Best of Peru

The things I’ll remember most……..

Peru is much more advanced and structured than I expected it to be. I thought it would be difficult to get anywhere or get anything done, but things worked out perfectly except for that suspiciously canceled flight Monday in Trujillo. The real difference in this trip as in any trip is the people you meet. Right from my arrival I was amazed at the kind and gentle demeanor of all the people, Peruvians lack that tourist ripoff killer instinct that you find practically everywhere.

Think about that for a minute: I spent a whole month in a country, traveled all over, and did not have one single unpleasant experience, was never treated rudely, threatened, or abused in any way, nobody cheated me or made fun of my Spanfranitalingles. No arguing with taxi drivers, no a$$hole waiters, nobody walked away from me in the street when I asked them a question (quite a few of them stopped and took me where I was going – even in Lima, the big city).

All the people I met along the way and got talking to at all were poster people for how to treat foreigners who cannot even speak their language properly. Cab drivers, waiters, hotel people, the lady in the post office, the train people, all the vendors, everyone, down to a person. It was like they had gone to a training class or the government had run ads all over the television. I just can’t get over it. Here's another example: Street and beach vendors stroll around wordlessly displaying their wares. They don't holler or repeat the same thing endlessly or hover over you until you shoo them away, they wait for you to call them if you want them. How civilized!

I admit being less than impressed by those at the extreme ends of the social ladder: I did not see too many beggars, but they were sometimes a pain in the neck. The beggars I did see were very deferential and disappeared as soon as I refused for the most part. However, a few did hound and hound and that is a slightly unpleasant memory. Also, I remember the old lady in Chinchero hollering at me to give her a tip when she saw I wanted to take her photo, then she refused my 1 cent coins. Beggars can be choosers after all.

The snobs in the Miraflores area of Lima were out in force, strutting around with their little maids in tow in their neat white uniforms, showing everyone that they have made the grade. I guess I noticed because they weren’t at all friendly and looked somewhat sad, maybe offended that we are on their turf. Now that they have made it they have forgotten where all the money came from. We haven’t. The visible foreign investment and well-documented foreign aid have been a huge boost to many South American countries and Peru is right near the top of the list.

This was my first visit to a developing country where I could actually speak the language and that has an impact, although it’s impossible to quantify the difference it made. Understanding and being understood help in every situation, but a lot of interactions come down to feelings, vibes, chemistry between people, and reactions in certain situations. I was never treated with any suspicion or skepticism in any situation - it's like they know we are good people, we are to be trusted by definition until our behavior dictates otherwise.

The landscape of Peru is just like California: ocean, desert, dry brown mountains, lush valleys, it is breathtakingly gorgeous wherever you go. I haven’t seen everywhere, but I well imagine there are no ugly places in Peru.

Weather is everything. The people are industrious and energetic because they are not taxed by muggy 90 degree days as in most developing countries. Lima is a bit gray, cool, and cloudy for my tastes and Cusco a bit cool as mentioned, but Trujillo is always lovely. Even in the dead of winter it only goes down to the late 40s overnight. There are no mosquitoes or spiders or any of the other usual tropical irritations due to the arid climate. I never saw a drop of rain the whole time I was there!! HAHAHAHA! How about that? It threatened on Wayna Picchu day, just as well, it was very hot without the sun, can't imagine how it would have been with it. You can’t go wrong with the weather, although Cusco gets down around freezing over night in winter (our summer).

The sights were out of sight: If you went to Peru, changed planes in the Lima airport, went to Cusco, then straight to Machu Picchu, and back out the same way, the trip would be worth your while. It was a breathtaking experience that anyone of any age would enjoy. You’re in another world – literally. I sat on the cliffs at Larcomar in Lima yesterday having a bite and taking it all in, and, wow, it is extremely beautiful. The big natural bay and brown cliffs with the city sitting on top. Impressive. Then take Cusco, sitting in that bowl at the bottom of the mountains. Trujillo could be San Jose and Huanchaco Santa Cruz very easily, very nice places. And that’s only what I saw, I just scratched the surface.

Music: No idea, but there is a souvenir shop in Huanchaco that sells all kinds of Peruvian music. I walked by it once a day for a week or so, and five of those times I bought the CDs that they were playing! Some of it was jazz, some folk music, some modern, some of it was of the moaning and groaning broken heart variety. I'm listening to it now, the first CD reminds me of African jazz combined with Creole dance music. Go figger.

The Peruvians don’t fool around when it comes to food: most restaurants have a stunning array of fresh fish, crab, shrimp, squid then they have the “regular” stuff: beef, lamb, duck, pork, chicken, and turkey (and I don’t mean once a year either).

Most of the above are prepared all these different ways: sudado (steamed w/ onion and tomatoes), chicharron (fried), milanese (breaded and fried), plancha (grilled), cooked in a milk soup (this is called chupe). They serve all this with a dozen different kinds of potatoes, squash, yucca, plantain, sweet potatoes, they have stuffed potatoes called “causas”, it goes on and on. Then you’ll get white rice, yellow rice, the Peruvian version of blackened rice, fried rice, and so on.

There is a strong European influence in the cuisine which can be seen in all the sauces, gravies, and salsas and whatnot they find to accompany things. No dish is boring or bland, doesn't exist. The national dish is ceviche, as I mentioned before, which is raw marinated fish served in the lime marinade together with corn and potatoes with onion on top. It is out of this world, I ate it nearly every day for a month. Men, it's good for your johnson too :-)

The food is so good that if you ate your way around the country and got back on the plane and left without seeing a single thing, it would be a GREAT trip. The service is even better, it’s like Europe. It makes me miss good, sincere service, where you know the people are truly passionate about what they do. These people are proud of it and it shows.

