Leaving Peru for good.

 I knew that eventually the time would come when I had to turn my back on South America and return to the UK, but did not expect it to happen like this. I had been in Peru now for over a year, instead of the usual 6 months, lockdown and curfew regulations were still in place (and being largely ignored by large numbers of people, resulting in Peru having the highest mortality rates in the world (per 100,000 people).

When I first started my annual visits to Peru I rented a small apartment, and had used the same one for 6 of my 8 visits, and although it was "furnished" I had accumulated a lot of personal items over the years, especially things in the kitchen, as well as my motorbike - which was still in pieces with the mechanic! I needed to divest myself of all of these things, so started sorting out the things I needed/wanted to keep from those I would be giving away. I could have sold some of them, but decided that there were people who could benefit far more from receiving these items, than the monetary value I could receive. Some I would like to have kept, like my fishing tackle, but, apart, from the weight of these, I was pretty sure that my beach fishing days were over due to the lack of a shoulderblade on my dominant arm, so these were bundled up and given away.

Oli, the motorbike, was a problem. It still was not running, and the mechanic did not appear to have a clue how to rectify this, so in the end I gave it to Carmen's (my guardian angel) son. I had spent a lot of money on new parts during my current stay in Huanchaco - new fuel tank, new seat, loads of new engine parts - but felt I couldn't sell a non-runner that might never run again, so spoke to Carmen's son and he agreed to take on the project. As well as the bike, there were loads of extras like tools, crash helmet and the two bolt-on panniers. Ironically it took his mechanic only a few days to get Oli running again, but I was pleased it had gone to a new home.

I gave Carmen first choice on everything else, but did give a lot of things to Manuel and Valeria (including the fishing gear), who were the first friends I made in Peru, and who used to look after all my things when I went back to Brazil every year. It still left me with a lot of things and I was pleased that my ticket back to the UK included 2 pieces of checked luggage.

Throughout all this I was still having the wound on my shoulder dressed twice a day by Carmen, and as the flight date approached I realised that the wound would still be open by the time I left. Due to Peru being on the UK's "Red list" I needed to stay in a quarantine hotel for 10 days on arrival, and duly notified them I would need daily treatment on my shoulder, but for the flight itself (it was going to take around 24 hours until I was in the hotel) Carmen simply put extra padding on the wound, and taped it up to prevent any leaks.

The day of departure arrived, and it was quite an emotional affair. Carmen and her son took me to the airport, and the farewell was difficult, especially as we both knew it was probably going to be our last meeting. Trujillo to Lima was uneventful, but I had to collect my baggage there to check in for the next leg as it was a different airline. This was unusual as generally if you book a trip through one company (in this instance LATAM) your baggage is checked in until your final destination, but I collected my bags and joined the check-in queue. I had a couple of hours until the flight so was not too concerned, but soon realised that the Iberia check-in queue was not moving. It turned out that their system had crashed and they could not process any tickets!

After an hour in a static queue, and a long way from the desk, I started to get a bit worried, and there was still no sign of any activity. As boarding time approached we still were not moving, and I managed to get the attention of an airport worker who simply told me not to worry, and they were dealing with it. Departure time came and went, and the information board still showed boarding, but finally we started moving slowly. I eventually managed to check in 90 minutes after my flight should have departed, and as then rushed to immigration by a member of staff, and straight on to the plane, and we took off a few minutes later, almost 2 hours late.

I realised that the 2 hours I was supposed to have between flights in Madrid was probably also now going to be impossible, as, although I did not have to collect my baggage, I did have to find my way to the departure lounge for the Heathrow flight. I also had hotel quarantine transport booked based on that flight data, so was worried about the implications there, too. As it turned out I managed to get to the departure gate with minutes to spare, despite a slight delay while they checked all my Covid paperwork, and landed in London on schedule.

There was a special immigration "lane" for "Red list" passengers so I joined that and there were only a handful of passengers ahead of me, but only one immigration official on this queue, and he left his post when I reached the front of the queue and disappeared for 30 minutes! Eventually I asked another official what was happening, and he called someone to process me, and I was escorted to baggage reclaim by a "quarantine" official. Of course my baggage was not there, and in hindsight I should have seen this - there had been no time in Lima for my bags to get on the Madrid flight, and again in Madrid there would have been no time to get them on the Heathrow flight! I was taken to the reclaim desk, but, other than giving me a small pack with some toiletries and a t-shirt, the staff refused to process me as I was now "in quarantine"! They did give me a link to the claim section on their website.

