Short taxi ride to the bus station for 9 of us... only to find that the bus had broken down and a different bus would make the trip as far as Hulaycha, where we'd be able to board the deluxe bus. Not happy Jan! After much venting by Zac (after all this was his honeymoon trip) and some money refunded we were loaded onto the alternative bus. Interesting to see how careful he is to ensure that luggage is securely loaded together and preferably away from the general cargo/luggage area which would be accessed numerous times throughout the trip ... and where there was a distinct smell of fish from a previous cargo. Not for the first time that I have been thankful for the skill and determination of our tour leader .... Senor Tour Leader as Milka likes to call him. We'd been travelling for hours, when Milka asked, “Senor Tour Leader, what time is the lunch?” Lunch would have been served on the deluxe bus ... but not on this one. It was about 3 or 4pm when we pulled in to Hulyacha to change buses ... but there was little time to get anything other than packets of biscuits from nearby traders. The bus was waiting for us ... and why not – the 9 of us outnumbered the other passengers.
Back to that trip – we passed through amazing scenery. You don't have to go farout of Cusco to find small farming communities, mud brick houses, people in traditional clothing tending small numbers of animals, small festival groups dancing and singing, Inka ruins and vistas of snow capped mountains. Schools are interesting – often quite large, and students mostly very well dressed in uniforms.
The bus stopped several times to pick up passengers ... the first stop was just outside the bus station gates, where apparently cheaper tickets can be obtained. On one occasion 2 women carrying huge bundles wrapped in the usual bright cloth boarded the bus in the middle of nowhere. They struggled up to the top deck, and just as I was wondering how they were going to get it down the aisle with their load, they heaved it up onto a platform and started selling stuff from it. We didn't understand any of the language, but one went up and down the bus taking orders while the other proceeded to pull the bundle apart enough to dig into and chop servings of roasted lamb ribs off, shove them into a plastic bag along with a couple of potatoes. Our camera wasn't quick enough to capture this chopping action, sadly. When all customers had been served, they hopped off the bus, not doubt waiting for another bus in the opposite direction to take them back again.
No – we didn't have lamb and potatoes for lunch ... just biscuits.
Hulayaca has to be seen to be believed. Apparently it's not far from Puno and the Bolivian border ... and is a mecca for imported, black market goods. Biscuits we bought were made in Bolivia .... so for 2 soles, we got 1 packet wafer cream biscuits and a bottle of soft drink. It's also a dry, dustbowl with so much construction, unfinished buildings and litter. Don't stop there unless you have to.
The new bus was spacious – only 3 seats across, good recliners and footrests ... but really bad movies. Japanese or Chinese films with Spanish subtitles...
Arrived at Arequipa late – but really looking forward to checking out the sites I missed on our last visit here – no problems with 'altitude sickness' this time.
No comments:
Post a Comment