History: I am not a history boy at all, the only key dates I retain is that the Incas based out of Cusco and the Chimu in the north were around until the Spanish raping and pillaging started in the mid 1500's. The original Peruvian civilization is one of the oldest in the world and the Incan empire was the largest in South America until the Spanish arrived. Impressive.

Nightlife: I have avoided this topic like the plague because the only time I hit any kind of bar or club was the very first night in Lima. No idea, but I'm sure it must be fun, the women love foreigners. Everybody told me to hit a disco late in the evening and the babes would be out in force, but all I hit was my bed.

Now for the future: I like Lima, but it stinks too much, it’s often cloudy and cool, and is too noisy. Miraflores is the classy part but the racket is deafening as they are building up every square inch to squeeze out every last dollar, it will take a few more years, but they will do it. Already they are asking US$100k for a nice apartment in a nice area. I don’t think so. The construction is so cheap and flimsy, you can hear every elevator, every loud discussion or music.

I liked Cusco a lot and the babes alone will be worth the return trip. I will spend more time, peel down the onion, interview those Llamadas!! Llamadas!! girls again. Lake Titicaca is mostly in Peru and partly in Bolivia, I blew it Brad by not realizing I could get there (not sure how difficult it is from Cusco or Arequipa) easily from Peru - I thought I would have to go through Bolivia.

For sure I’m going to focus on the northern part of the country again: Huanchaco and the beach and the nice small town vibe plus big town Trujillo make a knockout combination. I could live there in a heartbeat. I would like to add Mancora and Chiclayo, plus the beaches of Paita and Talara to the list and check out Ecuador.

I'm also going to force myself to expand to other countries. This is like dating and the first babe you go out with is awesome, but you have to force yourself to check out a few more before getting too serious.

Llamadas!! Llamadas!!

Outta Here - Tough Last Couple of Days

Wednesday November 28, 2007

Starting Sunday afternoon I began feeling queasy, realized that I had been out all day in the sun without my hat or sun screen, I just forgot them both. The weather situation is deceiving because being a few degrees from the equator means the sun is as strong as it gets even though it was not hot, only maybe 70-72.

I couldn't eat hardly anything Sunday night, a sure sign for me that something is up. I awoke Monday with no energy at all, had a few bathroom sessions over night. I went to the Airport and my flight from Trujillo to Lima was canceled so I called my funny taxi guy James and he took me to a comfy hotel in Trujillo where I slept most of the day. That was the end of it - I awoke yesterday feeling not too bad, and got back to Lima and the apartment by early afternoon, no hitches anywhere.

I already knew that my health was a bit shaky, so I ran around in the afternoon getting last minute gifts and trinkets just to get it out of the way.

Then last night I picked out a salad bar by-the-pound salad from Vivanda, that fancy market, (I know better than to buy from a grocery store salad bar) and made sure to include a lot of spicy creole dressing (I do not know better) and spent the night running back and forth to the bathroom. In retrospect, I was not completely healthy upon returning to Lima, I recall almost gagging all the time from the exhaust fumes. I was definitely sensitive, not myself.

Now, I would never go out all day without a hat in the hot sun or buy a salad from a supermarket salad bar anywhere, can't imagine what got into me, just two momentary lapses is all it takes..

This morning I took several Imodium which plugged things up nicely, then went to a pharmacy and whined to them and they gave me some meds. I feel better as I write now at lunch time, but, needless to say I will soon be back in bed resting. I have blown off my lawyer buddy Rodrigo and several women - don’t have any energy. All I have to do is pick up my laundry and figure out what I can eat that will stay in place.

Tomorrow will be a thriller, I must be up at 4 and out at 430 to catch my flight to Miami, which leaves Lima at 7 and arrives about noon. I can already taste the shower and bed in my hotel room there LOL. I have a full 24 hours in Miami, how exciting yuk yuk, but it was the best itinerary available.

At least I am starting the day tomorrow with a plane that has slept here and therefore will be on time, the leg to SFO starts at 250 Friday, could be dicey.

I have already started working on my job search, will take the weekend to organize and get rested, then go at it Monday.

The Last Supper - goodbye Huanchaco

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Elvis Enters the Building Just Before I Exit

I came wandering home after dinner one night and stooped over to knock on the tiny little door within the big door. When it opened I was looking at this younger guy with a big crooked grin. He was kind of stooped over, immediately stuck out his hand and said “Haylo, my nombre es Elvees.” I said ELVIS? ELVIS? Now I really have met everybody in this town. Turns out he was on leave for a few days and just returned to take over his duties in the hotel. He’s the kind of guy that you know immediately he’s your friend, I could have asked him for a small loan on the spot and he’d have dished out, no problem.

Elvis speaks about 10 words of English and he let me have it in every conceivable sequence, then he kind of gave up and we lapsed into Spanfranitalingles. He’s about 30, and has an interesting gait - turns out he has a gimpy leg, which adds to his charm. Immediately came the barrage of questions – when I had arrived, how long I would stay, was I really from Canada (I told them I was from the U.S., then later said I am originally from Canada, I never really know how to approach that, as I don’t feel American nor Canadian, but don’t have any other identity. Intriguing that I was thereafter referred to as Canadian.), did I like Huanchaco, did I need anything, etc., etc.