I was then taken to a waiting area for quarantine transport, by this stage I was stressed out, tired, and aching all over. Suddenly a customs officer appeared alongside me and wanted to check all my hand luggage!! She was very interested in my blood sugar reading log - I suppose all the lists of numbers (in a plain notebook) looked suspicious, and then was further intrigued by my collection of sim cards (I had Peru, Brazil and an old UK one, too!), but finally was satisfied I was not carrying anything. About 30 minutes later I was on the bus - the only passenger in a 40-seater bus - heading for my hotel, and was processed there before being shown my room. I asked about getting the dressing changed as it was now well over 24 hours old, but they knew nothing about this, and did not know what to do, but suggested I call reception and ask for assistance.

To be continued ...

Being ill abroad - part 4

 So much has happened since my last post, but so little progress has been made! Prior to going to the cancer specialist hospital, IREN, I had been attending private consultations and clinics, and all the various test results I had to collect and take along to the next consult, but at IREN it is all done "in-house" and the results sent straight to the consultant, so never get to see the reports. When I went back for the biopsy result the surgeon told me it was not very conclusive, but it now appeared to be a Chondrosarcoma, which is a malignant, cancerous tumour, which does not respond to therapy, but needs removing surgically.

After biopsy stitches removed

First off I needed another surgical risk assessment, including blood tests, chest x-ray, ECG, and before surgery I would also need another negative Covid test! The various tests were programmed, and as some had to be done "fasting" could only be done the following day, and then when the results were all in, I had to see a doctor for his assessment, and then return for another consult with the surgeon! This process took about 10 days and then the surgeon said I would need admitting for the surgery, so I had to go to a "window" where I would be allocated a date and bed for admission. The nurse there, said there were no beds immediately available, and it would probably be 3-4 weeks before I could be admitted, and would need the Covid test first, but only once a bed was allocated!! So I should wait for a call. I would need a CT scan, and the Covid test, which I could get once they called me in, so I was given a request form for these. I was also given a list of personal items I needed to bring along, which included a set of sheets.

4 days later I get a call saying I should come in for some "pre-op checks" and that I should report to "hospital admissions". She spoke so fast I had trouble following her and asked if she could send me the details in a message, but she simply said "December 7, 7.30.There was a security guard on the door so I explained my situation, and he said I should wait until I was called, and so I waited for 4 hours! Eventually a male nurse appeared so I asked how much longer it might be, and he looked at the paperwork I had and told me I should have reported back to the "window" first when I arrived! I made my way there and knocked on the glass, and eventually it was opened - the nurse said she didn't think I was coming, and there were no longer any beds available! This was Wednesday, and she said my surgery was scheduled for the Saturday, but they would call me later when a bed was available, and I should report to her on arrival. I did get my Covid test done, but not the CT scan, as she said if a bed did not become available they did not want me to go through the expense of that scan right now.

Thursday I went out to get my laundry done and they called me, saying I could come in and get the CT scan, so I rushed home, then grabbed a taxi to the hospital. Reported to her window and was told to go and get the CT scan done, so paid and then went to the Imaging Department, I went to admissions first and they told me it could only be done tomorrow! So back to the "window" and she came with me and explained it had to be today, so I was rushed in for my scan, then back to her window. She now gave me a list of supplies I needed, but said I need to go to hospital admission first to see if that was all that was needed, and then off to the pharmacy to get that digitised, then to cashier to pay, then back to pharmacy to collect. Some items were not available, meaning I had to go and find them elsewhere, and at this moment the nurse explains that I am actually being admitted today! Two days before surgery??

This means that I have to go home to collect my belongings, as well as finding the missing items at another pharmacy. I grabbed a taxi and explained my dilemma, so first we try the pharmacy across from the hospital, and I find a few of the items, then into the centre of Trujillo, where I eventually find the rest, and then home! I have to collect my laundry, so catch a quick bite to eat for lunch first, get my things together, and get a taxi back to the hospital, reporting back to the window, where she gives me an invoice for "hospital admission" I have to pay before going to hospitalisation!

Finally I am shown to a bed, where a nurse helps me put my sheets on it, but there is no pillow - I should have brought my own (they did not tell me!), and I can now breathe easily. It is Thursday afternoon, with surgery scheduled for Saturday, and I have no idea what I will be doing until then!

Cordillera Blanca - Part 1 - Road to Huaraz

For my last big trip of the year, 2014, I decided to go to Huaraz in the Cordillera Blanca. Part of the Andes the Cordillera Blanca extends some 200 kms and has over 75 peaks over 5000 metres (16400 feet) - compare this to Ben Nevis, the tallest peak in the British Isles which stands at 1345 metres (4400 feet)! Most of these peaks have snow on them all year round, and winters at that altitude get very cold, so I was a little concerned as I did not have any really cold-weather gear, nor knew how Oli's knobbly tyres would stand up to the roads if we found any ice!
Huaraz is the main city in the Cordillera Blanca and a very popular tourist destination, and I was informed that many mountaineers use the peaks in the area as training for trips to the Himalayas and Mount Everest!

