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PERU    INFO & DIARY  1

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 GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary)
The Republic of Peru is an unitary presidential constitutional republic, covering 1.285.216 square kilometres in the north-western South America. It borders Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east and Bolivia and Chile to the south. The western part is dry and semi-dry desert while the east is cloud forests and deep jungles in the Amazons. My tour is mainly in the dryer areas.
It is the home of more than 32 millions citizens, of which 97% are Christians. The ethnic groups are 45% Amerindian, 37% Mestizo, 15% White, and 3% others. The Official languages are Spanish, Quechua and Aymara - neither I understand.

The currency is Peruvian Sol, worth 2,20 Danish Krone and €0,27. The GDP is US$180.291 billion.

The climate is diverse due to the high mountains. See the maps on the button this page. The rainy season is December to Marts, but that does not mean much to the coast, as it hardly rain here at all.
The diverse climate offers the diverse habitats for a huge range of flora and fauna. I will not be looking for anything in particular, as I'm here to study the desert biomers in general.
Among the more interesting mammals are the Vicuña; Vicugna vicugna, Guanaco; Lama guanicoe, Vizcacha; Lagidium Peruanum, Puma; Puma concolor, Spectacled bear; Tremarctos ornatus, Jaguar; Panthera onca, Anaconda; Eunectes murinus and the Andean condor;Vultur gryphus.
Peru has over 1,800 species of birds, of which some are absolutely spectacular. I only hope to see some of the Aras. Her are more than 300 species of reptiles, and 380 species of amphibians. And then there are the animals along the coastline.

The flora is even richer with more than 25.000 species. Due to my interest and the rainy season, I will mainly be looking at the many cacti and other desert dwellers. Here are at least 232 or more cacti species! I think here are 69 caudiciforms, and I would like to see them all.
Another interesting quest will be looking for the 2,500 species of orchids, distributed in 224 genera.

    I was actually in Peru some years ago – by mistake.
My friend Jesper and I was on our way to Ecuador, via Heathrow in England and Bogotá in Columbia. But the flight from Heathrow was delayed three hours, and we missed the Bogotá flight. Here, they have keep another connecting flight to Quito in Ecuador, back. We run over to it, along with a lot of others, and in the air, the captain tell us that we are landing in Quito in about 1 ½ hours, and we go to sleep.

I think we fly for an eternity, but we have been on the road for 19 hours, the 14 in the air. Finally, we land, rush out of the plane, but get halt back in the arrivals hall. Must wait, we don't know for what. The other passengers rush past us. We wait a little, then decides that the other can wait for their suitcases, while we take a taxi to the Hotel Grand.
Through the empty custom, show the passport and the handed-out visa form. We are just not allowed to pass. We are laboriously explained in a correct and easily understood Spanish (or is it Portuguese?), that we have the wrong visa form. For crying out loud! Then, the stewardess has given us the wrong form, when it was distributed out to us, and those who would continue the flight to Peru. We ask if we cannot just get a new one, so we can get out to Quito, and find a hotel. "Quito? - You are in Lima / Peru!"
I would not rule out that we look a little baffled, in 1 ½ seconds which elapse, before we rush back to the transit hall. No hurry, the plane is only about 5-6 hours. When we left Bogotá, we were told we flew to Quito, first, and then to Lima. Then it just started to get windy in Quito, and then we flew just a few additional hours to Lima. We cannot fly back now; the airport in Quito closes at midnight. There will be arranged for a small sandwich and Peruvian coffee – which by the way; is not recommended!
We spend a very long night in Lima, before we finally fly to Quito / Ecuador, and landing 12 hours delayed.