Every time I bump into him he asks me to explain stuff in English but his accent is so strong that you can’t understand anything, so he can only communicate with people that know what he really means in Spanish, which defeats the whole purpose.

The other members of the Hotel Team are: David, also extremely kind and friendly and has a great sense of humor, and the two ladies who do the kitchen and room cleaning. David knows everything but reveals nothing, he is the Butler type. The ladies come upstairs in a team to bring my breakfast each day and keep stealing the plastic water bottle that I use as an ashtray even though I have made several requests to leave it and even resorted to leaving notes. They won’t have it – they are here to clean the room and the room will be cleaned. They even hunt around for clothes and put them away if they can find them.

I am going to miss it here very much when I leave tomorrow and will look forward to my return, another reason for noting all this down so carefully. People reading this think that I am either (a) nuts for spending so much time on a diary during a vacation, (b) thinking that I may sucker somebody into actually buying this and publishing it (true), or (c) unable to completely shut off and relax, so this provides an outlet of sorts (also true). I am mostly writing this for myself (someone said “In truth, a man speaks only to himself, but sometimes he speaks loud enough for others to hear”) - if I had kept such notes over the years and trips I would already be retired in Huanchaco and not going back to anywhere next Thursday.

Anyway, people from Silly Valley are always switched on and connected via Crackberry or some other similarly annoying device. We are connected as such because we are afraid that someone else will be sitting in our seat if we switch off for more than a few days, and it’s probably true. We are in a loop, forced to continually justify our existence in order to fund the high cost of living so that we can live in a place which is trying to kill us with stress, until we are either unable to survive and leave the area, or succumb to it all.

Actually this is the pot calling the kettle black: I have been working pretty hard the last week since Elvira offered me commission for selling the place. As I said, I doubt if it will come to anything, but you never know. Besides, it has given me a great opportunity to do the research about Peru, Trujillo, and Huanchaco for my education and to prepare for a possible return in the near future.

I have completed the analysis of the area and sent it to Elvira, who is providing me with a copy of the deed as well as a contract which will be quite worthless. They are very eager to sell and i certainly trust them, so I’m not going to worry about it. They are wealthy and don’t need to steal the commission from me to survive. Either way, it has been a lot of fun to analyze the whole situation. If this town could put together some sort of momentum regarding internet marketing, this place would be packed. All that is needed is to attract the middle class tourists with a couple of hotels that serve cucumber sandwiches and cocktails and they will be all set. I think I’ll keep that quiet for now and see how things turn out.

I dread the thought of going back to Lima. Don’t get me wrong, I like it very much, it has a good vibe, but it’s too cool, cloudy, polluted, and busy for me. If and when I do come back here to spend more time, it won’t be in Lima even though that must be the easiest place to make money. I would enjoy Cusco, but there is no ocean and it gets a bit nippy – I had a heater in my room and had to fire it up for a few minutes the very first night. Ew. The only other heating or cooling device I have seen in the last month is a fan here in my room in Huanchaco – Elvira told me it always cools down at night, but I guess the fan is for when the room retains too much heat in the summer months.

Therefore, Trujillo/Huanchaco is the place I want to be. Imagine PERFECT weather year around, never too hot nor too cold. They pull the fish out of the ocean and you eat them for $3 or maybe $4 including a big beer. The people are wonderful, it has that small town feel. Whenever I have wanted any hustle and bustle, Trujillo has been 20 minutes away. Trujillo would also be necessary to make money if I got serious about Peru. I’m not sure what to think about that, my instincts tell me not to fall for the first country in South America so quickly, sort of like settling down with the first girl you meet, not a good idea. Besides, I can always come back if I like it more than other countries.

This Week in Huanchaco....

Tuesday November 20, 2007

Yesterday and today were highlighted by long early morning runs along the beach that set the tone for the whole day. It was exactly what the doctor ordered to get the cobwebs out. I had not done too much since Machu Picchu – it took several days to work that out of my system. I was sore all over and had flu for a day or two but I didn’t really realize it at the time.

Mexican Standoff at the Beach

As I run along the beach there are hundreds of little orange crabs seeking out breakfast that gets washed in by the waves. Signals are sent ahead and I could see them scurrying out of the way well in advance, heading to the safety of the dry sand and their little tunnels. I myself have to periodically dodge the end of a big wave that comes in like a football player making a deke to get around a guy. I accidentally trapped this crab all on his own between the water and his tunnels in the dry sand – he was all alone to fend for himself. I stopped in my tracks and so did he, then I noticed that whenever I took a step he did as well. So we started to do a little jig together and he matched me move for move. I tried everything to catch him napping but he was very nimble: two steps to the right, one forward, a fake move backward, a sudden lunge to the left. He matched me move for move. Such joy to be brain dead and carefree on the beach with a crab at 7 a.m.! This jig went on for what seemed to be a very long time, then maybe he got bored or started to tire and began making little moves backward to the dry dunes. He mixed them in with the others thinking I wouldn’t notice that he was distancing himself – very clever. Suddenly he made a lighting quick move and went down a tunnel that I hadn’t noticed head first. His tail was still protruding but I think he didn’t know it, as if he was sure he was safe but he was still exposed.

I went into Trujillo and changed my ticket at the LAN office. The guy working there was a surly Chinese (I must research the Chinese history in Peru) guy who needed 20 minutes to type in the 3 or 4 things needed for a flight. It was like dealing with the government – well, I guess it is since that is the national airline.

