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I WOKE UP AROUND 6:30 am. TOO EARLY TO GET UP. DO NOT WAKING UP WOMBAT, I TURNED ON THE COMPUTER AND I STARTED BLOGGING A LITTLE BIT. AT 8:00 WE GOT UP, AND STARTED PREPARING FOR CHECK-IN. UNEXPECTEDLY, I FELT STRANGE. I JUMPED TO THE JOHN. THE STREAM OF SOMETHING LOOKING AS DILUTE SOUP SAILED OUT OF ME. EMPTYING I WANTED TO CONTINUE PACKING, BUT I STARTED TO FEEL DIZZY, SO I FELL ON THE SACK TRYING TO COME TO MYSELF. FOR OVER AN HOUR I WAS LYING WITH MILD REDUCTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND SHIVERS RANNING THROUGH, WONDERING, AT THE MOMENTS OF MY SELF WHETHER, ONE WOULD NEED A DOCTOR-QUACK.
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SOMEHOW, PSYCHICALLY SUPPORTED BY WOMBACIK, I GET MYSELF TOGETHER JUST BEFORE 10:00. WE LEFT OUR LUGGAGE IN THE HOTEL’S STORAGE ROOM AND HEADED FOR THE CITY. UNFORTUNATELY, IN THIS SITUATION THERE WAS NO CHANCE TO GO TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.
TRAILED SLOWLY WE LUMBERED TO THE CONVENT OF ST. FRANCIS. WE BOUGHT TICKETS AND SAT DOWN WHILE WAITING FOR THE GUIDE. ACTUALLY, WOMBACIK SAT DOWN. I FELL IN A CORNER ON THE BENCH. THIS WAY I FELT BETTER AND I BLEW OFF THE VISITING OF THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES OF THE FRANCISCAN FORTRESS, NOT ALLOWING ANYONE TO MOVE ME FROM A HARD AND UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT ALLOWING FOR A MOMENT OF RESPITE, BENCH.
WOMBAT WENT TO SUPPLEMENT THE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FRANCISCANS IN LIMA AND GET TO KNOW THE BUILDING. SHE RETURNED AFTER 90 MINUTES. PARTIALLY REFRESHED AND REINFORCED WITH COFFEE AT MCDONALD’S I ENDURED EASIER THE ROAD BACK TO THE HOTEL.
RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL I STOPPED THE TAXI AND ASKED FOR THE PRICE OF AN AIRPORT TRANSFER. WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT I HEARD THE PRICE WELL – 30 S, WE GOT IN. FEW METERS AWAY I ASKED THE DRIVER TO STOP AND WAIT FOR ME ON THE ROADSIDE. I RAN TO THE HOTEL, PICKED UP OUR STUFF AND 40 MINUTES LATER WE WERE AT THE AIRPORT. THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING VERY WELL BYPASSING TRAFFIC JAMS, BECAUSE THE AIRPORT WAS HIS NEIGHBOURHOOD. HE COST US HALF THE PRICE OF HOTEL TRANSPORT. OF COURSE HE WAS REWARDED.
WE HAD OVER 4 HOURS TO THE DEPARTURE TIME. HOWEVER, BECAUSE BACKYARD TROTS WAS STILL STREAMING OUT OF ME, I PREFERRED TO BE CLOSE TO THE THRONE, PREFERABLY AT THE PROPER GATE. IN A FLASH WE GOT CLEARANCE, SECURITY AND PASSPORT CONTROL. WE COULD SIT BACK AND RELAX.
WE FOUND A STRATEGICALLY PERFECT PLACE (CLOSE TO THE POWER SUPPLY SOCKET, ON THE OUT-OF-THE-WAY PLACE). THE WHOLE BANK OF 5 SEATS WAS OURS. THE RIGHT MOMENT TO FLOP TO CALM DOWN, AND GAIN STRENGTH TO CONTINUE THE ROAD. FROM TIME TO TIME THIS IDYLL WAS INTERRUPTED WITH THE CHASE TO TOILET, BUT DEFINITELY WITH LESS FREQUENCY.
THE FLIGHT HAD A 30 min DELAY, WHICH ONLY STRENGTHENED ME BEFORE CARRYING LUGGAGE FROM THE AREQUIPA AIRPORT STATION TO THE TAXI STAND.
HAGGLINGS WITH CABBIES LASTED A LONG TIME, BECAUSE WE WERE MORE IN A HURRY TO WENT TO THE JOHN, THAN FOR THE RIDE.
