PERU    DIARY  5

          From Diary 4.
18. Wakeup after 12 hours, and feel great. There is still some fireworks going on, and despite it is only seven, when I hit the streets, it seems like the party is about to start again, although the central par is a bit quiet. The fire brigade is washing the central square, the rest look all right.
I'm still puzzled about, I found a room at a central hotel, and at a real fair price on top of that. Further more, I feel that I have the entire hotel, with lift and huge lounge, all to my self. I find an old fart, preparing me some real nice scrambled eggs with vegetables, and he throws in a glass of warm and thick quinoa.
I do a few loops, in the streets and market with the juice-street, before I head for the car. Then it is 250 kilometres to the next planned site. The road leads right up to 4000 meters, and a lot of small fields and villages. Then the great views start, and I just have to stop several times. The canyons and peaks are huge, and the air clear. Despite I do know, it can’t fit in any frame, I just try anyway.
When I reach Izcuchaca, I have to make a breath stop. An old bridge, town party with bands, and some old buildings. I do a stroll around the square, but stop at four guys, sharing a local beer, and get a taste. I'll bet they are home for the town-festival. Then a tour around the rest of the square and a coffee. But I still have many hours in the mountains left, and head on.
The road reach 4000 meters, but here are quite some tiny fields within the grass, and some areas have crops. The farmers are actually working on these, a rare sight. Despite the hillside is huge, the fields are real tiny, and look like a giant quilt blanket.
I pass several small raw clay villages, where horses and pigs room the dirt-streets.
Then I reach a huge and ugly city, which takes me more than an hour to cross. On the other side, is a giant valley, which is real farmed. It continues at 3300 meters height for a long time, and it is through one little village after another. And they all have many speed-bumps, like everywhere else in South America.
Then the road drops to 3000 metres and the town of Tarma. One of the three officers, which have stopped me today, told it is a warm town. Well, it feels like the others, but the sun have gone, and it isn’t even three.
I find the hotel, but none is home at present. And not an hour later either. I walk to the pedestrian street and find a makeshift vegetarian burger. And keep an eye out for a plan B hotel.
The sun returns, and I see the central part of town. It is not one of the glorious old colonial towns, but they sure have worse towns in Peru. Some of the new, big cities are hideous and in a real bad way.
I fail to find anything real interesting, but cake and ATMs are always appreciated. And any bed accompanied with a hot shower. I actually get bounced by three hospedaljes, before a nice, central hotel let me in. I have no idea, why they are occupied in this town?
It seems like quarter of the town is made up of the bus stations. Anything from fancy 4x4 till huge busses with anything on the roof. I feel fine, having my own transportation.
At dusk, I feel I have seen sufficient of this place, and withdrawn to my room. I so much miss my computer at full speed. Well, I’m behind with WRC rally, and that fill my evening, although I only can watch it on my iPhone.  Highlights from the day

19. A real long drive marks the end of the mountain section of this tour. It should have been 423 kilometres in well over seven hours, but get significantly more.
First, I have to find my way out of the city. Then up above 4200, where there are quite some farming going on. Over 4400, it get yellow grassland, and here are some lakes. Then it is all about mining for a long time, around 5000 meters height. Entire mountains are being removed. Not pretty at all, and I pass an equal ugly huge city.
On the other side, I enters a massive gorge. Getting photos of is hard, due to the contrasts. Here are several cacti on the almost vertical mountain walls, but I only get some blurry bye-shoots. I can't walk the walls, and I'll hate to let a truck I just passed, get bye, while I walk along the road. Passing the trucks do take some commitment in this twisted gorge.
Then the road works its way downwards to around 800 meters. As I approach the outskirts of Lima at ten, I stock water, juice, cheese buns and a bit surprisingly; hot cafe latte in a new soft-drink bottle with a new cork. I wished more have that idea.
I pass through the large city of Chosica, and it is truly a desert city. Surrounded by massive gravel mountains, and only green, when watered. 
And then I spend around three hours regretting, I chose the short route, leading through Lima. Can’t say, if it is because it Sunday, but the traffic is pretty intense. And some streets are closed to road-works, and that create some rather complicated situations.
When I finally make it to the huge toll-road, it only last for a few kilometres. Then many hundreds cars and trucks are parked at a paying station. None know anything, and like many others, I head into the dunes, trying to connect with the coastal road..
People are living - or at least surviving, in these dunes. I spend almost an hour, finding my way through this improvised maze of sand trails and shags, on the rather steep and giant sand dune.
Eventually, I find the coastal toll-road, and it is an adventure. Only two well used lanes, but through huge dunes and sand-mountains. Views to the sea and the inland desert. And here are no hints of plants at all. It is hard to tell the photos apart, but is was a fantastic tour. Then the road merge with the inland toll-road, and get good, but dull.
I pass through another humble desert town; Huarmey, which have nothing to offer, than a few motives and food for the truck-drivers. Here start to be white sand dunes in the red mountains. When a few plants occurs, I make a quick stop.
I gas the car outside Barranca, and find my way to the hotel fairly easy. I even get to park the car inside the house. It have become real late; almost four, and I check the town right away. And get a big mount of fried rice at a street-stand. I find several markets and a lot of Sunday improvised stands in the central streets. It is real intense and crowded, and kind of a blessing, when it darkens, and I can head home. What surprises me is that I have to wear a jacket right away. I had expected 75 meters above sea to be significantly warmer. Not any change, compared with 4000 meters. Must be the sea? It ought to be 40C colder down here.  Highlights from the day

