal was close and they would take me there. They said it was free. Of course I should have known that nothing is free. There were two guys, one driving and one sitting in the back talking to me. He seemed like a very nice guy. But on the way to the other terminal, he suddenly mentions that it will cost me 60 soles and it turns out this terminal is 30 minutes away. This sucked! I knew from the start that something was wrong, but when you are a bit confused, tired after sleeping on a bus, sweating in the sun and carrying all of your stuff - you might not think very clear. I was wondering why no one told me that I should have stayed at the terminal since it turned out to be where most companies where driving from. Not one seller told me to buy a ticket to his/her bus. This might also be one of the reasons that I got on the motortaxi.
Anyway, I came to the other terminal which was in a small fishing village. There was just one bus company, but it had both a bus for 50 soles and one for 100 soles. I chose the one for a 100 soles since it would be a lot more comfortable (it was a 22hour ride) and it would get there a few hours earlier. Once I bought the ticket, I had to wait for 2,5 hour before the bus came. I went to the beach and looked at all the big birds flying around. A fisherman passed me and said something - he told me the name of the bird. He was an old short peruvian man who was walking to the market with his catch. We talked in spanish for 10 minutes and then I went to sit on the beach for around an hour. Afterwards I went to a restaurant and got some food. On the way to the restaurant I passed a house. It was made of wood and it was just one big room with kitchen, livingroom and everything. The door was open and I could see kids on the couch, a woman walking around and a rooster also walking around..
At the restaurant, the radio was on. The song "Land down under" by Men at Work came on. This song always makes me happy and reminds me of my childhood for some reason. Suddenly I was really happy, even though I just got hustled for 60 soles.
I thought about it. In total my trip from Quito to Lima had costed me the same as it would if I had just taken a direct bus. It could have been cheaper, but at least it was not more expensive than the easy solution. This way I learned about being hustled, I got to try crossing the border and getting by on my own and I got to spend a few hours in a wonderful little village by the sea :)
I am now more aware about when people try to fool me. I am also more aware of not looking confused. While I was hitchhiking in Europe, looking confused was the best, everyone would come and help you with directions, give you a ride etc. In South America most people will take advantage of you if you look confused. Straight back, chin up and you should be fine :)
The bus came and it was much more comfortable than I had imagined. Great soft seats and lots of space. They called it bed seats. I sat next to Joseph. A catholic preast from Venezuela, going to Lima for a week. Really nice guy who liked to talk :)
When I arrived in the terminal in Lima, I was met by a taxi driver from the bus company. He offered me a fair price to get to Miraflores, the area where my hostel was located. I didn´t book a room, but I found it on the internet and thought I would stay there. I was talking with the cab driver and suddenly he said that earlier this day, he drove to girls from Germany to that hostel and they said it was full. He wanted to drive me to another hostel near it. He claimed it had the same owner and it was a really good hostel. I was very determined and after telling him several times that I wanted to go to the hostel that I first mentioned, he drove me there. The hostel had plenty of space. YES! I avoided being tricked :)
Insulin:
The night before I left Quito, I filled my thermos with water and placed it in the fridge. Just before I left I put the insulin in and hoped it would keep cold. After around 15 hours of traveling, I reached the small fishing village where I had to wait for 2,5 hour for the bus. I then tried to find a cafe that could give me some icecubes, but without luck. I returned to the terminal (the terminal was actually just a desk where I could buy a ticket, besides that, the guy also had a small shop with snacks and beverages and he had an internetcafe - all in the same place). I asked if I could keep my thermos in the freezer with the icecreams while I was waiting for the bus. That was no problem and he even looked out for my backpack so I could walk around town without carrying it :) My thermos got a lot colder and the bus was a bit cold which was perfect. As soon as I reached a hostal in Lima I put the insulin in the refridgerator and I think it was cold all the way from Quito to Lima. Buy a good thermos and use icecubes.
No comments:
Post a Comment