24 hours to cross from San Pedro to Arequipa - but it wasn't so bad!
We had originally intended to stop at arica and then try to make it on to Arequipa the next day. However, a little bit of research told us that we could get there in one go. This started with a 8and a half hour overnight trip to Arica, a not so special place but on the border and then the potentially tricky bit across the border in a collectivo. We researched and researched the crossing but there was no way of avoiding. We had done this kind of thing crossing from Mexico to Guatemala many years before and had been swept along in an overwhelming chaotic whirlwind of events - hence the trepidation this time. From there we knew there was a good bus to take us to Arequipa, a further 8 hours away.
The overnight bus wasn't too bad - seats 3 & 4 (panaoramic view! .... at night). The seats were immediately below the video screen that played 20 video songs by Rihanna! Most people had their heads down trying to sleep.
Anyway we arrived in Arica just after 5.30 in the morning where we linked with a couple from Yorkshire, Lisa from Barnsley and Rob from Hull and a Greek bloke (sorry! forgotten your name!!) and together tried to work out the next stage of our journey. After a few tours of the bus station we were directed across the road. We walked right in and lots of people started shouting and waving in our direction. It seemed to be just like Guatemala. However, famous 5 pressed without any lashings of ginger beer and ..... it was quite easy really. There was a board with the fare on it; a man with a white shirt and a clipboard ( the sight of which seemed to calm our nerves!!!!) who directed us to a specific driver - then a slight hiccup while we had to go to a little hut to pay our departure tax (!) and then in the taxi/collectivo and we were away. The driver waved us through all the formalities at the border and it all went very quickly. The driver was in a hurry to be in the queue to take people in the other direction so it he took a keen interest in our speedy passage.
So we arrived at Tacna bus station at 6.00 - not actually a 30 minute journey as Peru is 2 hours behind Chile at this time of year. So we had another look around only to be told that we were again in the wrong bus station as the International (for our national journey!) was next door. We looked for the Cruz del Sur ticket office which was already open and started to book our tickets for the 13.30 bus to Arequipa. Lisa and Rob went first, almost had their ticket in their hands when the booking clerk noticed that Rob was waving his credit card. she shook her head and pointed to the lights and shook her head again, "No luz" - there was a power cut and the computers and the credit card readers were out of action! We had just arrived across the border and had no peruvian currency. There were a few ATMs but they were also out of action - apparently it was the whole city that had ground to a halt (even more than we thought as Peruvian drivers don't really care that much for traffic lights at the very best of times!). So what do we do about money - she pointed around the corner. We all followed the gesture outside and around the corner to discover a row of about 6 people seated behind little desks, waving wads of notes. - money changers!! (dramatic music!). Actually these were 'official' money-hangers - each had a little badge stating a licence number and their designated location- and so we were able to change the Euros that I'd been carrying around in my wallet since our trip to Portugal in July.
It was now 07.00 - only 6 and a half hours to wait now!!!
At 10.00 the power came back on and so we decided that we would buy our onward journey from Arequipa to Cuzco as we were travelling there on Christmas eve and we asumed the demand might be heavy.
30 minutes before departure we had to 'check-in'. Our bags were weighed, had labels attached, were scanned just like travelling by plane. It was to continue like this. as we went through our hand luggage was searched, we were frisked , were scanned by a metal detector, gave our details to a second person, who made us turn 90 degrees so we could be photographed as we walked to the bus. Finally we got on the bus and relaxed - then the attendant came around videoing us and counting out the seat numbers as he filmed!
I don't think I've felt so 'secure' in my life!
So, we got under way ..... and then Bingo! The highlight of the trip!! There were two false calls but I still didn't win - especially as Anne kept arguing about which numbers had been shouted out.
We finally arrived at Arequipa bus station at 8.30 said our goodbyes and were then whisked away. We'd arranged a pick up (he said smugly). So we got to the hostel at 9.00 seemingly 24 hours after starting but actually 26 counting the time difference. We went straight to bed!
