The night on the bus passes fairly quietly, it is not full, so I have the two seats all to myself. The road is up and down, hairpin bend after hairpin bend, through the mountains south of Peru. It is pitch black outside, I can barely make out the ocean. A person snores a few seats behind me, I put on my headphones and listen to some music, perhaps more to distract me from the advancing cold that bites my ankles than from snoring.
I arrive from the desert, very hot during the day and quite warm at night, wearing long pants and a short-sleeved T-shirt, heading for my first destination on the Andes.
Rookie mistake!!!
By the time I arrive in Arequipa it is about 5:30 a.m., I have slept very little, more because of the cold I think…I get off the bus and as soon as I retrieve my backpack I put on my jacket (but it is too late now, I am a piece of ice!).
A mini bus takes me to the hostel, I pray someone will open for me so soon! I’m freezing!
I ring the bell, the building does not look good, it is old and shabby.
After a few minutes a woman arrives, her face distraught from sleep, to open for me.
Another reservation mistake, instead of a dormitory bed I get a double room shared with another person. Very kindly they let me go to the room, even though check in would be from 2 p.m.
The hallways, the stairs, the room, the bathroom, everything seems to have gone through better times (a long, long time ago). The silence is deafening, only a dog can be heard in the distance from time to time. I decide to take a shower to warm up (of course the water is freezing!!).
I then decide to get active instead of dozing a bit, trying to get warm.
I have an extreme need to wash clothes, for the next few days I cannot, since I have to move, I have to do it today.
I go out in search of a laundry, relying on google maps. The first two, closest ones no longer exist, I walk to the third one, but they do not accept small garments. I’m desperate, I have almost nothing left to wear and can’t find anyone to wash my clothes!!!
In the meantime, the sun begins to warm and I soon find myself in short sleeves, with sweater over one shoulder and vest around my waist. Cold weather problem solved! 😀
That leaves the laundry…I start to lose hope when in one of the most remote parts of town I find an open laundry. I go in and almost pleadingly convince them to wash my clothes. I made it!
I turn the corner to return to the center and here is a street with at least a dozen open laundries……… After walking for two hours…I’ll spare you the orations….. 😀