ALL THE TIME WE WERE ACCOSTED EITHER FROM LEFT, EITHER FROM RIGHT. FINALLY, AFTER A FAIRLY LONG TIME IGNORING THE CABBIES, GRACIOUSLY I ASKED THE MOST PERSISTENT, HOW MUCH HE WANTED FOR A SHUTTLE TO THE HOSTEL LA CASA DEL SILLAR. AMAZINGLY, HE KNEW THE PLACE AND DEMANDED 30 S. I PUT HIM DOWN. HE PROPOSED 25. I DIDN’T EVEN ANSWER. CONCERNED HE ASKED HOW MUCH I GIVE. I TOLD HIM THAT ACCORDING TO INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNET I SHOULD GIVE 8 S. HE SUGGESTED 15. I DIDN’T ANSWER.
MEANWHILE WOMBAT RETURNED FROM THE BATHROOM. AT THE SAME TIME, ANOTHER DRIVER APPROACHED ME FROM THE OTHER SIDE, AND SAID – POINTING TO THE BADGE – THAT HE IS AN OFFICIAL TAXI DRIVER. I ASKED FOR THE PRICE OF THE RIDE. WHEN I HEARD US $ 25, I PROMPTLY CONFIRMED FOR THE MOST PERSISTENT CABBY, PROPOSED BY HIM 15 S. THE OFFICIAL AIRPORT TAXI DRIVER TRIED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE BY LOWERING THE PRICE – OF COURSE WITHOUT SUCCESS.
HOSTEL LA CASA DEL SILLAR IS LOCATED IN A QUIET STREET OF THE OLD TOWN, A FEW HUNDRED METERS FROM ITS CENTRE – PLAZA DE ARMAS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN OLD FAMILY HOUSE SURROUNDED BY A HIGH 5/6 M WALL. WE GOT A HUGE ROOM WITH ENTRANCE FROM PATIO. THE HIGH CEILING HAD TWO DIMENSIONS – OVER A DOUBLE BED WAS RAISED BY A METER, ALLOWING FOR THE CREATION OF AN ADDITIONAL WINDOW. AN EXTENSIVE WARDROBE IN THE WALL, TABLE, CHAIRS, TV AND AND RATHER SMALL, BUT EQUIPPED WITH EVERYTHING WHAT IT IS NECESSARY BATHROOM, COMPLEMENTED THE WHOLE.
A POLITE, NOT ENGLISH-SPEAKING HOUSEKEEPER EXPLAINED TO US WHERE WE COULD THROW SOMETHING ON THE GRATE (EAT), AND WE WENT …
UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS TOO LATE AND DARK, TO HAVE FUN LOOKING FOR THE GOOD, LOCAL EATING PLACES. ALL THE MORE SO SINCE WE WERE RIGHT NEXT TO THE MOST TOURISTY PLACE IN AREQUIPA, AND APART FROM THAT, I STILL HAD TO WATCH OUT FOR MY THE DIGESTIVE TRACT AND ITS END.
WE QUICKLY REACHED THE STREET FULL OF RESTAURANTS. ALL VERY TOURISTIC, UNTIL FEAR. WE CHOSE – NOT VERY HAPPILY – THE „MANOLO„. AT FIRST GLANCE IT LOOKED GOOD, BUT AT THE TIME OF ORDERING WE REALIZED, THAT THE CREW HAD A SERIOUS COMMUNICATION PROBLEM, EVEN WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO EXPRESS OURSELVES THROUGH GESTURES.
THE FOOD WAS SO-SO AND EXPENSIVE (55 S FOR AVOCADO STUFFED WITH POTATOES AND A TASTELESS BEEF STEAK THAT I ORDERED MEDIUM RARE AND IT CAME OUT NOT EVEN MEDIUM WELL, BUT BOILED !!!). WE DO NOT RECOMMEND. 🙁 🙁
FILLED UP, WE WALKED AROUND PLAZA DE ARMAS AND BY DIMLY LIT STREETS FULL OF THE POLICE WE RETURNED TO OUR NIGHT SHELTER.
ON THE WAY AT SAN FRANCISCO STREET WE SAW THE SALCHICHERÍA LA ALEMANA RESTAURANT-SHOP WITH A GOOD LOOKING MENU AND PRICES HALF LOWER THAN THOSE ON THE MAIN PASSAGE (MERCADERES STREET).
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