We had originally intended to stop at arica and then try to make it on to Arequipa the next day. However, a little bit of research told us that we could get there in one go. This started with a 8and a half hour overnight trip to Arica, a not so special place but on the border and then the potentially tricky bit across the border in a collectivo. We researched and researched the crossing but there was no way of avoiding. We had done this kind of thing crossing from Mexico to Guatemala many years before and had been swept along in an overwhelming chaotic whirlwind of events - hence the trepidation this time. From there we knew there was a good bus to take us to Arequipa, a further 8 hours away.
The overnight bus wasn't too bad - seats 3 & 4 (panaoramic view! .... at night). The seats were immediately below the video screen that played 20 video songs by Rihanna! Most people had their heads down trying to sleep.
Anyway we arrived in Arica just after 5.30 in the morning where we linked with a couple from Yorkshire, Lisa from Barnsley and Rob from Hull and a Greek bloke (sorry! forgotten your name!!) and together tried to work out the next stage of our journey. After a few tours of the bus station we were directed across the road. We walked right in and lots of people started shouting and waving in our direction. It seemed to be just like Guatemala. However, famous 5 pressed without any lashings of ginger beer and ..... it was quite easy really. There was a board with the fare on it; a man with a white shirt and a clipboard ( the sight of which seemed to calm our nerves!!!!) who directed us to a specific driver - then a slight hiccup while we had to go to a little hut to pay our departure tax (!) and then in the taxi/collectivo and we were away. The driver waved us through all the formalities at the border and it all went very quickly. The driver was in a hurry to be in the queue to take people in the other direction so it he took a keen interest in our speedy passage.
So we arrived at Tacna bus station at 6.00 - not actually a 30 minute journey as Peru is 2 hours behind Chile at this time of year. So we had another look around only to be told that we were again in the wrong bus station as the International (for our national journey!) was next door. We looked for the Cruz del Sur ticket office which was already open and started to book our tickets for the 13.30 bus to Arequipa. Lisa and Rob went first, almost had their ticket in their hands when the booking clerk noticed that Rob was waving his credit card. she shook her head and pointed to the lights and shook her head again, "No luz" - there was a power cut and the computers and the credit card readers were out of action! We had just arrived across the border and had no peruvian currency. There were a few ATMs but they were also out of action - apparently it was the whole city that had ground to a halt (even more than we thought as Peruvian drivers don't really care that much for traffic lights at the very best of times!). So what do we do about money - she pointed around the corner. We all followed the gesture outside and around the corner to discover a row of about 6 people seated behind little desks, waving wads of notes. - money changers!! (dramatic music!). Actually these were 'official' money-hangers - each had a little badge stating a licence number and their designated location- and so we were able to change the Euros that I'd been carrying around in my wallet since our trip to Portugal in July.
It was now 07.00 - only 6 and a half hours to wait now!!!
At 10.00 the power came back on and so we decided that we would buy our onward journey from Arequipa to Cuzco as we were travelling there on Christmas eve and we asumed the demand might be heavy.
30 minutes before departure we had to 'check-in'. Our bags were weighed, had labels attached, were scanned just like travelling by plane. It was to continue like this. as we went through our hand luggage was searched, we were frisked , were scanned by a metal detector, gave our details to a second person, who made us turn 90 degrees so we could be photographed as we walked to the bus. Finally we got on the bus and relaxed - then the attendant came around videoing us and counting out the seat numbers as he filmed!
I don't think I've felt so 'secure' in my life!
So, we got under way ..... and then Bingo! The highlight of the trip!! There were two false calls but I still didn't win - especially as Anne kept arguing about which numbers had been shouted out.
We finally arrived at Arequipa bus station at 8.30 said our goodbyes and were then whisked away. We'd arranged a pick up (he said smugly). So we got to the hostel at 9.00 seemingly 24 hours after starting but actually 26 counting the time difference. We went straight to bed!
'So all-in-all a common or garden variety just like any staffroom!!! (I can say that cos nobody at work is bothering to read the blog anyway ; D.' Indeed!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds great. Love the power cut x x x