Huanchaco to Huaraz

Huaraz is the capital city of the Ancash Region and home to some 125,000 people, and as it sits at over 3000 metres (9800 feet) above sea level I did have some concerns about altitude sickness. Usually you should go gradually above around 2400 metres, dropping back at night to allow your body to acclimatise, but other than continuing through Huaraz to other small towns at lower altitudes I didn't really have a choice - so decided to take a chance, but did book 5 nights in case I had to spend time acclimatising.
As is the case when travelling almost anywhere from Huanchaco I had to start on the Panamerican Highway! The highway by-passes Trujillo, but to the South passes through an industrial area, so is very busy for the first 20 kms or so, but then returns to being the same boring highway - miles of sand hills and nothing much else to see. The first 200 kms of the 350 km trip was like this - mind-numbingly boring, but once you turn away from the coastal highway and start climbing the scenery become much more interesting.

Still not very pretty close to the road ...

... but the distant mountains looking very appealing

This is typical scenery all along the Panamerican Highway through the coastal desert!

The route climbed gently at first and the sand gave way to vegetation -

My route was taking me higher

and the route started getting steeper -

Decent road surface

Beautiful mountain streams along the way

Looking down on one of the small towns I passed through

and the hairpin bends started as I climbed more, through agricultural land 

Fields laid out on the mountainsides

- and it started getting colder the higher I climbed! Suddenly as I crested a pass which was over 4000 metres above sea level (over 13000 feet) I got my first sight of the snow-capped high Andes peaks!

First sight of the snowcaps

High peaks of the Cordillera Blanca

My first snow in South America

At this altitude exposed on top of the pass it was very cold, so I soon pressed onward, following the tight hairpins towards Huaraz. Traffic, as it had been on all my travels away form towns, was very light and the decent road surface, along with the amazing scenery made the trip very pleasant.

Soon Huaraz appeared nestled beneath the mighty snowy peaks

It was very tempting to keep stopping and taking photos as each new vista unfolded, and my next stop was a viewpoint overlooking Huaraz.

Huaraz

Huaraz Panorama - showing the hairpins I still had to navigate.

Although nestled in a valley, surrounded by mountains, Huaraz is still 3000 metres above sea level!

Looking Southwards

There was a large 4WD camper truck parked at the viewpoint, and while I was taking photos I was hailed by a man sitting under an awning beside it. He spoke in English and turned out that he and his wife (Austrians) were travelling South America in this beast of a vehicle and planned to paraglide in as many countries as possible! He showed me round the motorhome, which was like a Winnebago on steroids, but he explained that a lot of the storage was taken up with his paragliding gear so they had less "living" space than usual on a vehicle this size! His wife had cycled into Huaraz to shop for groceries and should be on her way back - and, in fact, I passed her on my way down. The road from the parking area to Huaraz is about 5 kms, extremely steep, and full of hairpins, so I was really impressed at how she was riding up. We chatted for a few minutes, but I needed to get on and find my hostel, so we wished each other well and parted company.
As already mentioned the road down into Huaraz is steep and twisty, but fortunately my hotel was not that far from where the road arrives in Huaraz, and I found it very quickly. The parking, however, was not on site, but in a locked area in the next street, so after unloading and being showed to my room someone walked me round to leave Oli.
I had booked a single en-suite room but the one they showed me had 4 beds in it, though I did have it to myself the whole length of my stay, and the tariff behind the reception desk showed the price as around 5 times what I had been quoted (and had the booking form to prove it!) on Booking.com, so I was a little concerned about what would happen on checkout when I came to pay, but my concerns were unfounded and I was charged the booking price.
As I unpacked I found that I had left the charger for my Netbook behind, so headed out to see if I could find something suitable - but like an idiot did not take the Netbook with me, so it took two trips! The short walk to the electrical store had left me a little breathless, as I had expected at that altitude, but I still felt fine so after a short rest and taking a picture of the sunset from my window (not a great view from it) I went for a short walk again and some dinner before turning in for the night.

Sunset over Huaraz

Total distance travelled 350 kms (193 miles).

Northern Peru Adventure - Part 9 - the journey back to Huanchaco

After the wonderful day in Cabo Blanco I decided to have a quiet day round Mancora before heading back South the following day - I had had a great time this trip, just as I had the previous one, but wasn't really looking forwards to the bum-numbing ride home! Oli, the bike, handles the miles extremely well, the engine feels strong and reliable, but the seat leaves a lot to be desired, and the now well-worn knobbly tyres transmit quite a lot of vibration to the handlebars, and contribute a lot to the noise you always get when riding a bike.

