A 6 hour journey by bus took us through the border and into Peru to a place called Piura. An uneventful journey although we were aware of the change of country. On the Peru side the land was less cultivated and the houses often were of sticks or sticks with mud. We saw some funny sights, two men trying to take a huge pig across the road, one leading and the other pushing its rump, the pig objecting. A small woman leading a huge cow on the road. Restaurants with whole cooked pigs outside off which they just cut what is required.
We travelled with Gilles-Yann (Julian) and Clara but when we got to Piura they decided to stay there and we changed buses and carried on to Chiclayo. The scenery to Chiclayo was amazing, it changed from green to sand, sand, sand, nothing but desert. A huge desert, with hills then flat for miles and the road was just as straight as. We arrived there in the evening and a great cab driver whisked us off to a hotel we thought we couldn't afford especially when we saw their rate board which said 'Double 65 soles'. Lucky he knew them better than us and we got a great room with a great baño (with lovely hot water) and tv for 30 soles (US$10, NZ$15).
Each day we went to a different area to see a museum. We were most enthused with the one in Lambayeque which really showed the huge amount of work that goes into an archeological dig. These important guys were buried with layer upon layer of jewellery and clothing and other religious stuff around them. Over time it has all disentegrated in some way or other and the archeologists have to reassemble what has often become one big clump.
We have found the people in Peru so far to be very friendly and smiley and interested in where we are from etc. The meals are the usual soup and main and drink and cost about 4 soles (NZ$2), the piquante here is a bit hotter, more like Mexico and we enjoy it. The streets are full of yummy things to eat, mostly sweet, Carol is having a hard time resisting it all.
