Thu 24th May

Realising a ‘few’ lbs have gone on having been in holiday mode for 4 months with zero routine, today is the day I decide to tackle this and I start today with a 6km run down the beach.

It’s an easy first run as being on the coast, it’s a flat! I run on past where the town ends but the place doesn’t look that enticing and when I see gun watch towers I decide to run back in the other direction!

A cuppa and shower back at the hostel and Lee and I go for some breakfast at Chocolate Cafe. Breakfast juice and tea for only £2 which isn’t bad!

As we walk down the seafront, there’s a shop selling bus tickets so we go in here to enquire about transport to our next stop. We’ve both had enough of night buses, especially Lee who got an economic night bus to here and so we book the Linea service to Huaraz which is a morning service and it only cost 30 soles!

Today I want to go back into the city of Trujillo to have a look around. As I came from there 2 days ago, I get on the same bus back. As we near the city I follow my journey on maps me and start wondering if it goes into the centre. It doesn’t! I speak to the girl sat next to me and she tells me I should get off in 2 blocks time and walk in. I do this and with my trusted maps me friend, realise it’s a 2.7km walk into the main part of the city.

My walk takes me through proper local land. A buzzing street of activity that focuses on a one business at a time. First there is an abundance of garage, car part shops. Then onto shoe parts – I’ve never seen so many shoe soles ever and shoe shiners (Trujillo is apparently famous for its shoes thou). Next I pass printers. Big scale printers for wall signs down to office type printing. Then we have glasses/opticians and then on to mobile phone shops. This finally leads me to town and a big Movistar shop which is exactly where I need to be to buy a SIM card.

These shops are forever full. I don’t know why so many people in these parts of the world need to go in all the time. U look in an EE shop, 02 at home and they never have any people. Here, u take a ticket like at the cheese counter in Tesco and are assigned a letter and number depending on your query.

My first problem here was I didn’t have my passport on me! I only want to buy a sim, not take out a contract….! My driving licence won’t do so have to email the photo I have and they print it out. I finally get seen and am told I can only buy the chip here and have to go somewhere else to recharge and enter the packet I want. After the problems I’ve had in the past, bugger that so I go in search of Claro! Next shop found, I’m seen immediately by a great helpful chap. Card bought for £1 and for £1.50 I have all social media free for 30 days!!! Now that’s a tariff I like. Well done Claro Peru!

I finally get to Plaza de Armas, the main square in Trujillo and it’s beautiful. The square is surrounded by the cathedral

a church

colonial mansions

and the independence monument in the centre

Trujillo became independent from Spain in 1820 and was twice the capital of the country. It is also known as the capital of culture in Peru.

It’s famous also for being near 2 huge archeological sites – Cgan Cham the largest adobe city in the ancient world and also a UNESCO world heritage site and the temples of the sun and moon.

I carry on wandering around the streets

doing a bit of shopping along the way (including £20 on toiletries – I miss Wilkinson’s)!

I grab an empanada for lunch which here is a lot like proper Cornish pasties – except for the fact it’s sprinkled with icing sugar!!!

I follow the information given to me in the tourist office and I get a local colectivo back to my hostel. A journey there and back for under £1!

Having been a lovely day, I go to the beach for what looks set to be an amazing sunset. I watch this and the surfers that are enjoying this evenings waves. I’m joined by my hostel owners and we watch a beautiful sunset together.

It’s then dinner and an early night.