Again another prolonged absense from the blog trying to keep my self from the stress of our interaction. You´re just too damn needy.
The day of my last blog, we were in the midst of a hellacious day of travel. Plane from Cusco to Lima, 7 hour layover Lima, plane to Piura, and 3 hour taxi ride to Mancora Beach with a driver who we all initially thought appeared to have just exited a bar. Being all too tired to care anymore and having guessed he would eventually sober up under the legal limit within an hour or two (probably naively thinking that a legal limit actually exists) we let him initiate the slow crawl to the beach. Not 15 minutes on our way we were pulled over at a police checkpoint on the highway and as the officer approached our car a previously sleeping Petro semi-awoke up already reaching for his wallet to pay for the ¨fine¨ of being gringo in an area with corrupt police. All turned out well as the officer wanted to check to see if my seatbelt was fastened--and as it was, he was getting no money from us.
As all good things happen to those who sit 3 hours in a cramped taxi, we arrived to beautiful Mancora Beach, a semi-remote 3km stretch of paradise that I am hestitant to speak of lest the masses ruin its draw. We arrived to our beachfront hotel one day out of their ¨busy season¨and found ourselves occupying 2 out of the 4 rooms that were currently inhabited. With approximately one staff member for every guest, we had the run of the place, which was slightly perplexing to Petro and myself not being accustomed to such luxury. It was weird at first, like when they said we could not use their kitchen to cook or daily ration of rice and beans or when the the staff became upset when we tried to pitch a tent under tree in the parking lot. Sleeping in a room with a daily cleaning service and that didn´t reek of B.O. and stale hippies just didn´t seem fitting at first. Our descent into ¨the good life¨of non-backpacker travel began with our rendevous with Janey and Andy earlier in the week but didn´t really hit us until our arrival to the beach. We finally realized that we have been working really hard at not working and deserved the luxuries we had been bestowed. The following four days were filled with stress free bliss that was highlighted with marathon seafood eating and pool side drinking. Possibly our best day consisted of exploring the surrounding area on motor bikes and a dune buggy commandeered by the old man. Like good midwest boys, a good old fashioned trespass provided the most scenic views of the day. Later, Andy and Janey fulfilled the lifelong desire of running horses down the beach. Unorthodox modes of travel was the theme of the trip as our shuttling around town was done mostly by motorcycle taxis and later by our favorite mode of travel in S.A--a good old hitchhike that we got Janey to participate in. It was definitely a trip for the books.
The day of my last blog, we were in the midst of a hellacious day of travel. Plane from Cusco to Lima, 7 hour layover Lima, plane to Piura, and 3 hour taxi ride to Mancora Beach with a driver who we all initially thought appeared to have just exited a bar. Being all too tired to care anymore and having guessed he would eventually sober up under the legal limit within an hour or two (probably naively thinking that a legal limit actually exists) we let him initiate the slow crawl to the beach. Not 15 minutes on our way we were pulled over at a police checkpoint on the highway and as the officer approached our car a previously sleeping Petro semi-awoke up already reaching for his wallet to pay for the ¨fine¨ of being gringo in an area with corrupt police. All turned out well as the officer wanted to check to see if my seatbelt was fastened--and as it was, he was getting no money from us.
As all good things happen to those who sit 3 hours in a cramped taxi, we arrived to beautiful Mancora Beach, a semi-remote 3km stretch of paradise that I am hestitant to speak of lest the masses ruin its draw. We arrived to our beachfront hotel one day out of their ¨busy season¨and found ourselves occupying 2 out of the 4 rooms that were currently inhabited. With approximately one staff member for every guest, we had the run of the place, which was slightly perplexing to Petro and myself not being accustomed to such luxury. It was weird at first, like when they said we could not use their kitchen to cook or daily ration of rice and beans or when the the staff became upset when we tried to pitch a tent under tree in the parking lot. Sleeping in a room with a daily cleaning service and that didn´t reek of B.O. and stale hippies just didn´t seem fitting at first. Our descent into ¨the good life¨of non-backpacker travel began with our rendevous with Janey and Andy earlier in the week but didn´t really hit us until our arrival to the beach. We finally realized that we have been working really hard at not working and deserved the luxuries we had been bestowed. The following four days were filled with stress free bliss that was highlighted with marathon seafood eating and pool side drinking. Possibly our best day consisted of exploring the surrounding area on motor bikes and a dune buggy commandeered by the old man. Like good midwest boys, a good old fashioned trespass provided the most scenic views of the day. Later, Andy and Janey fulfilled the lifelong desire of running horses down the beach. Unorthodox modes of travel was the theme of the trip as our shuttling around town was done mostly by motorcycle taxis and later by our favorite mode of travel in S.A--a good old hitchhike that we got Janey to participate in. It was definitely a trip for the books.
Like most ill-gotten gains, our high life ended today with the departure of the parents back to the States. Although temporarily, we are back to slumming it again until our rendevous with the Schloegels in Quito, Ecuador in four days. The next couple of days of travel should really bite but the means justify the end, when the Schloegels get to re-unite with their favorite person and Petro.
Off to catch a stupid bus,
Sir Quarnstrom
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2 comments:
rock chalk jayhawk - go find a sports bar
A huge public thanks to Andy and Janey for one hell of a vacation. They were an absolute delight to travel with and I would be there Sherpa again in a heart beat! Furthermore, I checked into rehab the following day of their departure. Thanks for the great times Andy and Janey.
Your Favorite almost son
Petro
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