Friday
Up early to leave the hotel in Puno at 7am to fly back to Lima. Last night we had a group farewell dinner with Marcial at a restaurant in Puno which was dinner and a show of local dancers and musicians.
We will have this afternoon in Lima and then a full day tomorrow as well. Later today we will make some plans of how to fill in the day.
Marcial told us last night that groups of less than 10 don’t normally have a tour leader but at time of departure we were a group of 11. 3 people pulled out last minute but Marcial had already been booked for this group so we were actually very lucky to have had him with us all the way. We think from here on in we will have transfers and local guides but not a tour leader that travels with us.
In Lima we have a room on the top floor so we can see the sky. It’s not what I would call a pretty city but it will be our home for the next 2 nights.
It’s early afternoon so we have lunch with 4 of the others at the hotel and then head out for a wander and to find a laundry to get our farm clothes washed. The laundry is next to a fresh food market which we always find interesting and streets lined with all kinds of shops stocking anything you could possibly want. If it’s broken, they will fix it right here on the street.
We find a nice coffee shop La Lucha on a corner and stop to enjoy.
We pick up the washing just 90 minutes after we left it. All washed dried and folded and head back to the hotel.
After a while we go out to enjoy the evening. It’s Friday and knock off time so it’s very busy.
The parks are alive with families. There is music and dancing. We stop for a drink in a bar in a side street. The Soccer America Cup is currently being played in Brazil so all the screens are focused on the games. Tonight is Brazil v Bolivia and Peru play Venezuela tomorrow.
It’s such a calm mild night to be out and about. Knowing that we don’t have to be up early in the morning and have no commitments makes it more relaxing. We can stop and enjoy the atmosphere.