Day 5 - Peru - Drive from Nazca to Arequipa

The hotel opened up their restaurant early, 5:45 am, so we could get an early start on the road. We had a lot of miles to cover - over 400 kilometres on the Pan-American highway. That doesn't sound like much, but the roads were by no means straight, or level.

We had several stops to relieve the monotony and stretch our legs. The first attraction was a viewpoint called the "Alto Grande Fault". It is a fissure in the earth that is over 2 kilometres in length.

Next, we stopped in a town called Yauca. They are known for growing olives, and there were quite a few stands all in a row with samples and products to buy. I bought a single wrapped hazelnut chocolate like they sold at the pisco distillery.

We followed along the Pacific Ocean for most of the day and populated areas were few and far between. I sat on the wrong side of the bus and tried to take photos from a standing position, but the twisting and turning of the roads made it dangerous.

A lovely viewpoint was the Ocona (pronounced Oconya) Viewpoint, a valley with many crops including rice paddies!

The ocean was crashing on the right hand side of the scene.

Another rest stop overlooked the ocean way below us and also had a tied up alpaca, which I felt sorry for.

Lunch was late - 2 pm, a long time since a 5:45 an breakfast! We ate at a tourist restaurant in San Clemente and it was buffet style so no waiting for service thankfully.

One bizarre incident happened during the drive. A man was standing on the road in our lane with a big rock in his hand. He appeared to be threatening to throw it at the bus windshield. Cars were not stopping for him on this busy highway and were speeding around him. Someone even passed our bus on the right hand side of the road and almost hit one of our drivers who was approaching the man. Both our drivers had gotten out, then one got back in to move the bus around the man while the other talked with him. He briefly talked with him, got him moved him to the side of the road, then gave him some money. We don't know if the man was crazy, had a death wish, or was trying to extort money.

Our drivers took turns at the wheel throughout the difficult day of driving and did a fantastic job. Traffic was busy and there were lots and lots of big trucks. Passing was scary as were the sharp curves, hairpin turns, and zero shoulders with steep slopes right beside the road. The drivers will be commended on my trip review to the company!

Because it had been an early day I napped frequently. I have no idea what I missed but I needed my sleep.

We got to Arequipa and checked into our hotel at around 7 pm.

Because it was so late and we were tired, we ate at the hotel. The food was ok but the service was so slow. Even paying our bills took an inordinate amount of time. 

Our room is small but satisfactory. We are at a higher elevation and I am feeling a bit dizzy. I hope I sleep ok.