Peru Six month backpacking trip through Bolivia, Peru and central America: update 7/14
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Johan Kruseman
Updated on 15 September 2024
Updated on 15 September 2024
I’ve had some more adventures:
Rafting on the Apurimac River
In Cuzco I did an insane four-day rafting trip. Now, the issue was that our guide was really into surfing (with a raft). That means you raft in the same spot in the river while the river flows super fast underneath you, WITHOUT PADDLING. So, we thought that was fun too, only he didn’t mention that if you stop surfing, you almost always flip. He only said that when we were happily surfing. So, I had to be rescued by the kayaker Frank. On the second-to-last day, we reached a Class V rapid. Nowhere in the world do they let untrained people take such a rapid, but this is Peru. Our guide thought we were good enough to take on this rapid (the other boat wasn’t allowed), but unfortunately, we flipped, and I had to swim back to my big friend Frank, who brought me back to the shore with his kayak.
Helping out the son of the restaurant owner
Then I worked as a “propper” for a few days, convincing other tourists to visit my Peruvian friend’s restaurant. He got 1 sol (30 cents) for everyone he got into the restaurant. However, there were days when, after 6 hours of work, he had brought in only 4 people. Not a really nice hourly wage. But fortunately, with my English, I could convince tourists much better, and in no-time we had the restaurant completely packed for the first time in its existence. And in the meantime, I taught him English, and he taught me Spanish.
Roadblock
When I finally wanted to leave Cuzco, there was a roadblock. This was a blockade by students who don’t have money to buy books since everything is privatized (at least that’s what I made of it with my Spanish). Anyway, I was, of course, the only one who didn’t know that the bus wasn’t going, so I was there alone in the bus (lots of legroom suddenly).
Cows, milk, and laughter
Oh, and something general about Bolivia and Peru: even though the Netherlands is known worldwide for legal marijuana, here in Bolivia and Peru, it’s “Milk, cows, and yogurt.” Literally everyone, when I say I’m from the Netherlands, immediately says, “ah, milk, cows, and yogurt!!!” I finally found out why in Peru. They have an extremely silly commercial where our country is made completely ridiculous. In a Teletubbies-like landscape, cows frolic between windmills and Zeeuwse Meisjes, and everyone laughs and drinks milk and yogurt.
Deepest Canyon
I just got back from the Colca Canyon, near Arequipa. At least that’s what I thought because every travel agency offers one-day trips to the Colca Canyon. However, the bus ride turned out to be 7 hours long. I was so glad I didn’t go with a tour because they had to wake up at 3.00 in the morning! That canyon is the deepest canyon in the world, deeper than the Grand Canyon, they say. Since I’ve fully descended this one and not the Grand Canyon, I’m more than happy to believe that. On the way back, we got an English lesson from someone who wanted to sell his booklets “Inglés, fácil!” One example: caballo is written in English as ‘horse,’ but you pronounce it as ‘gorse’! Fantastic, I didn’t know that.
And finally, I want to end with: El Niño Alert
- Issued November 15, 2002
- There is nearly a 100% probability that El Niño conditions will continue for the remainder of 2002 and into early 2003.
So, I’m going to buy a raincoat!
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Traveled route: Puno, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Cusco, Aguas Caliente, Macchu Picchu, Lima, Huaraz
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Six month backpacking trip through Bolivia, Peru and central America: update 8/14
The last 3 days in Peru have given the concept of ‘car’ a whole new dimension. Things a car definitely doesn’t need are (a) the starter motor and (b) the gas pedal.
First, I was in a bus without a starter motor. Not a big deal as long as you p
Peru
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