Finally he finished up and gave me a whole wad of receipts and garbage. The main thing is that I will return to Lima next Monday morning instead of this Thursday. This is a better place to hang out for obvious reasons: more relaxing, less hustle and bustle, no pollution, yet it is not boring. I like to go into Trujillo for lunch and to wander around in the afternoon, always many interesting things to see.

I wandered around Plaza de Armas, shot a video, went to lunch, shot another video, went shopping in the market (I’ll be able to open a tee shirt store when I get home), then got pleasantly lost looking for the big turnabout/cloverleaf intersection where I could catch the bus home.

In between I met this really cool young Mormon man on his mission and told him I have a close friend who is a Mormon, and how exciting it is to learn about the Missions. He was fantastic, so interesting and cheery and confident. I think we should send all our young people on Mormon Missions to give them some perspective. I think it would prepare them for life better than video games and would teach them how to actually have a conversation. As you can see I am rapidly becoming extinct in our society.

I came back to pick up my laundry, $4 for the whole week, passed the CD stand for the 3rd time since I’ve been here, and bought the CD they were playing also for the 3rd time for $1.50. I will either buy them out or run out of money by the time I leave here J.


Babes Galore

It’s taken 3 weeks, but I’ve finally settled the regional babe ratings:

Cusco – a mind-boggling array of delicious girls everywhere
Lima – the big city always attracts honeys from everywhere and these city girls are well-groomed and classy, probably some equipment is glued and pasted and tucked and so on, but ignorance is bliss is my motto
Trujillo – but this is only a preliminary rating due to limited exposure
Huanchaco – not really a babe haven but there are definitely some cuties here.

Also worthy of note is that Trujillo and Huanchaco girls are very busty, must be something in the Northern diet? I also have seen more chubby girls here a la Mexico.


Elvira and Walter

I thought the owner Walter was very interesting for sure, but he is only half of the team. Elvira, his wife, is even more interesting for several reasons. I guess he must be in his late 60s and she is about 60. Check this out:

She speaks French quite fluently. You won’t believe where she learned it! HAHAHAHA. In her youth in the 60s she lived in Lausanne Switzerland for several years, my all-time favorite city anywhere. Small world and all that. Amazing.
They also spent over a year in India in Kerala of all places, isn’t that something Manoj?
They also spent a year and a half in Japan.
They have a little studio that they keep in Madrid, where they will be spending the month of January. Elvira told me they bought the room next to their studio and will spend January their renovating.

Therefore, they are well-traveled and full of money but to hear her talk they are one step from living in the streets. Clearly he is the artistic half of the team and she is the business brain. Yesterday she had several copies of a book he has written featuring short stories and poems. Quite an interesting pair.

Opportunities Arise

Elvira told me that they are going to Madrid for the month of January, having bought a room adjacent to their studio. They intend to connect the two and set the whole thing up during that time.

I mentioned in passing that they would be welcome any time in Sunnyvale, that I would even be willing to do an exchange if the timing was right (thinking ahead to next fall, when, if my plans work out, I’ll be ready for another trip down here). Right away I could see they had been thinking the same thing because she asked me to take care of the place while they go to Madrid. I said unfortunately I have to be back to work as soon as possible in the New Year as I am sitting on a pretty fat mortgage payment.

Then she shifted gears: She said they have had this place for 30 years, they are burnt out and want to retire. They own the building and business outright plus a restaurant cum pub (closed) down the street and want to sell both. They are asking $500k for both, which total over 1,000 square meters (no idea what this is in feet, but the hotel has about 16 rooms plus dining room, pool, courtyard, etc. It is plenty big enough.) She said they had been thinking that an international chain or other foreign investor might be interested and they would pay me 5% if I could find a buyer. I said I would make some inquiries in my network and get back to her, but certainly the 5% would not be enough as I would have to split with whoever else would be involved, since I know nothing about Real Estate.


Wednesday November 21, 2007

Went for another run along the beach this morning to try and fend off the effects of all this delicious food. The weather has picked up a couple of degrees and each day is sunnier as we head towards summer.

I have my work cut out for me today: Since Peru is not in the center of people’s radars in our world, I need to do some research and put together an overview of the country, economics, trends, forecasts, plus something on this province, La Libertad, Trujillo, and of course Huanchaco. Then I’ll pick her brains on the background of the business and put the whole package together and float it around. Ana Nunez is a Real Estate shark and David even mentioned that they know some Peruvian-Americans in San Jose, I will also write my friend Susan Layher, who sold me my house, and, of course, have contacted the Mormon Real Estate Mafia featuring Brad and Dave Crandall. You never know, I need to be more educated on the country anyway, and looking forward I can’t spend 8 hours a day looking for a job when I get home.

A fascinating couple became my neighbors today: she is from Calgary and he is from Orange CA, born here in Peru of Dutch parents, but has lived in the USA nearly all his life. We are here to get away from people like us, but we have had some interesting chats about the country and it’s future.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

I still remember the day 44 years ago when they sent us home early from school.

Today is Thanksgiving, but not for me. I won’t be seeking out the expats to wave the flag or eat turkey. Actually, they do wonders with turkey here; I may eat some if I come across it.

I ran this morning, bought supplies and am getting my laundry done, a quiet day. I wanted to watch the football game from Detroit but couldn’t get it on the TV.

