Huacachina near Ica is America’s only oasis and a pretty weird place. Cusco will come a bit later, but today, enjoy these deserty pictures.

Ayacucho is known as the most colonial city after cusco and one of the nicer cities of Peru. Also known as the birthplace for the Marxist group ‘ Sendero Luminoso’ in one of the most remote areas of Peru. The road to Lima was completed only in 1999 and Cusco is a 200 km – 23 hour ride. On the photos is also the old capital of the Wari civilization which boosted an impressive 50.000 inhabitants about 1000 years ago.

Maar weer ‘s een muziekje, Yo no quiero agua, yo quiero bebida. Geen idee of dit het orgineel is.

The road from Huancayo to Ayacucho and from Ayacucho to Cusco is an interesting one. It’s only about 450 km as the bird flies, but the total time for this track is a stunning 32 hours by bus. It sounds like horror but I can recommend it. Not only will you get over any fear of dangerous driving and bad roads, but also will you see all types of landscapes Peru has to offer. And besides Ayacucho and Huancayo are very nice and lovely cities. Some crappy impressions from the road.

A nice city of about half a million, remotely located in the central highlands. A very nice place to hang around for a few a days if you ask me! The weird photo’s are local sites Torre Torre and Parque de la indentidad

( Note: Since La Merced seems to be missing from the LP guides I took on the job of writing a piece about the town in the same style. Ain’t I good? )

La Merced

La Merced, located in the selva central is the bustling capital of the Chachamayo region. Famous for fresh juices which are sold on virtually every corner. The region boosts a coffee area where allegedly the world’s best coffee is produced. In the weekends it’s a popular getaway for the Lima crowd since it’s the closest jungle to the country’s capital

Things to do

La Merced is a rather quiet town. On weekends the regions produce is sold on the market. A great moment to indulge on fresh pineapple, papaya or any of the other tropical fruit juices. There are plenty of agencies to be found on plaza de armas for tours in the whole region.

In cathcing up week; Junin. It’s about 4300 meters up from sea level pretty near to the self-proclaimed ‘

Readers probably know I’m traveling now since april 2010 more or less, so time to celebrate I’ve been moving around for a year now. Just as a reminder what alternatives are there and what you could’ve been doing instead of earning profits for your bosses. Believe me it’s not that expensive and clearly cheaper than usual living in the Netherlands.

This post is dedicated to all the lovely people I have met on my way. By listing all places I’ve been shorter or longer is remembering that a year is a pretty long time (instead of popular complaint) and all the people, adventures, stories and fun which are behind the names of the place. After all a place is just a place somewhere, but who and what you can find there makes it truly magic.

So there goes:

Amersfoort, Apeldoorn, Deventer, Holten, Rijssen, Enschede, Bad Bentheim, Rheine, Hobsten, Osnabruck, Lintorf, Lubbecke, Porta Westfalica / Minden, Obernkirchen, Hameln, Eschershausen, Afeld, Bad Gandersheim, Seesen, Goslar, Bad Harzburg, Ilsenburg, Wernigerode, Ballenstedt, Lutherstadt Eisleben, Halle (Saale), Desslau, Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Budapest, Erd, Szentendre (-Sziget), Belgrado, Pancevo, Sarajevo, Maribor, Ljubljana, Bohin, Kloden, London, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas, Willemstad, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Taganga, Tolu, Medellin, Manizales, Jamundi, Cali, Popayan, San Augustin, Bogota, Pasto, Otavalo, Quito, Macas, Santiago, Puerto Galileo, Santa Maria de Nieva, Saramariza, Tarapoto, Chachapoyas, Piurra, Loja, Cuenca, Guayaquil, Montanita, Puerto Lopez, Quevedo, Ambato, Banos, Riobamba, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Nuevo Chimbote, Casma, La Union, Huanoco, Tingo Maria, Junin, La Merced, Huancayo.

I didn’t include a few small towns, but I hope I didn’t forgot locations where I met cool people.

Two days, twenty hours in the bus from Casma to Tingo Maria. Just a little photo’s