Stage Four

Stage Four - San Jose, Costa Rica to Lima, Peru

October 21, 1996 - November 30, 1996

Date: October 21 - 24, 1996 - The Journey South Continues

I had acquired a new travel partner for this leg of the journey. Kevin McLaughlin who has worked for us for 8 years decided to jump feet first into adventure travel. I knew we would get along well - hopefully he would not be overwhelmed by some of the conditions and inconveniences soon to be encountered.

We arrived at 8:00 PM in San Jose, Costa Rica. Taking a taxi downtown, we checked into the Holiday Inn. I took Kevin out to taste a few Costa Rican cervezas (beers). We soon learned that the area we were staying in was the Red Light District of San Jose. The girls outnumbered the guys in the bars 10 to 1. Kevin was a bit overwhelmed.

I planned on spending a good part of our second day getting the paper work for the van completed. This is what it took as I drove around the town, paying this bill and getting this paper stamped. At four in the afternoon, we had washed the van and were making a decision on which route to take us south.

We had hoped to travel south via the coast. Unfortunately, several bridges had been washed out as a result of the rainy season. Our only alternative was to head towards San Isidro on the Pan American highway. Breaking one of the golden rules of travel - we headed into the mountains into the night and into the fog. This stretch of road (from San Jose to just north of the Panamanian border) has to be the worst and most treacherous road in Central America. We were to find out later it had just been reopened due to mud slides and dangerous driving conditions. It was hard to believe that big trucks were driving this road at night (let alone a couple of dumb tourists). One pass we crossed was over 10000' high.

Arriving at San Isidro, we spent the night at a gas station. The owner spoke English and we slept in the VW in one of his large service bays. He was very helpful and made arrangements to have our battery replaced. Over the 5 months of storage the battery had gone dead and would not recharge itself.

The roads continued to be bad as we kept heading south. This time we were driving in the day light and truly amazed at the lush tropical vegetation surrounding us. Looking out over valleys you could see every shade of green imaginable. Waterfalls cascaded by the side of the road as we worked our way on roads half filled with mud slides. Several times we stopped to sense of the thick tropical forest enjoy the incredible views. Tarzan could have swung out on a vine and fit right in.

About 100 kms south of San Isidro, the road changed dramatically for the better. It was hard to believe how this could happen in the middle of nowhere. But we needed a rest (the VW definitely did) from the pot holes and mud. From that point all the way to Panama City, the roads were excellent.

Date: October 25 - 30, 1996 (Panama)

The border crossing went well and we headed towards Panama City. I was anxious to get there to begin looking for a shipping company to take the VW to South America. The original shipping company had gone into default and we missed this easy connection by one month.

Most people don't know that there is no road between South America & Central America.  There is an impenetrable swampland & forest area called the Darien Gap.  The only way to get anything to South America is to send it by plane or ship - shipping being much more economical.

About 50 kms into Panama we came upon a police check point. It was raining and it looked like other people were going through - my mistake. We were whistled down and took a fine was in order. Our papers were OK but we should have stopped. He asked for $20.00 and we settled for $10.00. As it would turn out this would be the first of two payments to the Officers de Transito (Traffic Cops). The first guy was not to friendly but the second got in the van and took us to our hotel in Panama City. Both times we had actually been at fault.

Out goal was to make it to Panama City by the next afternoon. This meant driving into the night to get half way. The roads were the best I had been on so we set off. Just about 1/2 hour from our destination we came upon a pelegro sign. I started to brake but the road seemed to end. The pavement on the opposite side of the road had partially collapsed and a small detour around it had been temporarily set up. In the daylight I would have seen it - but at night it happened too fast (remember the golden rule - no night time driving!)

We braked hard but went over the edge of the road doing 60 kms per hour. Fortunately (and I do admit to being extremely lucky) we landed on flat pavement and the van received no damage. Both Kevin and I will never forget that moment. If the drop off had been greater - who knows what would have been our fate.

Panama City

The Panamanian people are great. This small country provided us a great stop over before our journey into South America. The people at our hotel (Hotel Europe) were very friendly and helped us with laundry, car washing, internet access, etc. Juan, the maintenance man became our mejor amigo (best friend). Two girls at a travel agency (Betsy and Judith) were helpful and we took them out to lunch on our last day. Betsy spoke English and had a serious crush on Kevin. I will stay away from any more comments about the relationship under duress from Kevin!

