Into Peru

In the morning waited at the side of the road surrounded by fields, watched the sun come up. Bumped along a dirt track road, bus bobbed and weaved through great landslips that had rolled massive boulders and tons of mud across the little track. Slightly concerned by how fresh the slips were. Occasionally the road would go through small rivers, or is it the rivers are going through the road? Eventually the bus suspension gave up, tilting alarmingly every time we went round a lefthander. The passengers had to switch to the right to keep it upright(ish). The horrendous crashing sound as the suspension tried to come through the floor was a little stressful. The bus finally expired in a tiny mountain village, so we waited for the only other bus to come by.

Ended up at Zumba a military outpost that felt a little edgy, so I chanced my arm and took the last truck out heading towards the border. The "road" was more like a farm track running through thick mountain forest. People got off at tiny hamlets leaving me alone in the back to watch the sun set behind the mountains and dodge the branches that whipped across the truck´s open sides. Then from all directions para militaries jumped from the forest brandishing machine guns and surrounded the truck. It was a local army unit who were looking to top up their pay.
Eventually arrived a friendly border crossing, had to go the immigration guy´s house to wake him up. Knocked the taxi driver down to a reasonable figure and continued on into the night. Then felt guilty. If the last road was a farm track this was like a quarry path. Constantly wriggling between refrigerator sized boulders, the endless drumming of the corrugated path for an hour and half. Never in a straight line for more than a few meters. I could not believe anyone would take a car down there. I had to admire the driver and found a new respect for Toyota Corollas.

Over nighted in a Peruvian town had one small problem no one in town would change dollars. Managed to eventually change enough to enable me to get to a town with a cash machine. Only that did not leave me enough money for food, so that day I had one orange, two toffees and when I got really hungry, raided my first aid kit for a cough sweet. The scenery was strange, flooded valleys, oxen ploughing paddy fields, tuk-tuks clogging the streets. Did I take a wrong turn somewhere?

Travelled all day again, still on dirt tracks, clouds of choking dust, too hot to keep the windows closed, too dusty to leave them open. When the bus overtook, the wall of dust made guess work of where the highway might be. Arrived late went straight to bank, the only ATM was out of order. I had left about one pound in local currency, which went quite far. You can get five bread rolls for 17 pence!