Good Afternoon Everyone!
Today’s blog update is from Navan, Ireland …… yes, not the location I expected to be updating it from .. but that is the way the month of October on our travels, worked out for us. Basically, it was a dreadful month for us both, primarily due to illness related items and it was as a result of this, that we decided to come back to Europe very early in an attempt to recuperate and return to South America and complete our last six months of our trip.
Pottery & woodwork some old and some new
The month of October started off well enough, and the details are outlined below:2nd/3rd October : We were in the coastal area of Ecuador, we stayed in Pedernales on the coast for two nights. A very nice seaside village except that where we parked was outside a disco and on the other side of the road there was a bar. On arrival while we were getting set up, our camper door closed in the rain. We ended up with locals having to use a crow bar to open the camper door.
4th/5th October : We visited the Rio Muchaco Organic Finca (farm) – The first day on our visit, we did a familiarisation tour around the facility and on the second day along with three Canadian guests, our activities included a walk to a gigantic tree, we experienced a very organic lunch, after that we made finger rings from the seed casing. Next we had to plant a tree in the ‘vegetable and fruit’ garden mine was Grapefruit, Jan’s was a lemon tree. The last activity that we did for the day was to make a face mask from natural plant ingredients. When the paste was made, it was then applied to our faces and of course we ended up looking younger after the experience. You can see all the photos in the gallery that I loaded for the October month.
6th/7th October : we stayed on the beach at Manta. Jan was not well, hence our second night stay. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and managed to park right down at the waters edge. Later that night we moved back to a more secure area on the beach for security reasons. On the Monday, Jan spent most of the day recovering from his interrupted night. The bay is lovely and there is a ship building area and fishing port area along the beach. Claire had a walkabout while Jan rested. On the Monday morning we both did a longer walk and visited the fish market and boat builders. We were surprised at the range of fish that they managed to catch of this coastal area. Check the album (galleries) for photographs.
8th October: Pedro Carbo we stayed at a filling station. We had driven a bit longer than we planned and wanted to stop before it got dark. We parked beside a field that had lovely trees and flowers in it. I thought they were lovely and ended up taking photographs on the evening we arrived, it was ool and grey in the evening and then in the morning and I noticed a huge contrast in the behaviour of the flowers and leaves on the tree nearest to our vehicle. The bonus for Jan then, was before we departed we discovered that there was a ‘cheap diesel’ offer which suited us as we had planned to fill up in Ecuador diesel price is cheaper in Ecuador than in Peru.
9th/10th October Tue/Wed: 09/10.10.2013 – Guayaquil we parked in the ‘Alban Borja’ shopping complex. We had internet access and managed to contact family and friends. Claire also had her hair cut and re-styled. While leaving Guayaquil, we came across a MAN dealer workshop. Alas, for us it was too late as we had our truck serviced in Quito less than a month ago. What a pity.
Another lovely seaside village
11th October : we overnighted in the village of Naranjal This was to be our last overnight in Ecuador. It was off the main road in a nice and quiet residential area.
We drove out of Ecuador and into Peru on the 12th October 2013
12th October : This is our first crossing that we could say we had problems. What happened is very easily done. We saw on the Peruvian side as we left the new combined building for exit and entry into Ecuador, but there was no access for us to enter it as we were leaving the country. As we drove out of Ecuador and were conscious of the fact that we didn’t hand in any papers anywhere to exit ourselves or the vehicles. On the Peruvian side, we went into the new combined building (a mirror image of the one we saw on the Ecuadorian side of the bridge) of exit and entry between Ecuador and Peru.
We got our entry visas very quickly for Peru. However when we went into the customs area for the vehicles, they started to process us as normal, however at some point they asked for the exit (from Ecuador) papers for the camper and bike…. as far as I was concerned it was none of their business that we didn’t have them … it was Ecuador’s problem … that didn’t work … basically they want to see them to be sure we didn’t buy or pick up vehicles at the border itself. I lost that argument and they told us we have to go back to Ecuador and get these papers. Needless to say the two of us are not happy and start to drive back to this ‘mirror building’ back in Ecuador about 3km back the road. The security men start chit-chatting to Jan, I hop out with all the papers and run looking for this office as I want to catch it before is closes for ‘siesta’ and discover that the office is well and truly closed. I end up going into another office to find when it will be ‘open for business’ only to be told we have to travel back a further 6km to the ‘old building’ get the vehicles processed there. Into the camper again, and we go back further and recognise this old building that we had passed about 90 minutes earlier – we thought that it was a bus station.
In the forecourt yes, there were lots of buses with passengers arriving and departing. Eventually we found out which hatch we had to go to – to be processed. I queued up and when there was about 4-5 people in front of me (the queue moves very slowly) I noticed the customs official just leave his desk. Everyone assumed in the beginning that he had just stepped out to the toilet or something. I asked the others in the queue
Now you know why there are so many road works along our route, plenty of equipment as well as workers!
after about 10 minutes as to when the man would return. No one knew anything. After about one hour all of us complaining another gentleman in uniform appeared outside of the hatch we all asked him, he said another guy would be manning the hatch in about another twenty minutes. That did happen. The inspection (of the vehicle numbers and chassis numbers to make sure that what we brought into the country, we brought out again) by the Ecuadorians was quite thorough and eventually we got our papers stamped out of Ecuador and a copy of that document with stamp and signature for the Peruvian authorities was handed to us.
