Today we left Ecuador, and it was a 5 hour journey to the border. After getting on the bus Diego told us that this public bus had a toilet on board but with a dead straight face ´only for girls, and only for number ones.´ It was amazing how the countryside changed during the trip, from the green mountains of Cuenca, to the humid rainforest type climate and vegetation we´d seen near Tena, to endless banana plantations and finally to flat desertlike scenes at the border. It was very hot at the border and we got off the bus to leave Ecuador. Then we had to take taxis across Huaquillas which is between the two countries and then walked to meet our new tour guide. It was very sad to lose Diego who had looked after us very well, and our new leader seemed very different. He rushed us the rest of the way through town and seemed pleased to get us some transport. But looking into the bus we all thought ´would diego put us in here?´ He told the driver again that there were 15 of us - and they said - íts ok-get in!´
It was a camper van, we had to put all our bags on the seats (some of which were not fixed to the floor) and get in to it. There was not enough room for us all to sit down and there were two windows missing! When he told us this was our bus to Mancora I think we all thought he was joking! We drove to the Peruvian customs which was a good 10 minutes down the road and then got out. We still thought he had other transport arranged until he told us to leave our bags in the van. so we had to go to Mancora stuck into this camper van like sardines with all our stuff, our new guide, the driver and his helper. It was a 2 hour journey and everytime we went over a bump i the road you could smell burnt rubber from the chassis rubbing the wheels, and we had all had enough by the time we arrived.
The new guide - Alfredo - apologised when we arrived, but luckily we all instantly felt better as the weather at this seaside town was perfect, and so was our hotel - and Alfredo's outgoing and continuously happy personality would soon rub off on anyone.
Welcome to Peru.
