Day 20 (Friday 2 December 2016)
Arica Chile, to Arequipa 440 kms
Up early as it was recommended we make the border (16 kms away) by 7.45am before busloads of people arrived.
We arrived at the Chile side at 7.06am and there were already four queues (about 100 people) ahead of us. There were only two counters in operation so it was a slow process (little did we know what was to come once we crossed to Peru).
Once the passports were stamped we went to the Carnet counter to hand over pieces of paper and get an exit stamp.
Onto the Peru side at Sunat. We waited here for four hours as only one man was typing our data into a computer...slow, with two fingers, so it was going to take forever. Some officials came out and brought bench seats for us to sit on (an ominous sign), then eventually they brought in two more computers and staff to man them. Finally some movement when about ten of our carnets were taken away to the main office to be processed. When they came back an hour later we noticed that we had been stamped out of Peru (before we even got in!). Once this was rectified it was Customs turn. They examined the engine and chassis numbers and compared them to the Carnet. Another stamp and we were into Peru. There is a two hour time gain in Peru from Chile and we'd been at the Peru side for four hours.
Finally it was on to the Tacna Autodromo for a quick couple of laps (slowly in our case).
The route from here was through desert with attempts at growing maize, olive trees, many unfinished houses (taxed when finished?), stalls selling melons and plastic toys from roadside huts.
Along the scenic coast there were many "beach resorts", mainly straw one room huts which people would presumably hire during the summer season.
The rocks close to the shore were "white" from the droppings of the many birds nesting and resting on them.
I think it was along this stretch of road that the Medic van was pulled over for not having bright enough lights! The policeman was attempting to try them for a bribe.
The first few service stations here were cash only so fortunately we had exchanged some in Santiago.
This was quite an ugly route despite the lovely sea view. There were many refineries marring the landscape, close to the road and sea.
We passed some areas where potatoes were growing and trucks carrying bags of them. Maize and potatoes are important staples in the Peruvian diet.
After a long hot day we reached the Kartdromo Mostajo for a couple of laps of the circuit.
Leaving here we exited in the wrong direction. As we reached the exit gate there were two uphill lanes and a car in both so we immediately assumed it was one way and not the way we need to go. Our route took us through crowded Friday markets, peak hour traffic so it was quite a frustrating drive to the hotel.
It was an old colonial hotel in lovely grounds so it was a relief to get here. In the grounds was 135 year old Juanita, a Galapagos turtle as well as several llamas.
SPRING REPAIR IS HOLDING UP.
Arica Chile, to Arequipa 440 kms
Up early as it was recommended we make the border (16 kms away) by 7.45am before busloads of people arrived.
We arrived at the Chile side at 7.06am and there were already four queues (about 100 people) ahead of us. There were only two counters in operation so it was a slow process (little did we know what was to come once we crossed to Peru).
Once the passports were stamped we went to the Carnet counter to hand over pieces of paper and get an exit stamp.
Onto the Peru side at Sunat. We waited here for four hours as only one man was typing our data into a computer...slow, with two fingers, so it was going to take forever. Some officials came out and brought bench seats for us to sit on (an ominous sign), then eventually they brought in two more computers and staff to man them. Finally some movement when about ten of our carnets were taken away to the main office to be processed. When they came back an hour later we noticed that we had been stamped out of Peru (before we even got in!). Once this was rectified it was Customs turn. They examined the engine and chassis numbers and compared them to the Carnet. Another stamp and we were into Peru. There is a two hour time gain in Peru from Chile and we'd been at the Peru side for four hours.
Finally it was on to the Tacna Autodromo for a quick couple of laps (slowly in our case).
The route from here was through desert with attempts at growing maize, olive trees, many unfinished houses (taxed when finished?), stalls selling melons and plastic toys from roadside huts.
Along the scenic coast there were many "beach resorts", mainly straw one room huts which people would presumably hire during the summer season.
The rocks close to the shore were "white" from the droppings of the many birds nesting and resting on them.
I think it was along this stretch of road that the Medic van was pulled over for not having bright enough lights! The policeman was attempting to try them for a bribe.
The first few service stations here were cash only so fortunately we had exchanged some in Santiago.
This was quite an ugly route despite the lovely sea view. There were many refineries marring the landscape, close to the road and sea.
We passed some areas where potatoes were growing and trucks carrying bags of them. Maize and potatoes are important staples in the Peruvian diet.
After a long hot day we reached the Kartdromo Mostajo for a couple of laps of the circuit.
Leaving here we exited in the wrong direction. As we reached the exit gate there were two uphill lanes and a car in both so we immediately assumed it was one way and not the way we need to go. Our route took us through crowded Friday markets, peak hour traffic so it was quite a frustrating drive to the hotel.
It was an old colonial hotel in lovely grounds so it was a relief to get here. In the grounds was 135 year old Juanita, a Galapagos turtle as well as several llamas.
SPRING REPAIR IS HOLDING UP.
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