DIARY
8/5 2024. This diary is a bit short, as my computer lost the battery, and I can't use my photos as notes, nor write the diary on the computer. iPhones are just not the same for me.
I arrival from Bolivia at eight in the evening
. It take over an hour to get the car and pay for one more full insurance, which turned out to be well over 1200 US$, not Sol and further more, a hoax as the one I already had WAS sufficient. Then two hours to drive the 50 km to the hotel, as most is in the city and rush-hour. I don’t get cash, and can’t pay the toll-road. I eventually make it, but real time consuming, and by some minor de-tours. Then I can't find the Brave Surf Hostel in Punta Hermosa. The entire area seems to be be spitted up in several road systems, each have its two guards and poles. I finally get a security officer on a motorcycle, guiding me all the way. I get my room and a large banana, and call it a day.

9. I actually wake up kind of fresh; a first for a week or so. I have another long drive ahead of me, and get to it. It is 300 kilometres along the enormous coastal sand dunes, which are impressive, but not really interesting for 300 kilometres.
I get one 100 kilometre de-tour into the interior and Lunahuana, along a large river.
The river make it an oasis, with vine and other crops, but also a lot of trash. The roads are in general great in Peru, but here are a lot of trash everywhere, and they really like their horns, although they drive more calm than Bolivians.
Back to the coast, which still is dominated by fog and bad views in general. I get pulled over by a cop, telling me; I should have light on, and he wants to give a fee. I talk myself out of it, but only just. I really don't get why the light is just not on automatically, on new cars, when it is mandatory. Later, I find only half use the lights, including police cars.
I reach the huge city of Ica around three, and find the huge hotel right away. It is in the edge of town, and I make a stroll all the way out to the enormous sand-dunes. Then by car back to the central trading area at rush-hour, but remain in the car, as it is a fairly new city, and it don't really seems to hold any interesting parts.  Highlights from the day  (in a new page)

10. Wakeup rather fresh at six. I am looking at a tough drive today: 500 kilometres and around eight hours. I will pass the Nazca Lines, but have no intention of renting a plane to see them. I have seen quite some small ones through time, and I let it stay at that.
I start at 1500 meters height, and work my way up to 4550 meters. At first, it is through barren sand desert, then there start to be a few herbs and cacti.
Realising it is going to be a long drive, I almost restricted from making photos stops. One side of the mountains are real twisted, while the other is smooth grass covered hills.
I find a bag of tasty buns and a large bunch of tiny and sweet bananas. Here are some irrigated areas, mainly with vine, but also Opuntias, which are farmed for their  tasty fruits. Palpa is an oasis, covering a huge valley. Then it is barren sand once more.
When I reach the Nazca area, there is a huge viewing tower for the Nazca Lines right next to the road, and I get a discount, as he don't fancy my three 200 Sol notes. Here are several clear figures, right next to the tower, and I feel, I have had the experience.
The town of Nazca is next up, and another little oasis, which fail to pull me over.
Here stat to be some cacti on the else so barren gravel along the road. It is a small Cereus of some sort at first. Then several others joining, despite the real hostile environment. It is around 1500 meters. Then I reach an area with the true Candelabra Cactus, and they are impressive.
At 2750 meters height, some are trying to grow pines and Eucalyptus. Might be a bit to optimistic. Around 4000 meters height, it is rather flat grassland with quite some lakes. Here are some sheep, cows, alpacas and lamas. I see some wild vicuñas as well. Here are a few donkeys and horses, and at first, endless empty chicken farms.
The car have a real annoying alarm, engaging itself, and refusing to turn off. However, when it lock me out of the car, with the key inside, I get real desperate. It is in the middle of nowhere, and I’m rather desperate. Luckily, one window is slightly open, and I manages to force it open enough to reach inside and open a door.
Here start to be real lush and green. Eucalyptuses along with many native plants covers the ground. The last bit is through a giant gorge.
I reach the little cosy Chalhuanca after ten hours of intense driving. I’m chased away from a parking upper-site from the hotel, as it is the police station. 20 meters down to the square, there are a few vacant spots.
A stroll up and down the main street with a waffle-stop. I get a huge mug warm milk, with a tiny cup of coffee along. Working on the 321 photos of the day can't really be done, due to the lack of speed on the computer. Without the battery, it is immense slow, and I lack patience.  Highlights from the day
          The adventure goes on in Diary 2.

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