Chiclayo to Mancora

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I should continue from where I left off in my last proper blog - in Chiclayo.  So, I went to visit the Bruning Archaeological Museum and the Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipan.  It was actually really easy getting there as I just went to the combi terminal and they took me directly to the front of the museums.  The Bruning Archaeological Museum was nice with collections from different native groups.  But the Lord of Sipan Museum was just AMAZING.  There were literally tens of thousands of artifacts all very well-preserved and beautifully decorated.

It was also here that I nearly got arrested.  The guard searched me before I entered which was fine.  He didn't say anything about my camera which was in my pocket.  I was quite happy taking photos of all the cool exhibits.  And just before I was leaving the museum, this random museum worker saw me happily snapping shots away and told me not to take photos and asked me to go with him.  I told him to bugger off as they didn't mention anything about not taking photos before.  He then asked me to give him my camera which again I refused.  Then he took off.

Five minutes later, he came back with two cops who had guns.  The police asked me in Spanish whether I was taking photos.  I asked the cops whether they speak any English.  Then the museum staff told me that I couldn't take photos and that it said so on the back of my ticket.  I told them that I couldn't understand the ticket as it was in Spanish.  I told them it was an international museum and they should have English rules on their tickets.  The cops told the museum staff to leave me alone.  But the staff kept pestering me so I reluctantly deleted some of the photos to keep him happy.  So annoying.  But it didn't make much difference anyway as I later lost my computer and my camera all in one day.....more to come on this later.

Chiclayo was a really borning town.  Yes, it did have a nice Plaza de Armas just like all the other old cities in South America, but besides that there really wasn't anything to brag about.  

I went from Chiclayo onto Piura to change the bus to Mancora.

I arrived in Mancora at night and the tuk-tuk driver took me to this hostel that was seriously one of the crappiest places I have ever been in.  He also insisted that all other hostels were expensive because they were on the beach or new or whatever, and for my budget I could afford only three other hostels around the one he first showed me.  I checked them out and they were way worse than the first one.  It's pretty hard to imagine without being there, but the first one looked like a concrete prison with no window and a shower in the room and a mosquito infestation.  It was about 35 degrees when you closed the door.

I also stupidly paid for two nights at 25 soles per night (about AU$10) which was a LOT of money for such a crappy room.  But I was let to believe that because it was a beach town prices were just more expensive than other places.  

After less than 6 hours sleep I decided to check out.  The management refused to refund me the extra night's accommodation.  I was furious and threatened to go to the police.  But they said it was on the back of the receipt I received that no refunds were allowed.  I was so frustrated especially as it was a scam - the tuk-tuk people get paid commission for taking people there.  After I checked out I went to a few nice hostels just 30 seconds walk from the hostel from hell and enquired about the prices.  The one that I chose was right on the beach with a beach view from the room and it was nice and clean and cost the astronomical price of 15 soles a night (AU$6).  I moved in straight away and ended up staying for four nights while I was waiting for the Germans to catch up to me.

Mancora was a nice little town except for all the construction that was going on everywhere when I was staying there.  I went to the beach every day and ate seafood just about every meal.  Cerviche - YUMMMMMMMMM!

I also did a surf lesson here.  It was so embarrassing that the instructor asked me why was I doing the lesson if I was from Australia.  I was just like, "Not everybody can surf in Australia just like not everyone eats guinea pigs in Peru!".

Anyway, the surf lesson was fun and I stood up just about every time.  But I wasn't sure whether the instructor was holding the board so that I could stand up or not.  I will just pretend that it was all me since I didn't see anything behind me :)

The Germans finally turned up.  We had a few drinks together and ate together for a few days before parting again.  I also managed to meet some nice people from South America who joined in the complaint to the dodgy hotel as they were all staying there too.

I then caught the night CIFA bus to Guayaquil.  This was when my misfortune really began......