20. It is drizzling this morning, and I got a feeling of, the coastal sandy desert get all years water today. Well, here are no plants at all, and not even lichen. It is huge and barren sand dunes and granite gravel mountains.
I can see the sea time and time again, but fail to talk my self into finding a path to the beach. It is a wild, rocky coastline, and the wind is right in. Those I have seen so far, have not really been interesting to me.
A single wadi have a few interesting plants, and strangely enough; no drizzle like the rest I have driven in today. I make a long stroll, and see the plants, but no animals at all.
There is a unexpected tourist sign for the archaeological site; Sechin Ruins, I’m aiming for, but I am just lead out on en endless granite gravel area. And it is bumpy and sometimes really loose. Rather exiting, as I'm the only one out here. I turn around after seven kilometres, and follow my own tracks back to the dirt-road and then the highway.
I find a museum with the same name on the GPS, and the little oasis town Casma it is found in. The guard tells me, they are closed today; might be Monday? I head into the town for a coffee syrup, and realise, I only have an hours drive to the next hotel. Well, it is a beach town, and could be interesting.
On the way, I head down to Tortuga; another little beachfront. A stroll along the beach for once, and here are shells. Then through even more dead desert and some artificial irrigated fields, with anything from Lucerne over sugarcane to wine.
I reach Chimbote, and find the staffed hotel right away. Drop the content of the bag, and head into the central part of town. Way out in the bay, next to some white limestone hills, the large fishing fleet is anchored, and it look great.
I swing into the trading area, and stumble over a great cappuccino layer-cake.
It is a young city, and I sure miss the old colonial buildings. As the archaeological area was closed, I got quite some time to explore the city. I failed to find any nature worth exploring, as it is either sterile gravel or crops and weed, artificially irrigated.
Then city get explored, and there are plenty for the entire afternoon. I fail to understand it, but despite I’m at sea level, I should have brought a jacket. It does help, when the sun breaks through the mist, but the buildings take most.
Just to have something to hunt, I find a new small purse and a clip magnet for the GPS. If I not already had bought a spare jacket, I could have found one here.
Like other places in Peru, the stalls at each market are really mixed. Chickens, iPhones, cloths, water taps, herbs, suits, fruit, soap, tobacco, shoemakers and hairdressers next to each other. Actually, some stands are mixed with odd combinations. And here are many casinos around. Must be the miners who have easy money.
I do loop after loop, both in the “fancy” part, and the absolute not. Everyone is just so smiling and friendly. I re-find the fancy café I started at, and this late in the afternoon, they have the sun in. Only place in the sun I have seen for a long time, and it is really appreciated by me. Others stick to the shadows.
At five, I start looking for dinner in a midrange place, as the button section are too low here, and top-end only serve dishes with cadavers in. Then it is time to head home and back-up photos, write diary and recharge.  Highlights from the day
         The last bit is in Diary 6.