We left and got back to the Peruvian building and they carried out all their paper work and registering of the vehicles into their country. I gave out to the man telling him that it costs us three hours of our time and in the end, he decided not to inspect the vehicles. A small recompense I admit.
Anyway, we were in Peru and just wanted to get down to a place called Tumbes to overnight. When we were at the entrance to the airport, on the opposite side of the road, there was a filling station and it had a ‘rice paddy tractor’ that I wanted to photograph … Jan stopped and I hopped out camera in hand … while I was photographing I was attacked quite viciously by three dogs. I got a terrible fright and to this day, I still do not know why I was attacked. Anyway after three hospitals, some anti biotics, pain killers and an anti rabies vaccine (quite painful) later, I survived. We ended up overnighting outside the 1st hospital for the night. At this stage Jan has started to complain about an ear ache …
Another, very unusual town emblem (street art)
13th October : Paita – we overnighted here this night. During the day, we had a lovely drive and visited Colán. I was sore from the wounds on my legs and buttocks as well as my hand while trying to fend of the dogs during the attack, I also had pain from the seat belt hitting the area on my abdomen where they gave me the anti rabies vaccine. We stayed on the beach again in a little parking area. Lovely town on the coast very busy and full of life. Jan’s ear ache was still bothering him.
14th October : The village of San Francisco, we had a little chat with a man and his son that lived near to our parking spot. Earlier in the day we visited Catacaos and Piura. We had made the decision already to visit Keulap, a fortress in the mountains and continue along this mountainous route in a southerly direction down to Chacapoyas, Celidín and continue down and visit Cajamarca, Cajabamba, Huamachuco and then return to the coast at Trujillo. We had heard from other globetrotters that is was possible and that even for our heavy vehicle it would be ok if we took it easy. Of course in hind-sight now, we never made it. Explanations and reasons for this, details you can read further on.
15th – 22nd October : Yes seven nights at a filling station in Bagua Grande. When we arrived here, Jan was very unwell, he tried to eat when I made dinner, that didn’t work out. He then climbed into bed (this was Tuesday) by the Friday he still had not eaten at all and did not really drink he was very ill. I had put him on anti biotics that we had in the car in the hope that his ‘ear infection’ would be sorted out. This also did not work. On Friday I bundled him into a tuc tuc type taxi and we went to the hospital. Three hospitals later they had syringed both ears, the left one was the problem one and we got back to the camper. I expected of course a speedy recovery. This was not to be. When he got back to the camper on the Friday afternoon he returned to bed and stayed there more-or-less till the Tuesday. We drove from there to Chacapoyas. He was still feeling very ill so we checked into a hotel for the next three nights.
23rd-25th October : Chacapoyas once we had checked into the hotel. At least here we had internet. Jan went straight to bed. Yet again. I managed to get out to a tourist office and 1) arranged a tour for both of us to Keulap (there was no way Jan could attempt to drive it and 2) to find out about the road conditions along the mountain route heading south. It was a bit rainy here but I would not have considered a risk, however I asked the question. It transpired that they recommended us about five tourist agencies and gave me tips and information about Keulap. The lady was excellent in all her advice. The second issue I did not expect. It turned out that the road we wanted to travel was actually closed and would be till the 31st October inclusive due to road works. That put the kybosh on our plans, we had already lost, so much time.
Toll station, with the route outlined (note our famous ‘Bagua Grande’ is mentioned)
We went on the tour on the Thursday. A lovely place but Jan was very ill this day. He was jaundiced again and he was struggling with the walking that we had to do at the fortress. When we got back to the hotel, it was bed again.
The decision was made, to get out of the mountains as quick as possible and head down to Lima and try to get back to Europe from there rather than waiting till the end of November and leave from maybe Cusco or anywhere south along the coastal area of Peru.
26th October : Pucara, we just drove along the route back to Bagua Grande and onto Pucara. No sightseeing or anything.
27th October : Nuevo Chimbote we finally made it to the PanAmerican highway again. Jan was driving maybe 3 hours a day but becoming exhausted .. and he still was not eating properly. At least now we were out of the mountains and on the main road south.
28th October : We only made it as far as Chancay, and couldn’t make it down to Lima. Jan was weak again and we stopped at a road side restaurant and parked there for the night.
29th-31st October : We finally reached Lima. Our next problem was to find somewhere we could store the camper. We tried a couple of places in the Miraflores area of Lima, but none of them worked out for us. Basically the places were full up. We could try them again in a week or so. However to us, time was not what we had spare. We went over to an area north of the city near the airport and had planned to try other places the next morning. Claire also put a question out on Facebook for other globetrotters to see and maybe respond to. Ultimately this proved very successful for us. The next morning we took a taxi back over to the Miraflores area and made face to face enquiries and made a reservation for the storage of the camper. On the way back to the north side of the city in the taxi, Jan was once again ill and jaundiced. He was too weak to bring the camper over to the storage area that afternoon. Finally on Thursday morning the camper was brought over and stored.
This area around Talmara (Peru) was stunning, the only downside was the huge amount of drilling platforms in the area
1st November : We flew back to Europe and since then we have been in and out of medical facilities for tests. We have no results to date. In passing just to mention, I received an insect bite in September last. This bite wound never healed up and so I am having this checked out as well.
So, on the upside, when we have had a break we will return to complete the rest of our trip. Of our two year trip, we now have three quarters of it now finished.
Hopefully our next months issue will be brimming of all good news!!!!
