Rest of Ecuador and beginging of Peru
P. Lopez
Sightseeing tour at Puerto LopezHi again
Fast and furious since Quito, so here goes.
Left Quito and went to Riobamba, which is a small town in the mountains, and amde friends with some Italians who owned a resturnat there. Spent a few days drinking red wine in the afternoons there (my first since England) and having some qiet beers in the evening.
Then to Guayaquil, a hot sweaty port city, where i only stayed a night. Then got a bus to a fishing village, Puerto Lopez, further north. Bought some dodgy cakes in the mourning, so by afternoon i needed a comfort break. The bus pulled in at a station to refuel and i took my oppotunity, only to come out and see the bus dissappearing down the road with my luggage in it…
Luckily it was near the destination, so i got in a taxi and told it to follow that bus. Two taxis (and three bus depots later) I found the bus and got my luggage back. I dont mind telling you I feared the worst.
From her i got a beautiful room with a massive balcony – table and chairs etc – for US10 a night. 
Mancora
Sunset at mancoraCouldnt beleive my luck. So i stayed there for a week, eating seafood, chilling out and doing very little. Very nice too after the hectic traveling every day.
Then onto another town wher i wanted to get a bus to a place called Loja, where the safe boradrer crossing to Peru was.
However when i tried to get a ticket, from the ten plus bus companies on offer, non sold any, including a company called Loja Transportes! (Give me strength.)
So i had to return where id been and, the next day, get another bus to the other crossing.
It is nicknamed the worst boarder crossing in south america, and sure enough i managed to get stung for US30. Live and learn.
Incendentaly, there is no boarder as such and the immigration offices are kilometres after the river crossing point. No security guards, no searches nothing. Given this is a boarder crossing with Peru involved i thought this was a bit lax…
So then onto Mancora, a surfer type beach where i got a bamaboo beach hut and lived like a beach bum for a week. Also got hidiously drunk (about 40 large bottles of beer over 3 days) and felt seriously ill. Fighting fit again now though.
Then on down the coast to a place called Piura, wher i am typing this. Got in today and leave tomorrow to continue south.
Peru looks like an amazing country with the highest moutain ranges in S. America, the worlds deepest canyons, and lost cities…
Looking forward to it i must admit.
Until the next one…