I have also read some John Updike, my all-time favorite author, and here is why: “Husbands, who at meaner economic levels generate dependency and fear by rages and beatings, are here tamed by the impossible cost, in an old age rich in jointly owned savings and equities and real estate, of divorce. Husbands are superfluous, dutiful adjuncts to the busy interaction of women. Owen has no trouble accepting such a role, since his own father had struck him as similarly pathetic and unnecessary.”

Nothing gets by Updike, he sees through all the veneer, understands everything.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Yesterday I completed all the research on Peru and this area and will post it on my blob. My Orange County neighbor Percy was a tremendous help, he has a lot of knowledge about the country and edited my material - we had a great wrap-up meeting just before they left for Lima and a family wedding.

I met with Elvira to collect more detailed information about the property and its history. This area is a carbon copy of California – even the water situation is the same: there is no rain here but there is plenty in the mountains which fluff up the water table in spring. Elvira said they have never had a shortage of water in 30 years!

The waves are just hammering in here and the surf is awry, all the rocks exposed. Surfer Jon had shown me a huge storm on the horizon on the internet and was all stoked, knowing it would bring large waves, but the storms never reach here.

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave, or Shooting Fish in a Barrel

I have not been interested in a red-hot romance, rather I have just been scoping out the woman situation to see what is out there for this rapidly aging gringo:

I met so many tasty women on the internet there is no point in detailing them here. I can’t even remember half of them and every time I go to the internet café and fire up Yahoo and MSN messenger I get bombarded with messages: “You promised you would call, but I didn’t hear anything.” “Where are you, I am waiting to meet you.”
I went out platonically with several of the women while in Lima, but none of them really got my motor running.
I wrote the all-time Miss World Rosa Cristilda something something, who lives here in Trujillo. That girl really gets my motor running. We had a hot and heavy thing going on the internet for months, then she suddenly disappeared, I got angry and stopped chatting with her, then we rekindled the romance when I decided to come here, now she has stopped answering me and we haven’t met. Just as well I suppose, there is way too much passion there, I must not get too serious with anyone just yet.
Meidy is a really nice girl - we have been out several times and had lots of fun.
I have had a lot of success with my camera: find a babe, offer to take her photo, get her email address, and go from there, specifically:
The waitress in my favorite restaurant that I videoed in Trujillo, she has unforgettable eyes,
A lovely vegetable girl in the Huanchaco market named Marisol (sunflower). You can see right through to her inner beauty immediately,
A slightly chunking but lovely young girl that I spoke to on the street whose mother wanted me to marry her, her Dad is the one with the gigantic schnautz,
I am forgetting a couple of others in the heat of the moment….

I had many discussions about getting together with a lovely 25 year old named Maria from Talara, about 8 hours north of here by bus. She suggested we meet in Piura, which is about 5 hours north of here by bus, on the seaside, sounds nice, but I just didn’t have the energy and wanted to put my anchor down here. Then suddenly yesterday she sends me an email saying that she has accepted a job in Lima and will be starting next Monday. So, she will arrive Sunday and spend the day here and we will get together in Lima. I hope it’s a nice end to the trip!

Either way, the babe situation is a cinch if you're a gringo and a gentleman with a couple of bucks in your pocket.

Peru, La Libertad, Trujillo, and Huanchaco Overviews

A South American California before all the people showed up….

Peru is a unique blend of a stable, predictable, and growing economy coupled with a rich culture, ideal climate and storied history. Only 6 hours from Miami, Peru offers a large cosmopolitan capital, fabulous beaches, snow-capped mountains, all easily within reach at affordable prices. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific.

Peru’s economy ranks 55th in the world while per capita GDP lags in 86th position – nearly half the population lives below the poverty line. Unemployment hovers around 7% in Lima (much higher in the outlying regions), and economic growth has been steady since the turn of the new century. Real GDP growth has averaged 5% per year over the last 7 years while inflation remains among the lowest in the western hemisphere at 2%.

The Peruvian population of roughly 28 million is multiethnic, including AmeriAndians, Europeans, Africans, and Asians... The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua and other native languages.. This mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.

Peru’s main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing of textiles and other products. The country’s infrastructure is excellent: the lights are always on, there is plenty of fresh water, and transportation is predictable although access to remote areas is time-consuming because of the mountainous terrain. For example, the flight from Lima to Cusco is 45 minutes while the bus ride is 20 hours. Inexpensive and reliable internet and phone access are within steps in any town or city.

Peruvians are energetic, polite, honest, reliable, and friendly. There is an impressive police and security presence in populated places that puts anybody at ease although crime, two-tiered pricing, and violence are minimal or altogether unknown. From top to bottom, all areas frequented by tourists are spotless thanks to battalions of street cleaners, although poorer areas of the larger cities are cluttered and dirty.

Officials must understand what foreigners value because awareness has trickled down to all levels. English is widely spoken in major metropolitan areas and is taught in schools at all levels, although Spanish certainly opens many more doors for foreigners.
The climate is perfect – sun-soaked beaches from north to south, coastal weather is always between 60 and the low 80s all year round with practically no rain. The cuisine is a rich blend of European and Creole with influences of Asia and Polynesia and Peru’s own native Indian flavors, varied and sophisticated, with a huge array of offerings for any taste and preference. The locals are extremely proud of their cuisine and even the most humble restaurant offers a wide range of freshly prepared local delights.

The prices are reasonable – you can fly return from north to south for just over $100 return, have dinner for two for $20 without having to rough it. You can easily find a decent hotel in one of the larger cities for $50 (although Lima is more expensive) and one can go a fair distance in a taxi ride for 3 dollars.

