Arequipa to Lima

Never have I been so happy to be ridding in a bus. I had a second story front row seat in what seemed more like a space ship then a bus. Its was pure comfort and as one passes through the streets one feels like one is flying its great. After this bus ride I was really looking forward yes eager for my next leg from Lima to Ecuador which is like a 36 hour stint. Yes I had enjoyed the last 24 hours of comfort, I had a taste and wanted more.

 

Modern architecture contrasted with Poverty

 

The houses in the above photo i would consider luxurious compared to the many dwellings sprawled along this dusty land. Its hard to imagine what living in some of these shacks would be like. For miles along the highway you can see little shacks built on sand and surrounded by sand, it must be very dry and dusty even just looking upon these places makes the eyes hunger for vegetation and water.

Even though the ocean can be seen in many places from these mountains of sand upon which we find the afore mentioned estates are built, beneath the haze of the Peruvian air it with its heat and contamination even the ocean appears dry and bland. It would be interesting to live in such surroundings to try and grasp what life is like here, but other than gaining some insight as to how these people survive it doesn't really have much appeal. I imagine people live like this simply because there are not many other options.

COLOURS

Interesting it is to note though as humans we are compelled to brighten our life to some extent especially when colour is lacking or life is hard. For example people here and in South America in general NEVER paint there houses grey or colours to that effect, I imagine that would be depressing and life can be hard as it is. Houses are often painted blue, green, white, yellow even crimson which help to colour the community and raise the spirits. Even the clothes and shawls of the indigenes people are very bright and colourful.

Its a shame that on a global scale humans try to beautify themselves and there immediate surroundings but live in a way that often ruins the natural beauty that in the past was so abundant and in many cases reduce such beauty to concrete jungles lined with refuse and carcinogenic air to breath. That sounds a wee bit negative but if you at what we build with what was and the consequential effects there is often a marked contrast.

Anyway onwards to Ecuador.