Day 45. Saturday 12th October. From Hotel Hotel San Agustin Riviera. Lima to Serenity Camp. Ica. Peru. 188miles or 302k’s

Again, I think we were the only guests in a 12 story hotel!! Everything was very adequate. The parking section was covered for Poki, and cavernous. Leaving Lima, it occurred to me that we were hardly qualified to make judgement on the city. It’s a vast place and there are residential area’s that we understand to have palatial homes. Heading through southern suburbs I have to say they were much more salubrious than northern ones. Many large international corporations present. The following two photo’s are hardly representative, but better than none?

City gave way to desert again. We are on a dual carriageway for most of the 280k’s to Ica. Traffic is heavy. We managed to find a supermarket complex about 80k’s south of the city after scanning the all shops along the roadside, the whole time. As mentioned in a previous blog, most of the shopping seems to be in small shops, in country areas particularly. Again our stores are replenished. I don’t know what happens to them, but they don’t last long..:)

Peruvians are avid wall builders. It must be in their genes? For miles either side of towns, along the road, fields of empty land, mostly sand, are invariable enclosed by walls. Usually there is nothing inside, nor evidence of the likelihood.

Highway N-1 South

Highway N-1 South runs close to the ocean. It feels somewhat homely, being the Pacific, and to know that there’s not much land between these shores and ours…:)

All along the coast there are vacant lots being advertised for sale. Some with a little success but not many/ I guess they are aimed at wealthy Liman’s?

At regular intervals are Peage Booths. Road toll collection points, and retail opportunities. Tolls in Peru are expensive, especially compared with Ecuador, where US$1 is the norm. In Peru it’s more like US$5 or more. Having said that, the roads are pretty good. Drivers though have little concern for their fellow motorists. They think nothing of sitting in the outside lane, particularly heavy trucks and buses. Buses however travel very fast.

Accommodation for tonight.

Jen spent much of the afternoon looking for suitable accommodation for us. There are many hotels and hostels, but few have parking, and fewer with gates high enough to allow Poki entry. She excelled as not only did she find one with the right sized gates, but one with some grass and the ability to erect the Caranex.

A couple were watching us set up camp from the poolside, and I suspected they could speak English, so I engaged them. They are from Patagonoa in Chile. After a few words I decided the chap was not a Chilaen, as he had a Slavic accent. Sure enough, Alexei is originally from Moscow, living in a German town in Chile, but holidaying in Peru! He offered to host us when we are down his way. How cool is that!..:)

While watching the two America’s cup races today….more on that later, a chap introduced himself. He had a distinctly British accent. Carl and wife Isobel are motorcycling around the world on 700cc Yamaha Tenere twins. We’ll chat more in the morning.

Now, America’s cup..or is it now going to be NZ’s Cup…:). Sorry Alex ‘cos “our lot, are cleaning your lot, up”…:) I’m only getting a little bit cocky, ‘cos I don’t want to get my comeuppance later…:)

And Mel, it was a difficult afternoon, yesterday. Trying to find our way back to the hotel with a half pissed Jen, stumbling and talking shorthand…:) The things us bloke’s have to deal with…:)

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