18.03.2008 Yura (Integration day)

Today we really tried to integrate and mix with the local people. But the success of the day.... We started off with a local bus "collectivo" a large minivan that smokes, makes a lot of noise, max speed 30km /h, and doesn´t smell very pleasant... A trip of 45min (read 1h20) to the Thermal center of Yura.. What an idea!! The bus filled up and we even got a guy singing and playing banjo and a pan flute during a part of the trip. After passing many shack villages (bidonville) we made it to the Thermal center... or in the middle of nowhere... One of the two buildings was the Thermal, with four mini pools (1.2m * 1.4m) filled with therapeutical water from the volcanoes. We tried three of the four pools and we are still waiting for the healing effects.... While waiting for the bus for return we had lunch with mosquitoes, we were wearing shorts so our ankles are filled with huge itching red bites... Once in Arequipa we picked up our bags and took a bus to Mollendo, again hot, stinky and full of people, but bigger than the first bus. Our bags were very well accompanied by huge bags of potatoes and other agricultural products. During the bus ride we had the pleasure to enjoy Peru-Pop music videos from the early 90´s with a broken sound. And a really bad movie in very loud spanish... After 2h30 travelling through the deserted mountains we finally arrived, as usual, in the middle of nowhere... But right next to the Pacific Ocean!!!