The future in Peru starts now, mainly because the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu were elected as one of the 7 Modern Wonders of the world in July, 2007. This one development has dramatically increased international awareness and interest and put Peru center stage globally.

La Libertad

Peru is divided into 25 departments or states, of which one is La Libertad and it’s capital Trujillo, which lies about 550 km north of Lima.
La Libertad is the only Peruvian region that reaches all three Peruvian natural regions (coast, Sierra highlands and rainforest).
The coastal strip set the stage for the rise of many pre-Columbian cultures, such as the pre-Ceramic Huaca Prieta civilization, which is more than 5,000 years old & the Cupisnique, which is more than 3,000 years old. From 200 A.C., the first one to expand beyond its cradle was the Mochica culture. The Chimu culture emerged later and built its capital in Chan Chan, the largest pre-Columbian city in South America. At its peak Chan Chan was home to 60,000 inhabitants who stubbornly resisted the expansion of the Incan Empire. The archaeological remains of Chan Chan, 6 km (3.7 mi) northeast of downtown Trujillo, are rather well-preserved despite being built out of adobe bricks.

Trujillo

Trujillo is Peru’s third largest city with a population of just under 800,000 in it’s metropolitan area. Trujillo has a great geographical importance and a good location. It is the point where the Andes are linked to the Pacific Ocean as a result of the direction the coasts follow. The Andes first are seen from Trujillo, showing a row of low-elevation hills, but from there on the Andean Plateau increases altitude sharply to the East.

Trujillo has a dry climate with an average temperature of 70°. The summers can reach temperatures over 90° and the winters are never colder than 55°. Most of the year, the temperature stays in the low to mid seventies. There are practically no mosquitoes or other tropical varmints that usually accompany such a climate.

Trujillo, founded in 1534, is known as “La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera", "The City of Eternal Spring", because of its very sunny and pleasant weather year-round. The International Spring Festival in early October attracts visitors from all over Peru and from all over the world.
Trujillo is the most important economic center of northern Peru and an inland commercial and transport center for the surrounding farming areas. In 1800, the city of Trujillo greatly expanded due to extensive irrigated agriculture, fueled primarily by the sugarcane industry. Among the internationally known products of Trujillo, asparagus is exported to neighboring countries, Europe and the United States. The areas around Trujillo are among the largest exporters of white asparagus in the world. Peru is currently the world’s leading asparagus exporter, followed by China and Mexico.

Tourism is also a major industry in Trujillo due to the city's proximity to important sites where the Moche and Chimu civilizations evolved. These civilzations are well known artisans, many artifacts having been found during archaeological digs in the city. Trujillo aspires to be designated a World Heritage Site, because of the proximity of both those cultures and its historical colonial city centre whose old houses attract many visitors.

Huanchaco Peru - Surf City!

Saturday November 17, 2007

All the tourists showed up today and the weather broke nicely. It had been in the upper 60s but cloudy yesterday, today was a dazzling day in the low 70s. Those restaurants and stores that appeared abandoned came to life and the pace is jumping.

I took the bus in to Trujillo again today, it was uneventful compared to yesterday except for that handy garden hose fitted over the handbrake handle J . I met Meidy and her little girl and we went to some amusement park about 30 km. inland. It was fun to see the kids swimming and having a laugh, and we walked and talked. Meidy is an interesting girl for sure, spent 3 years in Japan with her brother working in a factory. Lunch at that type of kid’s Amusement Park is usually fried and iffy, but ours was your typical Peruvian gourmet event. Incredible. Just coming to this country for the food alone would be worth the trip. The bill came to 12 dollars for the three of us all included.

They dropped me off and I came home for a quick nap and woke up two hours later. Wow, I am mentally refreshed but perhaps a bit spent physically, didn’t realize it.

I met this really cool young surfer dude from Minnesota named John who works in the fishery industry in Alaska all summer, then travels in the winter. He told me the biggest wave in the world - over 3 miles long - is a few miles north in Chicama. He looked like Sting did about 20 years ago, with a bit of Bobby Orr thrown in, when I said it he laughed and said he’d heard it many times before when I told him.

I found a cell phone girl – I guess they only come out on weekends around here. She actually had a little red stand to add an official feel to her business and attract callers. I pounced immediately: “Who is calling whom and why?” She reported the same thing as the girls in Cusco, people don’t have phones but need to call on the spot. She was very shy so I did not press the point.

Sunday November 18, 2007

The Final Stages of this Trip all come together in a Flash

I had wanted to change hotels and find something closer to the middle of things and stumbled across the Caballito de Totora and the rest of my trip unfolded before my eyes in a half an hour. I had already been quite taken by the slow pace and fresh air of Huanchaco - it has a bit of everything and of course is right on the ocean. Add to that the proximity of Trujillo and I get two places and two scenes for the price of one.

I ventured in to check out the hotel and was shown a magnificent suite with a huge balcony right over the ocean for $25 (my other place was supposed to be $44, turned out to be $39, don’t know why – either way my meals are now thrown in with the price difference). It’s big enough to have infield practice in it and has cool pictures and artifacts all around. There are even a couple of fishing boats on the balcony in case I feel like taking a spin around the bay. The bed may be the biggest I have ever seen, I cannot touch both sides with arms fully extended.