Steamship Agency (CSVA-Romera) we got lucky and within one day had located a shipping company that would take the van from Panama to Buena Ventura, Colombia. This port city is located on Colombians Pacific coast. The cost to have it shipped by a container ship was $1400.00 US. Departing on Wednesday night it would take 20 hours to arrive in Colombia.

I drove the van to Colon on Panama's east coast to deliver the van to the ship. Clearing customs (Aduana) I put the van on the container and sealed it with a special metal lock. Hopefully, this lock would still be in place when I picked it up in Colombia.

Taking my bags in hand, I walked to the bus terminal and caught the express bus back to Panama City. The bus went the entire width of the country (50 kms - east coast to west coast) for $1.75. The local bus was cheaper yet.

Contadora Island

Jocelyn Myre,the third member of the traveling team, arrived in Panama City on Sunday, October 27th. We did a Panama Canal tour on Monday and then (Kevin and Jocelyn) flew to Contadora Island that night. This island is located just off Panama west coast about a 20 minute small plane ride. This island, Ille Grande and San Blas on the east coast are definite places to visit.

Adios Panama - Hola Sud America

As we boarded our flight for Cali, Colombia we were definitely thinking Panama warrants a return trip. Friendly people, inexpensive food, cheap taxis (driving in the city is a little scary) and several nice tourist locations make this a good location to ward off the winter blues.

Date: October 31 - November 6, 1996 (Cali-Buenaventura, Columbia)

No the heading isn't a misprint. This trip (about 145 kms) from Cali to the port city of Buenventura was indeed our orientation to many of the customs and traveling frustrations that give substance to the words - Adventure Travel. Systems are in place that employee people in a "which carbon copy do you file world". If the original you signed has three copies - three jobs are created. I watched about 25 people all scurrying about just chatting, making notes on their copies and then filing or piling them. You could almost hear the paper in motion. Just when you think the paperwork will end - it begins again.

We ended up doing this trip twice because of difficulties at the port. Driving back once on the Palmaira express (taxi colectivo) and a return on a private taxi - we came to know this stretch of road quite well. The driver of the colective passed on blind curves, hilltops and had several near misses. Strange as it may seem - I felt confident he would get us there safely. The only time he stopped was to look over the edge as a tow truck pulled up a not so fortunate vehicle. Most people got off the van to view some one else. Misfortune like going to the races to witness a tragic crash.

Cali, Colombia

It must have been fate that we landed in South America on Halloween night. The flight (which include two serious sudden drops) was aboard Copa Airlines. We arrived at the airport and began negotiations with a taxi driver for the 16 km ride to Cali. Fortunately a Colombian we met on the plane assisted us in getting only partially ripped off with the fare. At the end of the ride we would have gladly been ripped off more to get another driver.

Hopefully, this will be the worst and scariest ride we take in all of South America. Our driver began by doing a few Mario Andretti moves around a circle and sped off into the night. He was doing 120 kms and had only his bright lights. When another car came upon us - he either left his brights on or turned his lights off completely. Yes we were doing 120 kms down the highway with no lights and cars coming at us. I was desperately trying to connect my seatbelt - to no avail it was broken.

As Mario hit the town he decided to show us what driving in Colombia was all about. He intentionally took a run at a pedestrian crossing the road. He then went through several red lights and up a one way street the wrong way.

The Road to Buenaventura

Our options to the port city were: public bus, colectivos (mini van) or regular city taxi. The cost ran from $25-60 for the three of us. After our first nights experience we opted for the taxi recommended by the hotel. He spoke broken English which allowed us to find out more about the road and the do's and don'ts of driving in Colombia. There were army patrols along the way particularly in areas where guerrillas had been active. We went through several small tunnels and they had soldiers at either end. Scary at first, we eventually became accustomed to their presence.

About 20 kms from Buenaventura we went through our first vehicle search and body frisk. We were asked to put our hands on the taxi and spread our legs. These guys were serious and carried some dangerous weapons. When it was over - hand shakes and pleasant words were exchanged. No bribes - just lots of "Si Senor".

