Posts Tagged ‘bus’

Tips on Travel in Cusco

Tuesday, 21 August, 2012 15:52 Written by Chael
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                Cusco is the most visited cities in Peru, and one of the most visited in the entire of the continent. As such, it has a lot of transportation options to choose from. Peru does not have the best domestic travel services, but the system is quite functional. You can travel on the cheap, or opt for something a bit more luxurious. It all depends on how backpacker you intend to be. Pariwana Cusco hostel can give you the low-down on the transport options available to you, but this article offers some hints to get you ready.

                For off, the small airport in Cusco is one of the most transited in the country. Multiple flights travel to and from Lima and Arequipa daily, and also to several jungle cities like Iquitos. If you choose to fly, you might want to look at the weather report. Flights get cancelled more often than not, and it could put a dent in your plans. The airport is tiny but well set-up, with restaurants and clean facilities to handle the hordes of travellers coming in.

You can get to Lima for as low as 70 bucks, perhaps on Star Peru, which is most often considered the cheaper option among the domestic carriers. There is also Lan Peru and Taca airlines. Once at the Cusco airport, you should take a taxi to the Plaza de Armas, but don’t let the taxi drivers trick you into paying 30 soles for a ride, it should cost no more than 7!

Otherwise, a more sure way to arrive to Cusco from Lima or vise-versa is to travel by bus. There are many carriers, and some have their own terminals. However, you’ll be happy to know that the Terminal Terrestre is the main hub for several companies that offer daily service to the main Peruvian travel hubs. The terminal is about 15 minutes walking down the Avenida del Sol, the avenue not 3 blocks from Pariwana Cusco.

Lima is about 24 hours away, Nazca is 15 hours, Arequipa is 10 hours away, and Puno is around 7 hours. Make sure your bus has a bathroom if you think you’ll have to use it. There’s a 55 sol, 22 hours bus straight to Ayacucho if you choose to take that road less-traveled. The company is called Expreso los Chankas and is located on Caceres. One bus leaves at 7pm, but you should take the 6:30am bus to enjoy some of the most spell-binding views in the country.

Finally, one last transport option is the train. You might have jumped the train to Machu Pichu. PeruRail also runs a 10 hour service to Puno that includes lunch. The train departs Mondays, Wednesday and Saturday, and Fridays between April and October. Backpackers might enjoy a luxurious train journey have having roughed it perhaps along the Inca Trail.

Lima’s Travel Hubs

Monday, 07 May, 2012 16:18 Written by Chael
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Lima is a sprawling metropolis of 8 million people. Giant cities are usually a traveller’s nightmare, but Lima doesn’t have to be yours. The places you’re going to want to visit are easy to get to from Pariwana Lima, and they’re quite centrally located. The pressure builds as you start to plan leaving the city, and for good reason, because Lima’s travel hubs are scattered all about! Read through this post to understand the basics of Lima’s travel hubs.Lima - Miraflores

First of all, you’re probably going to be arriving via plane at the Jorge Chavez International Airport. The airport is in the northwest of Lima metro, in the port city of Callao. It is about 45 minutes by taxi from Miraflores, where Pariwana is located. From the airport, you can choose to take a taxi that will cost from 40 to 60 sols, or you can choose to leave the airport and take a taxi from outside the fence that will cost 20-35 sols. Of course, going outside the airport is considered a bit more dangerous, so it’s up to you. You can leave the airport and jump on a bus that is headed to the city center, and from there jump on a bus bound for Miraflores. This option is cheaper, but takes much longer, and doesn’t provide the same safety a taxi might.

Pariwana hostel offers a 55 sol taxi service back to the airport, so you’re covered there. In fact, taking taxis to your travel hubs is going to be the surest way to get to where you need to get. You can spend the time figuring out how to get to hubs on the metropolitan and city buses too, which is cheaper and more time-consuming.

