10 hours!!!!!
It didn't go well to start, but more of that shortly ...
We are ready on time and got to the bus station for the scheduled 2:30 p.m. departure but I am not surprised the bus is 25 mins late as it has come from Lima and when we got off at Paracas (which is over 250 kms south of Lima) on Tuesday I had noted it was 20 mins late.
We were duly processed (including body scan) but on getting to our seats there were other people occupying them!! 'Señora! Señora!' I cried to the conductress - aghast and pointing. Much checking of tickets of all parties, talking in indecipherable Spanish, exchanges of appropriate gestures, Señora disappears to office - for a long time! - and returns with a more senior Señor. More discussion in Spanish with the seat holders whilst we looked on worrying we were to be off-loaded, but it seemed the problem was not ours and a man had to get off and a woman relocated to another seat. Eventually he returned and there was much garbling in Spanish to us but he seemed very nice and eventually broke into some English but I think we had missed the explanation. I shook his hand and indicated I was pleased he was back onboard. Smiles all round. BIG sighs of relief from the two Pam-elas.
Very picturesque journey: beautiful sand hills - mix of creams, greys and browns - and eventually the sea to the right.
As we pass through Chaca about 6 p.m., there is the most amazing sunset over the Pacific. We then turn away from the water and the daylight is rushing into darkness and there seems to be a light mist.
We watch films, doze off in between but grateful for them as they take my mind off the twisting road; eventually, after a Kate Winslet & Alan Rickman number 'A Little Chaos' - quite delightful - (unfortunately Rickman's beautiful voice lost as the film is in Spanish with English sub-titles), I fall into a deeper sleep.
It is pretty uncomfortable - like sardine-class on the plane - and I wake at times to the bus groaning its way up hills and round bends. I feel nauseous at times but tell myself that it was fortunate I took the travel sickness medication this morning for the Nazca Lines flight (it wouldn't still be working but the thought gives me some comfort).
I am shocked but not surprised to find that our arrival time into Arequipa is 1:30 in the morning! We were supposed to be in at 11 p.m. and even allowing for the late arrival into Nazca and the delay there sorting out our seats, a further 1.5 hours has been lost!!! Will there be anyone there to meet us? Fortunately there is. This is one of those times one is pleased to be met on arrival! It is quite a bit cooler!! People dive into bags for jackets.
The hotel is locked up when we get there but our driver rustles up the night staff and we do the check-in and a shower is the first thing. You do get off these buses feeling somewhat disgusting.
The hotel is very nice.
Glad to hear you got there and that your seats were allocated finally. Also that the Horel is very nice. Hope the shower was hot enough.
ReplyDeleteVery long day though.