This isn’t just a hotel - it’s a museum full of artifacts and tastefully decorated by the owner and his wife. This guy has traveled abroad and knows his stuff, explained a lot of local tidbits and gave valuable background. His wife even lived in my all-time favorite city Lausanne, Switzerland in her youth. For example, he explained that all the Chinese food in Peru comes from old immigrants who predated the Mao era, during which family and food took on lesser importance. Therefore, the Chinese cuisine to be found in Peru is frozen back in time, in an era when it was much richer than what we know. The seafood here is too plentiful and cheap to pass up, but as soon as I get back to Lima I’ll dive into a Chinese place and check it out. He explained that the Spanish and Moor influences mixed with the Creole are what conspire to make the food so unique and varied.

I went on a general tour of the middle of town, which I hadn’t really dug into earlier except of course the market. I did a bit of shopping, bought a big handmade cloth bag with cool designs on it for $15. I also picked up a pair of beach pants which I wear inside in the evenings. I have bought a lot of stuff and there is more to come. I will check my smaller bag when I return to Lima and have already mailed home a bunch of stuff. When I go back home I will check in both my suitcases and add the bag as my carry-on to make enough room for all my booty. The bag will make a nice gift.

My tour was fascinating even though it was Sunday and many things are closed, everybody hits church and the beach. I met a young lady and took her photo and emailed it to her – her mother came rushing out of the house and asked me to marry her. She couldn’t be more than 20 or 21 haha. Her dad was sitting in the street reading the paper and has the biggest nose I have ever seen, would put Joe Torre’s to shame. Not only that but it was as red as a big fat strawberry, I guiltily snuck a photo of it.

I’ve all but decided to extend my stay here until about the 26th, which means I will have to pay my room here in addition to my apartment in Lima plus I may not be able to exchange my plane ticket, so that could cost another $90. Worst case is an incremental $200, but it will be well worth it as this place is just perfect for me, although it will mean going into Trujillo and finding the LAN office to change my ticket or buy another.

I just hung out all afternoon, chatting away to anyone who would listen, watching the families playing on the beach and the surfers.

Then I went for dinner to my favorite $5 place, Don Pepe’s, he’s a really cool guy and we have a lot of fun talking about things. He is in his mid-40s, a family man, but he knows a lot about California from the 80s when he was a surfer dude and got chummy with Californian tourists visiting Huanchaco. He sure can put on a spread for $5 and he makes a wicked salad too.

It got warmer and very sunny today and I am a bit burnt. I stuck my foot in the water and it was rather nippy, but all the kids were swimming in it, so I guess it wasn’t that cold.

Everyone has gone home tonight, back to Trujillo I guess. All I can hear is the ocean as I write this and it is warm enough to be outside in a tee shirt, but will be cool overnight.

Monday November 19, 2007

I suppose the best label I could put on Huanchaco is that it is the Peruvian Santa Cruz. There are very few foreign tourists so we spot each other and by the end of the week I will know most of them. There is a dreadlocked dope-smoking element (I could smell it in several places around town) that seem to sit around a lot, probably planning revolutions. There are also some surfers, they all look hardy and are easy to spot.

There were also quite a few Peruvian people from elsewhere – Lima or Trujillo I guess - who could be spotted in the two or three classy restaurants in town, but they have left too. There are some really smart-looking condos and apartments that go from anywhere from $50-100k according to the little I have heard. So there is a touch of Monterey to the place as well. The age difference in some of the couples is encouraging – guys that are easily in their 50s are accompanied by nubile young things in their 20s. That’s a sure sign that a lot of people are short of money in this country.

I went downstairs this morning to get a coffee before breakfast and had a session with the owner, he is the type that you don’t notice, yet he always appears. Clearly I have celebrity status here, I doubt it’s because of the low season as the place is fairly busy. I believe that few people show a lot of interest in local things, so I have got the owners’ interest up with all my curiosity.

Either way, he has the staff on their toes and they brought up one tray with coffee to get me going, then he burst through the balcony door in the adjacent vacant room to tell me breakfast was waiting outside my door. How civilized! I think he is not computerized, so I offered to visit the local Internet Center to show him some stuff. I have a feeling he will freak out when he sees what is going on in Cyberspace. Can’t wait. I just wish my Spanish was better so we could get into more detail about stuff.

The Old Peruvian Dropped Call Trick

I mentioned that I had been in contact with several women on the internet prior to and during my trip. I screened most of them carefully, but a few slipped through my net and appear to be seeking a life abroad. Not with me they won’t. Anyway, I gave them my cell phone number and noticed all the dropped calls coming through. Very strange as the network is very robust and my outgoing calls always get through. Then it dawned on me that in the never-ending quest to save minutes and money people call through and let it ring once, then hang up so you have to call them back. Very shrewd, but I am roaming on my Lima-based phone and can run through 10 dollars in no time flat, so I have not been biting.

What they don’t do well here

I guess it’s a testament to the overall high quality of stuff here that I have to descend into such trivia, but I have noticed three things that don’t fit with the rest:

- Nobody can make a good salad so far (except Don Pepe of course). That is not completely true, I have had a couple of good salads in Lima, but these people are typical high carbs developing country type people.
- The pillows are of a strange, small, lumpy construction. Imagine a little cushion about one square foot full of wads of cotton batting and you have a Peruvian pillow.
- Napkins in restaurants, at least the ones I go to, are like those little one-ply squares that you get in an ice cream joint, just enough to wipe a finger or corner of your mouth one time. You need around 50 of them to get through a normal meal.

