Ben and Megan wanted to go, so we decided to rent a car so we could do it on our own time. The cost of the rental car was only $45 for the day, much cheaper than renting a taxi for the day. Ben agreed to drive out of the city, and I agreed to drive the rest of the time. Ben is from England, so besides the city driving, he had to deal with driving on the right side of the road and sitting on the left side of the car and shifting with his right hand.
We got the car around 9am and headed out of the city. Ben did quite well with the traffic, knowing where we were, etc. The car gas tank was on empty, so we filled it up - 80 soles or around $28. We got about a half hour away when there was a fork in the road, with the sign showing the pan americana highway to the right, so of course we took it....well, it ended at a tunnel construction site! So, back down to the fork and up the left side...until we came to some kind of a toll-booth that wasn't a toll booth, but a security check point for a mining company, Cerra Verde! - yes, they confirmed we were in the wrong place and needed to have taken the right hand fork. (Here's a link to info about the mine: http://www.mindat.org/loc-55597.html ) So off we went, back there...only to pass a truck which was stopped, so we talked to them. The highway was closed as they were painting the tunnel! Mind you, this is the main road from Arequipa to the coast, and there were NO SIGNS saying the highway was closed! We back-tracked to a little pueblo and asked around. A police officer explained there was another route and pointed and explained. We didn't have a good map though, so decided it was best we not try to find this other way. The landscape in this area was quite dry and deserty and although we saw signs for vicuna, (a smaller wild alpaca), we didn't see any in this area. 
We came to a toll booth right before a Y in the road and we stopped and got snacks and walked around. Again. so nice to be in our own car and not having someone else drive us. I finally took over the driving at this point, and the weather started to deteriorate as well. First a bit of fog, then rain. Then the fun began. I drove over a railroad track, a bit too fast apparently, and there was a huge pothole...AND...I hit it with the left tires....yep, both went flat!
The rain was pouring and we weren't sure what to do. We had a spare, but only one. Should we change the one and take the flat tire back to the toll booth area to see if we could get the tire fixed, or should we call the rental company for help. Ben had his cell phone, but there was no reception where we were. Our delima was resolved when a police vehicle came by. Ben and Megan went with the police officers back to the toll booth area to call the rental car company, and I was to stay with the car. They left at 2:10pm. By 5:30pm, I knew I couldn't sit there any longer. I needed to get off the highway before it got dark. So, I wrote a note, collected Ben's wallet and Megans Ipod and my miscellaneous things, took a deep breath and got out of the car. Along came a bus, followed by a company double-cabbed truck. I flagged down the truck, explained in broken spanish that my 2 friends had gone for help 3 hours ago, but had not returned, and I needed to go to the police station at the toll booth area. The two guys were very nice and offered me a ride all the way back to Arequipa but since I had written the note saying I would be at the police station, I didn't think I had better go.
At the police station, they knew exactly who I was, and why I was there. I found out that Ben and Megan had tried to call the rental car company from there, and the police tried also, but they couldn't get through. So, the police flagged down a car and sent Ben and Megan back into Arequipa to the rental car company. I called into the Casa de Avila and talked to Alton (GVI Project manager) and found out that Ben had just left the rental car company with the mechanic and two tires coming my way. By this time it was 6:30ish at night and pitch black and raining. I left the keys for the car with the police officer and caught a bus back into Arequipa. I got to the GVI Friday night bbq around 8:30 and was immediately offered a glass of wine and found out they had been worried about me! I had done fine sitting in the car, reading the history of Peru in my Lonely Planet guide book!
Around 10pm, Megan and I walked up to the rental car office and found out that they had made it to the car just fine, changed both tires, and then drove about 5 km when the car died! They were towing the car in and would be back in a few hours. Ben ended up getting back to the casa around 1:30 in the morning! I went to the car rental company the next morning, and got off what I considered pretty easy. For the rental, two tires, the towing and all their hours, I paid a total of $215 for the day! They even deducted the 1/2 tank of gas that we left in the car!
We were just so lucky in many ways. Ben didn't mean to leave his wallet in the car, and they both realized after the left that they had no money on them. I just happened to see it in the pocket in the driver's side door. I was dressed for the desert we had been going to, but luckily I had brought my clothes with me for the evening: long pants, socks, a fleece pullover and my raincoat! I had spent almost all of my cash on the gas and the snacks and then on coffee and a phone card at the police station. And when I got on the bus, I didn't ask how much it would be. I worried I was going to have to make a run for it when I got off the bus, but it turned out to cost 4.50 soles and I had 6 soles on me.
To see all the photos of our trip, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/margie510/DayTrip#
hey i guess u can just wait for me with doing the trip :)
ReplyDeleteim squirrely, in a good and bad way
L.