Trujillo was the trial to escape the clouds of Lima and to see sun again! The trial to have sunny beaches! It did not work.

Exactly that weekend clouds arrived, and yes, i had similar impressions like in Lima. During my stay i visited the city, the “Zona Franca” (mercado artisanal and around – famous for leather, specially shoes), pre-inka ruins (chan chan) and the beach in Huannchaco (little village close to Trujillo).

Some recommandations: Be sure to be very early in the morning in Trujillo, there look for a tour to huaca de la lune y del sol, ruins there. It is much nicer than Chan Chan (what i have heard). Huannchaco is famous for the old styled fisher boats and for its ceviche. I got the recommendation for “Big Ben” restaurant, but i did not have time to go there.

În Trujillo once again i got to know crazy peruvians which invited me to beer, etc. We wanted to go to salsa bars because on that weekend there was a salsa festival there. Unfortunatly i spend the night bevore in the bus (8 hours of bus ride) and i fall 15 minutes before our meeting asleep. Pfff, i am getting old!

One of the nicest places in Lima: The fountains at night! For 4 soles you can join the spectacle!

After Puno i went to Arequipa, the white city. The night I spent on the local busterminal, I did not have more money left to take a hostel fortunatly i already had the bus ticket back to Lima and 10 soles (about 3.50 dollars) for the day (inklusive taxis)

Since this was my first journey it was still a bit complicated for me to take the local buses..

Around Arequipa are a lot of things to see, the Misti vulcano, the Colca Canyon… i just had one day, and after the night in the bus station (i did not have the impression, that was very dangerous) I was also a bit to tired to see much.

Since 6 in the morning i was discovering the city, no people there… and nooooo toilet! THe city is full of life, and full of very interesting markets. Also full of tourists, what i did not like that much. Well, i am not better

In the afternoon i got to know a crazy music professor from Lima, and a couple from Arequipa. The three took me to a local music festival and spent me lot of beer too (because i had no money). Many funny things where happening during that afternoon. Finally i had to leave to take my bus to Lima.

After Cusco my next stop was Puno and Lago Titicaca. The bus was during the night, about 5 or 6 hours (and only 20 soles = a bit mire than 7 US $). I arrived for sunset at the lake.

Puno itself is not a very beautiful city. It is divided by two peoples, Quechuas (Incas ) and Aymaras. The people living here are among the most friendly I got to know on my travels. It is also a very cheap city. A night in a hostel is 15 soles, the cheapest menus in between 2.50 soles and 3.50 soles (menu with 3 plates and drink!). If you don’t take care you also can have European prices! The most important for the hostel is, to have warm water and electricity all night (and maybe a heating – it is really cold on 3800m during the night).

Travels on the Titicaca lake are only with a touristic environment possible. I could visit two islands there: The artificial floating island of Uros (populated and built by Aymaras) and Taquile (natural island populated by Quechuas).

After 20 hours we arrived in Cusco, which is on 3300 m altitude. Everybody recommends to bye pills against altitude sickness in order to avoid any problems. Well, i also bought this pills and before i took them i felt quite well (only a bit strange because of the roads), but after taking the pills i had a really dizzy feeling!

The only problem with the altitude i had was the thin air. When i left the bus i really had troubles to breath! After the first day and the first night in the discotheque this was also forgotten

Cusco itself appears like a european city, a bit spanish. Around the city a lot of Inca ruins are located and well, also Machu Picchu is not to far. The only problem are the prices for not Peruvian tourists. If you want to visit Machu Picchu you will spend at least 100 US-$.

Anyway, it is difficult to form words out of the impressions which you gain there. On the one hand you only see a lot of stones, on the other hand you have more on some places. There is some mystic in the ruins.

more is following!

On the 29th of July Freddy, Roger and me left for Cusco. The first week of August was free so we had enough time to travel. Together we went to Cusco, where we spend 5 days in the house of Freddys Cousin. After that i continued alone to Puno and then to Arequipa.

In Peru it is very easy to travel by Bus. It is much cheaper than flying, train is no alternative, and the bus infrastructure is well developed. The bus ride to Cusco took about 20 hours and was during the night. So most of the time i only could imagine the kind of streets which was hidden in the dark and that led to all the curves on the road. Maybe it was better not to see in the deep valleys

Some impressions:

Last weekend I went out with friends from work. On Sunday we went to Chosica, a little village in the west of Lima, like a little weekend place for people here, with BBQ places, pools, sport places,… . It was quite nice to do some sports there and to enjoy an BBQ (i think they were also surprised by some austrian food which i had prepared for them).

When we came back i was invited by Nene, another working-colleague who i appreciate very much, invited me to a fiesta which is typical for a region of Peru (Huancayo). This fiesta was in the district of the city, where the radio observatory is and which is not a typical place for tourists (and maybe not the best). Well, Nene is owner of a restaurant too, so for this fiesta he was in charge (or lets say, his family) to provide the food. With him i was really “inside” from the moment on when i arrived. And as Gringo i seemed to be something like an attraction too! Some words for this evening: dancing, dancing, eating guinea-pig (CUY), dancing, drinking beer, dancing with other people, drinking beer, dancing, making photos with others, dancing, beer heheheeh

it was not easy to leave!

The main raison for this world trip is – if you don’t know it yet – my research internship in Jircamarca Radio Observatory. I was very lucky to find this possibility searching google and then that my application was accepted here. Only JRO made it possible, that i can afford this travel!

As student in mechatronics it seems that i am pretty far away from the fields of research here in JRO. Since my specialisation in Linz will be Communication and Information Theory I am able to apply my knowledge here on the radar systems. Right now my projects are developing to be more and more interesting!

The people here in the Observatory are really nice. Sometimes we have communication problems specially because of my poor Spanish and their different strong accents (yes, not everybody speaks English .. and nobody German ).

The institution is built a little outside of Lima, how I described already earlier in an desert. Every day I go for around 50 minutes with an minivan to work (and naturally the same time back). The way to the work does not show the best parts of Lima. Working time is from 8:00 to 18:00 with one hour brake for sports and meal. An alarm siren rings for signalling these times that you can’t miss your minivan. Usual Working days are from Monday to Thursday, working on Friday is also possible (to take comp time). Beside me there is a second international student, Roger from Cornell University.

I am frequently asked “what’s about the food”. Well, i try to give a little explanation with this article.

Beside the missing good beer from home i can’t complain about eating here. Well, some days ago i was called “orso Panda” because of my eating habits and my change of figure

I could eat every day a new fruit of which i don’t know the name, i could discover new sorts os Chili (Aji!), Potatos (Papas) in all variations, la ceviche, the national fish meal, chinese influences here, ahhh, just watch:

i should stop eating

I am already enjoying my second weekend now in Lima (ooo time is passing too fast). My project for university is now also finished so i had time to explore the city a bit.

Here i have some really nice people. First, there is the family Kuyeng where i live (today they showed me the old center and china town ). Secondly my friend Paola (una churra peruana que vive en Linz) gave me the contacts of 2 of her friends. One of them is Fiorella, the second, Goncho, i don’t know yet. Unfortunatly i didn’t have so much time yet to hang around with them, but Fiore took me twice to Miraflores (district of Lima with as many inhabitants as Vienna) and took me to a fish restaurant (Ceviche!!! La comida national del Peru) with her friends.

There would be so much to tell about the live here. I have to leave it uncomplete… but be inspired!