PLEASE STOP THE EXCITEMENT – JIMBORED CANNOT TAKE ANYMORE FUN – PERU 2012 PART VII

When I finished writing about the highlights of our 2012 trip to Peru, I suddenly realized, pieces were overlooked. Therefore as a final chapter to this adventure, I will sweep up everything, that was missed, and dump it into this last memory. What it includes are small side trips and memories that did not fit into the other parts of earlier posts. Once again, I doubt if anyone will find it too interesting. However, I must write these little pieces down to ensure they do not turn to vapor in my mind. And then vanish forever. I will use lots of photos in this section, and hopefully save you from reading a long, tedious monologue.

As I mentioned in a previous post, during our time at the beach, we took a couple of side trips. One day we decided to hire a car and head south from Mejia along the Pacific coast. The scenery was, for miles, sand, dirt and rock on the inland side. Most of the ride, along the escarpment at the edge of the Atacama Desert where it borders the Pacific Ocean. On the sea side, it was mile after mile of dark sand beaches. Broken only by cliffs that fell off into the ocean. The highway hugged the coastline. Traffic was slow, the progress not fast due to the continuously twisting highway. Once in a while, a small river crossed from the Desert into the sea. These places were lush with vegetation, and green with crops. It was a stark contrast to cross one of these oasis.

As we crossed each of these fertile breaks in the landscape, we inevitably also found small towns. These villages were service centers, for the farming communities that populated the oasis’ that we crossed. Most were very small. And other than a few essential businesses and a Catholic Church, they had little to offer the tourist. However, after about an hour of navigating the coastal highway, we did come across, a much larger community. Cocachacra was its name. This town appeared to have about 4000 residents. The road leading in, basically, took us to the main square and a beautiful Catholic Church. The town appeared very clean and well maintained. We decided to stop here and have a look around.

If I remember correctly, the town lies on the Tambo River (Río Tambo) 12 km’s inland from the Pacific Coast Highway. The Tambo River Valley is possibly 3-4 Km’s wide, and completely farmed from east of Cocachacra, all the way to the ocean. Cocachacra is the major service centre for a river valley of 20,000 persons. All of them dependent on farming. We took a slight detour from our path, to visit this town. We started, our tour, in the same spot where many of our tours had began. Of course, that meant the main plaza and the inevitable Catholic Church. I think what most remains in my memory of this town, was the fact that it was extremely clean. The buildings all seemed freshly painted and well maintained.

Another thing that sticks in my mind about this place, is an interesting tale of the worker vs big business. In the main square was a statue/monument of what appeared to be a farm laborer. If I remember correctly, this town and the surrounding valley were in the midst of a major protest. It seems (in about 2009) a large mining conglomerate from Mexico had applied to open a copper mine in the area. The locals were united against the idea. Their issue was that the community was 95% dependent on farming and the land for its livelihood. They felt that an open pit copper mine would contaminate their water supply and eventually kill the land. The locals staged massive protests. Government forces had killed six of these protesters in the year before our visit.

This military action against the local peoples was not hugely popular and had a large impact on future elections. For a while the government seemed to concede to the farmers. However, as is always the case, the application of moneys in the right places seemed to keep the project alive. At the time of our visit things were relatively peaceful, but, apparently, not for long. In fact, this protest is still ongoing to this day! What started in 2009, continues in 2025. The Mexicans still want the mine. The farmers will still “die” to prevent it. The Peruvian government is still trying to appease both sides. This was/is a classic case of Socialism (the workers) against Capitalism (big business). Who knows what the final result will be?

Ol’ JimboRed, to this day, has a deep interest in this type of conflict. One side of me is Capitalist, while the other sees the ultimate truth in the Socialist struggle. Both sides had their points. I remain “divided” to this very day. The Mexican owners promised to use desalinated water from the ocean in the process. The Mining Company guaranteed that no waste water will be pumped into the local groundwater. While the farmers say, in response, “Bullshit“! The locals further argued, that “Mexicans cannot be trusted”! Both sides have compelling arguments. JimboRed left this area after an hour, possibly a little more “radical” than when he had arrived. Deysi was like, “it’s not your fight, quit your swearing”!

In any event, what I meant to be a few words about this area and our visit, has ballooned. But now we move on. And away we went down the Río Tambo River Valley, back towards the ocean. We drove the 12 km’s back to the ocean alongside the river. It was a solid landscape of fields. Different types of crops were evident. They ranged from rice, to alfalfa, corn, garlic, some fruit trees and potatoes. Additionally there were a number of pasture lands with big, well fed cattle and sheep. Along the way we even passed a new community being built. Have a guess ,what the first building, to be erected, was? Yup you guessed it. So, after a few pictures we continued along the valley.

And finally we arrived at our destination for the day.The place was called Punta de Bombón. It was situated on a wide and sandy beach. From what we could understand, it was a very popular spot for vacation homes. Punta de Bombón, had all the vibrancy of an active seaside community. Although it was, by this time, late summer, the area was still active. The beach stretched out of view from the edge of town. The population of this town was about 5000 people. However, it swelled by a few thousand more, in the summer. When we arrived, about 11:00 AM, everything was laid out. Just waiting for the beach goers. The sun shelters and umbrellas were lined up in rows. The food vendors were yawning and stretching. All along the beach heady aromas filled the air. It was a beautiful spot.

