Day ii: A Long Day´s Hiking in the Sun

Today I had been invited by Greg (one of the long-term volunteers) to join him and some of his friends from the Peace Corps on a walk to a nice waterfall, not too far from Trujillo. So crawling out of bed at about 5:30am I just about managed to make some eggs before meeting people at their hostel very close to the Plaza de Armas. From there we took some taxis to the bus station, then a bus to a place called Viru about an hour from Trujillo, where we joined some more people. Then we took a combi (minivan, sort of...) and a taxi to take us to the beginning of the trek, or so we thought. About half way there, and half way up a hill the combi broke down leaving us to walk the rest of the way to the waterfall.

The added journey time wasn´t so bad, despite the blaring sun, as it gave me a chance to chat to some of the others, and find out a little more about the what the Peace Corps does, and the sort of people that sign up. It was refreshing to talk to some people who are in a country like Peru, not just to have fun and take advantage of its rich culture (something I am certainly a little guilty of), but who also are making a real difference thought their various placements, and being placed here for 2 years a go will defiantly get to see  and experience many things well outside of the gringo trail.

After an extra 1-2 hours more than expected we arrived at the "beginning" of our hike. The path started out from a small village and roughly followed the path of a river, leading us up and down some small hills, through some farm land, and finally through a thick layer of vegetation pushed up against a sheer rock face. Finally we arrived at the waterfall, and although it wasn't what we were expecting, especially as the water ran to fast to jump in, it was nice to sit and chill for an hour or so. The walk back seemed a lot easier (as it always does), maybe helped by the fact that our ride was waiting at the bottom of the path. However we were disturbed to find that we were one person light when we got back, but, after a little panic and then walking back on the trail in search of her, she was found safe and sound by some local guys who pretty much ran half way back to the falls.

The journey back to Viru was just as eventful in the combi, we managed to pop a tyre and loose a hub cap, although we did arrive back in on piece, and in time to get a bus bas to Trujillo. It was defiantly a good day out, and a good initiation into the Peruvian sense of time, and distance, the sort of layed back attitude I´m sure I will grow into.