Machala, Ecuador (including the rest of Máncora)

So I hope everyone had a wonderful smashing Christmas, wherever you are in the world! Aside from the frustration of trying to make international phone calls in a small little town, mine was very good.

But before I talk a bit about Máncora and how beautiful it was, I should finish up the last bit of Chiclayo in Perú.

The last thing I went to see there before taking a bus to Máncora was the Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum. It`s the most spectacular place. My guide book describes it as ¨world class¨ and it really is. You walk the museum route through dark rooms, each object and information board expertly lighted with spotlights. It holds the finding from the royal tombs in Sipán, about 30km from Chiclayo. I looked at everything from ceramic pottery that lined the perimetres of the graves, to large ornamental earrings made of gold and turquoise stone, to the most intricate shell necklaces, weapons, shields, textiles, gold septres (sp?), crowns... everything the nobles were buried with 1700 years ago. They also have a recreation of the Señor de Sipán`s tomb, which was also impressive.

It took more than 2 hours to walk through the whole thing, and at the end you`re rewarded with a room full of models in full dress and jewels, replicas of all the items in the museum. They are all placed to show what life at court would be like and it`s very well put together.

Anyway since I got to Máncora very very early the next morning, I haven`t even written in my personal journal cuz I`ve been either busy or lazing about in tropical land.

Máncora and that whole stretch of beach on Perú`s north coast is a tropical paradise. The beach is gorgeous, there´s always a wave to surf, colourful umbrellas lines the beach while everyone, tourists and Peruvians alike, either soaked up the sun or splash around in the ocean all day. The beach is lined with little huts serving seafood of all kinds, further down there are various signs advertising surf board rentals or lessons, and there is always some sort of music pumping. I also spent a good deal of time just lounging in one of the dozen fishing-net hammocks scattered about the hostel.

To talk about each day would be redundant cuz in a place like that you certainly do things, but you also do a lot of nothing and always have a good time at it. I did fall into a crowd from the hostel and we partied hard Christmas Eve, had dinner together again Christmas Day and just had a quiet night, and generally had a good time just talking and relaxing together.

And the surfing was good, too, of course. I only went the one time but when I get to the coast here in Ecuador I`ll definitely take another lesson.

Today I crossed the border and have landed in Machala, a dingy ugly city in the south of Ecuador at which I will only stay a night before heading to Loja tomorrow. Looking forward to New Years!