Baja Beetle - not something you see every day

Three up and no helmets - on the Panamerican Highway through Mancora with their dog following behind!

Not too clear but a small child standing holding the handlebars on a scooter

Mobile Garden Centre

Juice bar

Hot drinks - many of these are herbal remedies

Another unsafe child on a bike on the highway

School run

I want one of those!

It amazed me how many parents were risking their children like this

This minibus had seen better days

Child sitting on the tank holding on to a mirror

Or maybe I would prefer one of these!

Baby squashed between parents on a bike

Same family as before coming back the other way

These are common in Peru as light commercial vehicles not requiring a car driving licence - with a payload of around half a ton. The engines are generally 200-300 cc

Road to the beach in Mancora

I love the Peruvian scaffolding poles

One thing I really enjoy about travelling is seeing how things are done in other countries - we (in the developed world) are so safety conscious these days, but in may places they simply cannot afford to be, despite the fact that they do not have any social security if things go wrong, nor insurance cover as back-up!

Blue-footed Booby on Mancora beach

Flat calm sea - well, Pacific Ocean!

In the UK we have donkey rides on the beach - here it is horses

Egret on the rocks

I hadn't managed to get in my fishing trip - the nearest I got was one man in a small agency calling a captain who promised to get back to me, and never did - and when I went back to the agency it was blamed on the weather (which had been terrific the whole of my trip!). That would now have to wait for another adventure!

Scenic route from Piura to Rancho Santana

Even miles from anywhere you find rubbish dumped at the side of the road

Oli all loaded up - looking a little dirty at this stage!

Retracing my route back to Piura was straightforward and much easier to find the same hotel despite the roadworks still in place.

Ovalo Bolognesi near my hotel

I have just found out that they have now completed a bypass of Piura, so my "convenient" hotel (where I have now stayed 4 nights) is miles out of the way, so I will have to find an alternative next time I venture North.
You may recall I had parking problems last time as I got parked in and had trouble raising the owner who was between me and the gate - so this time I spoke to reception about it and they suggested I didn't park my bike till late evening after everyone else would be in. So after dinner, around 20.00, I did just that - and next morning again I was parked in! It didn't take quite so long this time to get the driver to move for me - he could have parked further back as I had left space, but instead parked in front where it was too narrow for me to pass!
I was heading out on a different route this time from Piura back to Rancho Santana - avoiding the boring, mind-numbing Panamerican Highway through the Sechura Desert. This route was taking me inland some distance, then alongside a range of hills and looked more promising, and was almost the same distance as the "faster" highway, but was unknown territory for me, and I was uncertain ow good the road would be. As it turned out the road was in good condition, traffic almost non-existent, and it was a good decision to make this detour!

Much nicer scenery than the Sechura Desert

Looks like I have the road to myself 

Great road with gentle sweeping corners

... and stunning scenery

These mountains flanked my route

Steep and forbidding in places

Panoramic view

Came across this overturned truck on a fairly straight stretch of road - a reminder to stay vigilant

At one point the road passed over the mountain range - through a series of hairpins

Peru does have some magnificent scenery

In the small town of Naupe there is a protection centre for the White-winged Guan

One of the very few townships I passed through on this route

Travelling alone can be daunting for some, but driving through spectacular scenery like this on good road surfaces makes it a pleasure - I was in my element!

Andes foothills

Oli, cooling down!

My route was taking me down into the valley below, before turning Southwards towards Pacora and Rancho Santana

... but even here miles from the nearest town loads of rubbish has just been dumped at the side of the road

The road from here on to Pacora is relatively flat 

Although I had now joined a major route over the Andes traffic was still very light - and here consists mainly of speeding minibuses!

I was now looking forwards to renewing my acquaintance with Andrea and her family at Rancho Santana not that far away from here. I have been fortunate to find some lovely places to stay at on my travels, thanks to Booking.com.

One of Rancho Santana's cats on my roof

Some of their chickens

Hornero - a type of ovenbird

My tyres were showing signs of wear - some of the knobbles were worn down, making vibrations and road noise worse. Front tyre.

Rear tyre

Cow at Rancho Santana

Hornero

Vermilion Flycatcher

The cat finally came off the roof and wandered off

Let sleeping dogs lie ... 

... hard life being a farm dog!

I renewed my acquaintance with this cat, too, but she didn't look happy at having her picture taken - as I had stopped stroking her!

Another of the cats trying Oli out for size - I still have the claw marks in the seat!

After a leisurely breakfast with Andrea and two volunteers she had staying I set out on the relatively short leg back to Huanchaco, with no further mishaps along the way. Around another 1600 kms (1000 miles) added to my travels round Peru, and some wonderful memories along the way.