The Ship: CSAV Romeral

Waking up on Saturday morning, we planned to go to the agency and start the process of picking up the VW van. To our amazement we saw the ship coming into the port as we got up on Saturday morning. It had not docked, unloaded or anything yet. Time to remember the basic principle of traveling in South America.

Buenaventura

The tour books and people we talked to were not big promoters of this hot and humid port city. The population is about 90% black of which 70% of these people live in extremely poor living conditions. The roughly wooden shacks with mud all-round were packed into each other. Many people had no shoes on even as they worked at food stalls and businesses along the main road into town. This is how the poorest of the poor live in South America.

The slums and poverty began to dissipate as we got closer to downtown and the port. Our taxi driver knew his way around so we quickly found the office of the company handling our car. We had been told that the ship would have unloaded our car by Friday and it would just be a matter of going to this office. WRONG - the ship had not even arrived yet and would not until 6:00 PM that night. The soonest we could pick it up would be the next morning. The principle of "Be Flexible and Prepared to make changes" is the only way things happen in central and south America.. No matter how much our North American way of thinking and organizing dictates our lives - here it just doesn't happen that way.

Date: November 7 - 12, 1996 (Ecuador)

The road from Pasto, Colombia to the border city of Ipiales is spectacular. One very few people would travel on - but one that will go on my top ten list of scenic sections of the complete journey. The river meanders through the hillsides of green patchwork. Just beautiful.

We drove to Otavalo, Ecuador to experience the famous Saturday morning market. Very similar to the native market in Chichicastango in Guatemala, the market in Otavalo has an animal, food and crafts/clothing section. Very large and a definite event to take in . We stayed at the Ali Shunga hotel which was very nice.

Everything is very inexpensive in Ecuador. Lodging for three people around $30.00 (nice hotel) and food $5 - 10 for an excellent supper. Bargains in the market were amazing. Thick ,wool sweaters were $10-12, colorful belts $4-5.

Quito, Ecuador

This city is the third highest capital city in the world. It spreads out over 30kms of rolling hills. With an old city and new city the downtown area is the meeting spot for most international travelers. Not the cleanest of cities it has a very North American look in the new section. Many travel agencies are located downtown to accommodate the demand for 1-5 day tours of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. We heard also about these islands - next time.

Mita del Mundo

This tourist attraction, located 25 kms north of Quito, is a museum and monument built to designate the division of the north and south hemispheres. You stand at latitude 0 - the equator. Yes, the sun is just about directly overhead and hot. There are many tourist type shops - but the visit is worth it.

Southern Ecuador

The drive to the border of Southern Ecuador takes a full day and half. Our destination was Cuenca, a large colonial city with spring like weather year round. The ten hour drive took us through green farmland where the natives still use oxen to plow their fields and donkeys to carry their produce. As we got closer to Cuenca the drive became very mountainous with volcanoes in the distance. We stayed at a very nice hostel (Alacamo) in Cuenca for $5 per person.

My impressions of Ecuador were very positive. It is a country I would like to revisit. Many interesting things to do and beautiful scenery throughout the country. Quito is noisy and polluted with car and bus emissions - but a hub to take excursions throughout the country and the Galapagos Islands.

Date: November 12 - 15, 1996 (Northern Peru)

The Border of Peru

We crossed into Peru near the town of Tumbes. This was a hectic crossing with much activity and many people trying to make some money off you. We got burned a bit on the exchange of Ecuadorian sucres to Peruvian soles. I think Kevin and Joceyln felt much more comfortable staying in the friendly confines of the Van.

Having left the tropical landscape of Ecuador, we were now into a serious desert terrain. Little did I know that this would continue throughout all of Peru.

Mancora, Peru

Our first night was spent in Mancora a village on the Northern Coast of Peru. This particular spot had good waves so surfing was a popular activity with the younger crowd. We found a hotel that let us park our VW on their grounds. It turned out to be an excellent spot. We enjoyed the sun and surf.

Our guide book also listed several good restaurants. We found one and had an excellent seafood meal for $6.00 (including beers). This location is not your typical over developed tourist location. Small, dusty and too far away from any population centers to become a hot spot for tourism. Still worth stopping by for a visit.