When we say “hubs” we’re talking about the fact that Lima’s individual bus companies are not centrally located. They are however located in somewhat close proximity to one another. The majority of bus companies are located in La Victoria, which is considered a dangerous place to walk around alone, especially at night. This means TAXI it. The more reputable companies are located on Javier Prado (like Cruz del Sur, which Pariwana can reserve for you), and also on Paseo de la Republica, which is a straight shot from Pariwana Lima. In fact, at the intersection of 28 de Julio and Paseo de la Republica, there is a cluster of several companies including Civa and CIAL.

Don’t let the immensity of the city get you down. Just remember that your adventure is just beginning, and a little logistical concern isn’t going to dampen your backpacker drive!

Tips to Use the Metropolitano

Monday, 19 March, 2012 23:26 Written by Chael
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Lima is one of the biggest metropolitan centers on the continent. With over 8 million people, you really wonder how the heck everyone can go about every day in those crowded, loud minibuses. Taxis aren’t the most attractive thing either for their higher price, and there’s no metro system here. However, with a bit of inquiring at Pariwana Lima, you’ll be given a map and an explanation about Lima’s clean, safe and quick Metropolitano.

The Metropolitano is an integrated bus system that serves as a metro-type transport option. It is clean, quick, and quite safe. Armed guards are stationed at every entry point into the system, and the whole thing is quite well regulated. Backpackers won’t have any hassles taking their luggage aboard, as there is usually ample room (unless you’re planning on using the system at peak hours around 7am and 6pm).

Using the Metropolitano is easy, even if one look at the system map doesn’t convince you. First, you’re going to have to buy the card, unless Pariwana reception has one to lend you (check to make sure).  The minimal amount is 5 soles to buy the card. With the 3 sol card comes 2 soles of credit. Each ride costs 1.50 soles, so you can opt to put an extra bit on your card to be ready to enter the system for the return journey.

In any case, recharging the card credit is easy. Just snap the card into the magnetic pocket and throw in a few soles to charge it up. The adventure is made simple with the Metropolitano, that’s a surety.

Now, there are only two directions on the Metropolitano, north and south. There are, however, many different busses that pass through. Read the system map closely to find out which buses are express busses and which stop at every stop. Pariwana Lima is three blocks from the nearest station, so you won’t have any trouble finding it.

As the Metropolitano approaches downtown, it stops at Estacion Central. From there, the B bus will continue straight, while the A bus with make a detour into the very center of the center. You could also opt to debark at Estacion Central and walk downtown-it’s not very far, and on the big avenues it’s safe as can be.

Just remember that the Metropolitano begins to close at 10pm. Thankfully, Pariwana Lima is so centrally located in Miraflores, that there are many regular buses that take you straight back to the Ovalo, just in case you miss the last Metropol bus.

The People You Meet

Sunday, 11 March, 2012 00:01 Written by Chael
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                Pariwana Cusco is an enormous hostel. It serves as a veritable crossroads for travelers of all types to meet. Not only do you run into compadres from back home, but you’re also exposed to particularly amazing travel experiences. I’ve met my fair share of travelers coming through the Pariwana, and I can say that the stories I’ve heard have inspired me to shift the way I go about traveling. There are so many ways to have an adventure worth not only the money you spend, but the time you invest.

Of all the travelers I’ve met, it’s hard to single out any one to show you what I mean when I say that the diversity of journeys is impressive. From bicyclists to motorbikers, busers to hitchhikers, car drivers to walkers; there seems to be an enormous drove of travelers aching for originality. I can tell you about a few of the backpackers I met coming through Pariwana in Cusco.

As an American, I always believed that a month of travel was a heck of a lot of time; I was wrong. I remember when I first met someone traveling for over 4 months; Jean-Luc from France. His backpack was of the Quechua brand, and it looked worn. He’d been travelling for 4 months on a curtailing journey through Bolivia and Peru. He back in La Paz, and visited the giant Salar de Uyuni. From there he made his way to Lago de Titicaca, and onwards to Cusco. In 4 months! I would’ve thought that 2 weeks would be sufficient!

So, I was even more surprised when I met Beth from Canada. She’d been bussing for upwards of 8 months through all of South America. Now, I can safely say that I was flabbergasted by her stories of Patagonian landscapes, Tango dancing, Bolivian Mines, Chilean soccer matches and Peruvian llama treks. My ideas for travel quickly widened after I met her.

