March 19 Me voy a Perú

I left Arica around noon in a Colectivo.  Colectivos are taxis that only go to set destinations and pick up as many people that will fit.  They are a little more expensive than a bus, but are much faster.The driver shepparded us through the border crossing very efficiently.  I arrived in Tacna, Perú an hour and a half before my bus was slated to take off, bought bus tickets, got cash, and had an amazing lunch.  The food in the bus station for 2$ USD was better than most of the food I ate in Argentina and Chile, excepting beef, of course. 

I have been very apprehensive of the Peruvian portion of my trip because of all the safety warnings for travelers.  Muggings are common as are false taxis that take you for the ´million dollar ride´systematically taking you to ATMs and draining your bank account.  I took the Lonely Planet recommended bus line, Cruz del Sur, because it was touted to be the safest.  Indeed they filmed us bording the bus and scanned our carry ons with metal detectors. The service was excellent and I was glad I spent the extra few dollars to sit on the bottom level.  The seats were plush, lunch was decent, there were two good movies with English subtitles (Avatar and August Rush), and we played bingo for free bus tickets.  Much better than anything in the US!

I arrived in Arequipa long after dark around 8:00.  There is a 2 hour time change between Chile and Peru and I{m still trying to get used to early nightfall.  Marcel, a Peruano gentleman sitting across from me who was traveling on business, chivalrously escorted me to my hostel in a taxi.  I had been so worried about finding an offical taxi.  I ate a nice dinner including alpaca, tomatoes from a tree, Peruano potatoes, and the best guacamole I have ever had.

Plaza de Armas por la noche