Trujillo, Peru

We drove through the dessert to a very nice town in Northern Peru called Trujillo. This town has one of the nicest Plaza de Armas (central plazas) I have ever seen. A magnificent Cathedral and beautifully landscaped plaza make this town special.

Huaraz, Peru

This area is a must visit for visitors to Peru. Huaraz is the trekking, skiing and climbing area of Peru. The Andes Mountains here are as spectacular as the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia or Colorado. The Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra Mountain Ranges tower above the valley where Huaraz is nestled. Peru's highest mountain peak (Huascaran - 20,200ft) is located just outside Huaraz.

The way people live, work and dress in this remote valley takes you back in time. We met some people in Huaraz who took us up to a beautiful lake in the Cordillera Blanca. It was like Lake Louise near Banff (Rocky Mountains of Canada), but without any tourist hotels or tourist trap shops!

One word of warning about this area of Peru. Be prepared to deal with altitude sickness. Trekking and even just living here takes some time to acclimatize. I had a headache for two days and got tired very quickly. Take your camera and be ready to go crazy taking shots.

Date: November 16- 24, 1996 (Central Peru)

Lima, Peru

The capital and by far the biggest city in Peru is Lima. It is the political and industrial heart of the country. The outskirts have many extremely poor people living in shacks and the drivers are very aggressive. Traffic jams are a problem and maybe that is why the drivers are so aggressive.

There are many nice sections of Lima. Miraflores and San Isidro are where many wealthy Peruvians live. I would say Lima is an excellent restaurant town. We enjoyed one of the best buffets I have ever eaten at in Lima. If you have some time and money to spend, try the buffet at the Costa Verde on the beach.

Kathy arrives in Lima

We were very fortunate to have friends take care of us in Lima. The Alvarado's children (Oscar Jr. and Chris) are campers at our camp. Yes we actually have campers from Peru! Anyway they took care of us big time. They have an amazing home with servants, security guards and even drivers. Having lived in the VW and in not the nicest of hotels - this was a real change for us. Their hospitality and friendship will be one of the highlights of our trip.

Cuzco, Peru

Just after I've said this is a must visit in Peru, I realized that I had not even mentioned Cuzco. This city and the surrounding area are the number one tourist attraction in Peru. This label is well justified. I will always say to any person I meet - Machu Picchu is a place to visit at least once in your life.

We flew to Cuzco to begin a four day excursion of this area deep inside the Peruvian Andes. Cocoa tea is served at the airport as you land. Again altitude sickness is something to be aware off. Supposedly Cocoa leaves help you overcome this problem. As it turned out, Kathy was sick for the first day.

We toured the Inca's Sacred Valley as it follows the Urubamba River towards Machu Picchu. This archeological site has been called the lost city of the Inca's. When you finally arrive to the site where these amazing ruins are located - you sense the mystical feelings that other travelers must have felt. Perched on the crest of a mountain with incredible views in two directions, Machu Picchu is well worth the effort to get there. The fog and mist surrounding the peaks just adds to the feeling of being in a sacred place. We spent the night at a hotel on the mountain and watched the sunset and sunrise from the ruins. I highly recommend this option.

Date: November 25- 30, 1996 (Southern Peru)

Touring Southern Peru

Kathy and I had four days to tour Southern Peru before we flew home. The Alvarado's offered to keep the VW at their home so we had a safe place to leave it. We headed to Paracas Reserve about 3 hours south of Lima.

Driving through arid countryside we came to the Paracas Nature Reserve. Located on the Pacific Coast, many birds, sea lions and even penguins reside on the islands off the reserve. We took a boat tour and saw the numerous animals and birds that live freely here. The weather was hot and we did some serious sun tanning.

Leaving Paracas we headed towards Ica, Peru. This is the wine growing area of Peru and a very interesting city. Sand dunes surround this city and the hotel we stayed at had a huge sand dune beside it. Pisco Wine (the main ingredient in the national drink - Pisco Sour) comes from this area. Ica like most of the cities in Southern Peru, exists because of water from either a river or aqueduct. Everything else around these cities is arid and dessert like. We headed back to Lima to catch our plane.

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