We had arrived on the beach before noon, and for the most part it was deserted. Beach goers were just starting to arrive. The food and souvenir vendors were opening up and putting out their displays. Desyi was searching for a little breakfast. JimboRed was just doing as he was told, and not bothering anyone. Soon Deysi arrives with our snack. As was often the case, I was amazed by what she had found. Basically, it was a potato, dipped in some kind of aromatic batter. After which it was plunged into boiling oil until golden brown. It was absolutely, heavenly. However, I do not know why I was surprised. After all we were in Peru, where everything I ate was spectacular. And this deep fried potato on the beach was no exception.

We looked around the town for a short time. After which we spotted a monument on a hillside outside of town. We were always curious, so went to find out what it was about. What we found was a beautiful view of the beach and coastal plain. And a very interesting graveyard, high on the escarpment over the ocean. We took a few pictures and then started making our way back to our beach house in Mejia. Finally, we had seen enough of this area. We both thought that, one day, it would be nice to spend some time on the beach in this area. Reluctantly we turned our car around and headed back.

On the drive back, there was one interesting thing that we observed. On the inland side of the highway, there were huge piles of dried plant leaves. Desyi told me that they were garlic plants, laid out to dry. Apparently, this area is one of the major producers of garlic in all of Peru. Farmers grow the garlic along the fertile Oceanside, or on river valley, farms. And then after harvest, the crop was laid on the western facing slope of the desert to dry. Intermingled among the garlic harvest were also rows of corn drying in the sun. Ultimately, this little side trip turned out to be great fun. As well as that it showed to us another side of Peru, that we hadn’t experienced before. Soon enough we returned to our beach house in Mejia, where the children waited for another round of playing.

This little trip was not the end of our scouting around this area of Peru. Where our beach house was located, there was another seaside city that was well known to us. It was called Mollendo. Many the time over the past 35 years we had occasion to visit here and enjoy some wonderful times. So, one fine day we decided to travel the few miles in and see what had changed. Mollendo was a Port City of about 25,000 people. Again, the population fluctuated greatly, during the summer vacation months. It is a rather “rustic” city. In the early days, it served as a major port city in the southern part of Peru. At the time of our visit in 2012, it had become, mostly, a tourist based economy. Some of my earliest memories of Desyi and her brothers and sisters, came from trips here.

We loaded up those twins and headed for town. By now their “Crocs” had worn thin. Incredibly they had walked many miles in these rubber sandals. My feet would have been worn completely out if I had, had to walk all those miles in Crocs. The children, I am sure, would have rather just stayed in the beach house, swimming and playing by the ocean. However, they did come along with us. Perhaps we used a little bribery. In a lot of ways, I expect that neither Deysi or myself had anything particular too see in Mollendo. Rather it was another chance to see where we had spent some of our earliest times together. And where we formed our deep and lasting bond together. Basically we had a reunion, of sorts, with this magical town.

I am really not sure if we knew exactly what we were looking for from this place. Perhaps a feeling of youth, energy, and excitement. Possibly we sought to be reinvigorated. Like much of Peru we visited during this trip, everything seemed a bit more modern. At the same time, everything somehow remained mostly unchanged. I guess I can most easily describe it like this; the old and familiar places of 35 years before, were still here, albeit, they had been updated and somehow looked, brighter, cleaner, fresher. While, in contrast, JimboRed appeared, older, duller, a bit dilapidated, and tired. We started at the city center and made our way up and back down, to the lookout above the beach. In fact I think I can better describe our little trip, thru town, with photos. Here goes.

We had now been 5 weeks in Peru and it was time to go home. As always when leaving here, it was very hard. Our hearts lie here in Peru. However, our butts belonged to Canada. So, one day we threw our stuff back in bags and headed home. I can hear everyone exhale a huge sigh of relief. I imagine thoughts like, “Thank God that old fool has finally finished”! Your wish has come true, except for one last side trip. This happened on our way out of Peru. Do you remember Lalitas, Deysi’s younger sister? Well she had left a few days prior to us. But now was waiting, at her friend Gi’s house, for us to arrive in Lima. Desyi had planned a final three days there before continuing home. Again, I think a slideshow is a better way to describe our final days.

I will try to be brief, while I wrap up my memories of Peru, 2012. However, some things just need recording. We met Gi, Lalita, R-zo at one of our favorite places, in Lima. They named it Huaca Pucllana. Archaeologists dated this ruin to about 500AD, or who knows? It sat smack in the middle of Miraflores, close to all of the action. Apparently it served as an adminstrative place for the local peoples, of that era. As well as an ancient ruin, they offered one of the best dining experiences found in Lima and surrounding suburbs. Deysi and I have probably eaten here nearly every time we passed thru Lima. The setting is magnificent. You are eating within feet, of a 1500 year old ruin! And it was no different this time.

And now it all came to and end and it was finally time to go home. It was very nostalgic to leave Peru, in 2012, after 6 weeks of holiday. I was tired, but happy and perhaps somewhat older. Deysi seems to have survived, much, as she always did. In contrast, she seemed fresher, thinner and much younger, than when we had left Canada. She was excited to go home. I hope in some ways, I have recaptured our memories of yet another great adventure to Peru. And for those of you who have read this, too the end, I appreciate you perseverance. Adios for now.