The wheels on the bus ..... (no photos)

Ica, Peru – April 22 2019 – Early evening

Another day of no pictures.

I went out to my – new – favorite restaurant, Alfresco. It is my fave because the food is good and it is within an easy two block walk from the hotel. They specialize in fresh fish, and Lima is supposed to get them still flopping onto the docks. I haven’t seen a single fishing boat in the harbor, heck I haven’t seen a harbor for that matter. Just upscale apartments, and similar restaurants and shopping. I’m sure there is a working area, it just isn’t where I live. I had the Ceviche again, fresh fish marinated in acids (lime, lemon, etc) for a few minutes to ‘cook’ it. I had one dish last time and wanted a different dish, the waiter suggested one. It was good, but very similar to the previous dish. Not what I was expecting. I want Ceviche unadulterated with Coconut Milk. I expect to be back there before leaving Peru, we’ll see if I can get that across to the waiter next time.

In bed at the appropriate time and nothing worth mentioning. Even if there was something worth mentioning, it wouldn’t be worth mentioning.

The bus south wasn’t leaving until 11am, so I had plenty of time for the morning ritual, breakfast and getting a taxi to the bus station. I got there about an hour before lift off, the woman at the counter looked at my ticket and said, Track #3. So I killed time watching the comings and goings of the rest of the world. It got close to boarding time, so I slipped over near the gate, and remember this was a one checked and one hand carry kind of situation. Baggage check was right there ready to accept my second bag. I gave the handler my ticket and bag, and my ticket kept going Blaaat! Blaaat ! When he scanned it. Finally he looked at it and obscure languaged at me. Then he called over someone else and he circled the 26^th, and wrote 22. Some way when I put in the ticket request online, I got my wires crossed and put the wrong date it. The bus was starting to load. I ran over to the initial woman, pointed to the 26 and the 22. She found me a seat on that bus (an aisle not a window, but it didn’t matter anyway. I don’t know how to operate a bus, so couldn’t help the driver anyway). I ran back over to baggage check and the line to get on the bus is getting shorter and shorter. Finally I made it, and dropped off my bag. Sprinted to the gate, gave my ticket, got a cursory security check and was on the bus.

I opted for the expensive wide seat, which was less than a small pizza at Rudy’s. Got to sit on the second floor, got a sandwich and a small Coke in the deal. The bus ride was OK, there really wasn’t a lot to see. There was the city of Lima, but one city is pretty much the same as another. Expensive tall stuff in the middle, not so tall stuff as you move out and then the single story junky stuff and then nothing.

Once on the road there was at first miles of some dirt, a lot of sand and countless billboards. You probably don’t remember highways in the US in the early 60’s. All you could see was tarmac and billboards. Lady Bird Johnson, had her Beautify America project. Laws we passed and most of the billboards are now a thing of the past. The road out of Lima really reminded me of how it used to be.

Hen the billboards diminished in number, and the dirt also went away leaving the sand. I sometimes enhance things (do you like that word, enhance? Not exaggerate) but for the next 3 hours it was nothing but sand, the occasional village and refinery. Sand on the land side, ocean on the water side. That was it! It was putting me to sleep, but I was afraid of missing something, anything. Even a dead skunk would have broken the monotony.

The bus stop in this town is also at my hotel. What could be more convenient? It is a huge resort. Kind of Hotel California, since there is nothing near except this place. Looking at the town as we drove it, didn’t offer a lot of attractive options though. The room is not dismal, just utilitarian. No fancy shampoos or conditioners, I don’t remember seeing soap in the room. I think I left my hair dryer in the big luggage back in Lima. Grrr….. It’ll work out.

I found the travel desk and made arrangements for a trip to the islands tomorrow, and a flight over the Nazca lines the next day. I’m moving on on Thursday. Not sure where, but not here. Lonely Planet don’t fail me.

Now to eat hotel food or not eat? That is the question.