“It’s hard to leave when so many things are yet undone. But then, there’s much in life. It’s forever undone.” – Old Sean
An Earthquake Arrival
I snoozed the night fitfully away, until our bus arrived in the wee hours of the morning. We loaded off the bus and hung around waiting for our luggage.
The ground made a sudden, tiny pitch, like the jerking tilt of a plate half-heartedly attempting to throw off a pea. Immediately afterwards, the ground rumbled, as though a chain of semi-trucks were grinding past before quieting in under a minute.
“Earthquake?” I asked the bus driver, eyes blinking.
“Terramoto,” he replied, rapping his head expertly with his knuckles. His radio crackled smugly at his waist, so perhaps he had a warning or he was just uncommonly accustomed to everything life threw at him.
I wouldn’t be surprised with the latter; bus drivers generally have some metallic nerves working for them. I don’t think I could fling multi-ton vehicles with people’s lives behind me down narrow mountain roads, desert nowhere, oceanic cliffsides and through traffic-clogged supercities. We spent a few more moments outside, blinking sleep and surprise from our eyes before being let back into the building.
Apparently, the earthquake was quite strong but very deep. I didn’t see any roof tiles collapsing or pandemonium spill onto the streets.
A Return to Lima
My next few days in Lima were spent getting sorted for Brazil. Negative PRC tests were cobbled together, and my last few friends in the region were contacted and said farewell to.
I walked through Parque Kennedy to see the awesome display of Christmas lights being errected and went to the coast near Larcomar to spot the cliffside Christmas tree standing there. I revisited the Larco Museum to see the walls of flowers and endless rows of traditional pottery, along with the immense display of Pre-Spanish cultural relics. I lingered in the museums erotica pottery display, got a coffee at their small, elegant restaurant shadowed in vines before heading back to my hotel.
Leaving a country takes up a considerable amount of energy and planning, and instead of lancing out, looking for new experiences, I spent my days battering down my hatched, checking my electronic encryptions, sorting out a few work items and catching up on some reading and writing. My research shifted rapidly away from a life in Peru to an incoming experience in Brazil.
Forlorn and Bypassed
However, I don’t leave Peru without a slight pang. Though I’ve spent over a month in the vast country, I missed out on completing my entire bucket list of items. I’m writing the following list for my own future reference in the hopes that I may review return in the near future for another exploration of the South American Incan Nation.
Iquitos: The largest city in the world inaccessible by cars or busses. It lounges deep in the Amazon and represents an aspect of Peruvian culture still completely unknown to me.
- Centro de Rescate Amazonico – A rescue center dedicated towards Amazon River Marine Life, most especially the preservation and care of river manatees.
- Belen – Part of Iquitos, the southern neighborhood is a somewhat famous slum of floating markets, houses on stilts and riverside life
- Malecon Iquitos – The long bayside walk through Eastern Iquitos
- The Iron House Restaurant – A famous restaurant composed of Peru’s Civil Architecture
- Plaza de Armas – Because only the most dedicated evasion can avoid visiting the Central Plaza of a South American city
- Barco Museum – A riverboat museum which covers some of the most impressive river tours in histroy following the Amazon
- Monkey Island – An animal rescue service dedicated towards jungle primates
- Pilpintuwasi – A secondary wildlife sanctuary and butterfly farm located north of the city
- Piranha Park – A park complete with the Amazon Rivers most famous flesh-eating fish
- Fundo Pedrito– A large Amazon, pseudo-wildlife outdoor zoo
Trujillo: A large city on the north-west coast of Peru
- La Huaca del Sol – Part of the extremely well preserved buildings left behind by the Chan Chan Culture of ancient Peru
Arequipa: A large southern Peruvian city famously built of Ashar, a volcanic white stone.
- Colca Canyon : A large canyon famous for through-treks, usually lasting three days.
- Canteras de Sillar Anashuayco : A large mining area where Ashar is unearthed and shaped
Lake Titicaca: The world’s highest navigable lake on the boarder between Bolivia and Peru.
- Tiwanaku Culture (on Bolivian boarder) – a Pre-Hispanic Empire which built huge ceremonial and public architecture from stones
Ayacucho: A city in Peru known for being the seat of the Wari culture.
- Millpu Ayacucho: Turquoise waterfalls and pools in a narrow canyon.
Farewell Peru
Regardless, I’m now in Brazil. My carefully-earned Spanish will not serve me, only wits and demented miming, both of which I’ve honed for nearly a decade. I’ve only learned a garbled “thank you” so far and I’m going to have relatively time to practice everything else.
Ah well, back to being effectively illiterate and mute.
Let the good times roll.
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written December 1st 2021
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Ten years ago, I abandoned my military surplus store backpack for a Farpoint 40 Osprey Travel Pack. I’ve never replaced my bag since. Two years ago, I bought two more Osprey Backpacks for my younger siblings on their first tour outside the country. I have nothing but praise for Osprey Products.