Huanchaco

Friday November 16, 2007

Huanchaco

It was about 11 PM last night by the time I arrived from Lima and got to my hotel in Huanchaco, which is the seaside suburb of Trujillo (pop. 600,000). I had decided that Trujillo was just big enough to avoid and that Huanchaco would provide a laid-back ambience and a bit of relaxation after a lot of running around. Huanchaco started out with a bang alright – literally – as when I arrived they were still building something at the entrance! Great, a quiet seaside break with a little hammering and banging thrown in for good measure.

I was whipped and didn’t care, went to sleep amidst the goings-on, which really weren’t too loud. I think I was the only person in the place as there was one single place set out in the breakfast room when I arrived this morning. As it turned out, that would change in a hurry.

I did the whole town from end-to-end in a couple of hours, which, as is my custom, included scouring all the back streets and weird-looking alleys. The most interesting things are:

There is a TON of construction and roadwork and general repairs going on,
About half of the buildings along the seaside stretch appear to be abandoned restaurants and hotels, or, maybe they haven’t opened up for the season yet.
An abnormal amount of buildings are half-constructed, meaning they built a floor or two and then just stopped and left the remaining concrete and rebar hanging out at the top, like a reminder that there is more to come (took me right back to Thailand where it is also a tradition).

I found the market after a lot of hunting; it is cozy but has everything. You have to find the market right away in a place like this, you never know what you may uncover. I had a quick snack after all that strolling around, met a few people, and practiced my Spanish. Two girls asked me to take their photo, and provided their email addresses and I later sent the pic to them. The internet could be the greatest invention in a hundred years – from Silly Valley to a market in the middle of nowhere, we’re all hooked up instantly if we want to be.

I had second thoughts about my hotel, it is $44 per night, absolutely ridiculous in this part of the country. Needless to say, the construction got up my nose, but when I spoke to Angelita about it she promised that it was only last night and would not be repeated. It so happened that she picked up the phone last week when I phoned from Lima to confirm my reservation, and when she told me her name (means little Angel), I told her that’s exactly what I need for my trip up north, and she burst out laughing.

The other thing I don’t like is that this hotel is at the very north end of town, and it is quite a haul in the dark. I had noticed several shops in the middle of town with their doors permanently locked with bars, and they service their customers through the bars, not a good sign. So I hunted around for a hotel more in the middle of things and found a dandy at half the price with a balcony hanging right over the ocean. I already have it in the back of my mind to stay here longer and shrink my stay in Lima, but my apartment there is already paid, plus my air ticket is non-refundable, so I need to make up the difference somewhere. Just as I was setting sail for Trujillo about 50 Ecuadorian teenagers swarmed the place, as I sit outside with the pounding surf in the evening to write this, I imagine they will soon be back to break up the peace.

My trip in to Trujillo was on a combi, which is a van that is used as a shuttle. Combis have no scheduled stops, you just holler at the driver when you want to get out and hail him when you want to get in. I had gone to the internet center in the middle of town and met everyone there, asking questions about what was where and how far to Trujillo, how could I best get there and back, etc.

Both employees of the internet place were hovering around giving me instructions and tips, the kid even ran inside to get me exact change, and they deposited me on the combi. I had taken the time to have a good yack with both of them, but what really set me aside from the crowd was the SD card I flashed with all my photos on it. This SD card acts as a bridge from my camera and any computer: you just take the stamp-sized memory chip out of the camera and put it in a reader, then into the USB port of a computer. I told them I could put 1,400 photos on it and I was an instant celebrity.

Anyway, I arrived in the middle of Trujillo to meet my cute friend Meidy not having the faintest idea where I was. I latched on to a builder with whom I exchanged cards and he asked if he could give my info to a nephew living in the States somewhere. We had to take a taxi to the main square which he insisted on paying for. These people are a trip, I tell you. I have never seen anything like this hospitality; you could have the entire country at your beck and call if you wanted. I had already known this from my initial contacts with Peruvian babes on the internet; you could tell the people are sincere, simple, and gentle.

I made it to the Main Square and boy, did we have a laugh. Such a charming girl, it was a real pleasure to exchange news and stories, clearly it is a big deal to have a visit from a gringo, even for a pretty hot 32 year-old woman. I tried not to stare at those eyes but it was pretty tough. (Don’t ask me how all this works, I’m just enjoying it.) Meidy’s father drives a taxi, which she had hijacked for this occasion, so she chauffeured us around the center of the city in it. Then we went to a mall (somewhat under construction of course) and to a huge grocery store named Vea that had everything, sort of like Costco. It was really impressive but so were the prices. How can these people afford this stuff? The place was PACKED, go figger.

Off we went, Meidy deposited me back at the best place to get home and I waited for a combi to come by. I thought, what the hell, and jumped on a bus instead.

Sube!! Sube!! Baja!! Baja!! (Climb in!! Climb in!! Get down!! Get down!!)

The bus was packed and the conductor put on an Oscar-winning performance. He hollered at people to get in and out, shepherded old ladies and their packages on and off, and stole the show. He remembered every face and who had got on where and collected the appropriate fare each time. I handed him 30 cents and he never skipped a beat, OK, granted, I am worthy of remembering, how many gringos in a fedora get on each day? We stopped for gas, which was a real treat, there was a gas girl who got on the bus and inspected something while we were filling up (see pic).

I got back to Huanchaco and grabbed a dazzling take-out dinner (I needed a shower too badly to sit and eat), talked to the owner while I had a beer, and met a cool Australian woman who worked on a small tour ship with her husband all summer. This place is definitely way off the beaten path, plus it is a surfing place, there are very few tourists, but many of them are young people carrying surfboards and talking about the next Big Wave.