Backtracking to Chile

To jump back about 2 1/2 weeks, Tony and I took a quick trip across the Peru-Chile border to get our visas renewed. Until we receive our official registration cards to be in the country, we are here on tourist visas which last for 90 days. We knew this all along, but the end of the 90 days snuck up on us much faster than we realized and we had to leave the country quickly! In times like this we are thankful to be in southern Peru, close to the Chilean border.

We traveled by bus for about $10 each, which gets you on a "top of the line" bus (essentially this means that the bathroom on-board has a 50% chance of working and that you won't make more than 3-4 stops to pick up roadside passengers along the way). : ) Upon arriving in the Peruvian border town of Tacna, we piled into a collectivo to drive across the border. These cars are generally 1980's Buick, Chevy, or Oldsmobile models - comfortable velvety seats, automated windows, etc. I have great memories of riding in my grandparents car as a child that was quite similar, talking with my grandma and eating up all of her orange tic-tacs as we rode along. So I rather enjoy riding in collectivos just for the memories!

Our collectivo

Two thumbs up from Julie for the collectivo

We arrived in Acrica, the Chilean border town, and found a hotel that was somewhat outdated but right on the coast of the Pacific ocean - so we were thrilled! We could hear the sound of waves crashing on the shore all night - it was relaxing and therapeutic for both of us. We were able to get some great photos while we were there. I only wish we could capture the sounds and smells to take home with us too.
We were refreshed after just one night away on the coast, and then it was back across the border and home to Arequipa the next morning. The bus ride home was about 2 hours longer than the ride to Chile because we were stopped several times by customs agents who searched the entire bus for undeclared contraband. One passenger on our bus was detained for smuggling in shoes, which he was probably hoping to sell in Peru to make a small profit to help feed his family. At one stop all of the luggage was unloaded, manually inspected and then held in a secured area for awhile. Here is a photo of the pile of luggage waiting to be released, and Tony waiting anxiously for our bus to be cleared to pick us up on the other side of the custom patrol gate.

All in all it was a great trip, and we are happily back in Peru for another 90 days!