However, of all the backpackers that I met coming through Pariwana, the most interesting one was Peter from Arizona. He’d been thumbing his way around the world for upwards of 2 years! He’d made his way from Europe down into the great African continent, and hitched a boat from South Africa to Ushuaia in southern Patagonia. This man truly inspired me to consider alternative ways of travel.

All these travelers, these adventurous backpackers that I’d met; I met in my sedentary position in Pariwana’s constantly changing environment.

The deep Amazonian jungle; Pucallpa and Puerto Maldonado

Saturday, 21 May, 2011 16:06 Written by alonzo
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Most of the eastern part of Peru is covered by endless miles of jungle, ruled by the laws of nature and the world’s longest and mighty Amazon river. This part of Peru is where on a daily basis you will be challenged, amazed and astonished, seeing the biggest variety in wildlife you can imagine, visiting genuine jungle tribes and experiencing local customs in this gorgeous piece of flora and fauna.

The Amazon region covers three main regions in east Peru; Loreto in the north, Ucayali in the middle  and Madre de Dios in the south. If you are backpacking in Peru you are bound to hear some great stories about the Amazon region, where people mainly refer to the main cities in the respective regions – Iquitos in Loreto, Pucallpa in Ucayali and Puerto Maldanado in Madre de Dios.

Iquitos is basically the main stop in the Amazon, in Peru, forming a great travelling hub to backpack onto Brasil and Colombia over the Amazon river. Also check out the article we put on our blog specifically about Iquitos and its surroundings.

Pucallpa

A bit more located to the south of Iquitos, you’ll find the famous city of Pucallpa, in the Ucuyali region. Pucallpa is also located along one of the arms of the Amazon river, so it might be worth visiting this place along your way to Iquitos, if you decide an Amazonian boat trip.

Inside the city you can find “Pucallpa’s National Park”. This park represents a zoo where various protected species can be seen. The entire region is mainly known for its many parks and reserves, like the Tambopata National Reserve (locally known as “Yarinacocha”), the Von Humboldt reserve and, Padre Abad, amongst many others.

Many native communities still live inside this region. So if you have a keen interest in Peru’s culture and want to get acquainted with the local way of life within the tribes, this can offer you a great and unique adventure!
One of the most known tribes is located in Shipiba – Coniba, located around 15 minutes by car from Pucallpa. This place is full of strange and traditional behaviour and rites. You can even practise “trueque” here, which means the actual trading of objects instead of using regular money. So pack your backpack practically and collect some unique souvenirs here!

To get to Pucallpa from Lima, you can take ground transport for around 20 hours in total, leading you via the towns of La Oroya, Cerro de Pasco, Huánuco, and Tingo María to Pucallpa. Keep in mind to travel in the dry season to avoid unexpected road closures (keep in mind that dry/wet season differs whether you are north or south, inquiry about this).

Alternatively, you can also catch a plane that takes just under an hour. If you travel from Iquitos, it is 5 – 7 day journey depending on the Amazons’ flow of the river.

The climate in Pucallpa is similar to the climate in Iquitos, just a bit milder with a minimum of 20 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 31 degrees in the hot days.

Puerto Maldonado

If you are going a bit more southwards into the Peruvian jungle, you can find Puerto Maldonado close to Bolivia’s border and near Cusco. Puerto Maldonado is known as “The Capital of the Peruvian Diversity” in the Madre de Dios (Mother of God) region. Most importantly, it is renowned for Peru’s most famous reserve, “El Manu”, which until today is still untouched by any man’s hand!

This reserve gives you the opportunity to observe a huge variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, and so on. Also it is home to Peru’s national bird, “El Gallito de las Rocas” (Little Rooster of the Rocks). To stress its wilderness, when you go to this park, paths won’t last longer than 3 or 4 days making it an extreme and not often tried experience.

The tours to “El Manu” include boat trips on various rivers and also the “Colpas de los Guacamayos” expedition. This is an impressive experience where you can see thousands and thousands of birds flying at the same time. It also includes a visit to Ashaninca, which is a native community living in the park. The exclusiveness and adventure of this reserve can easily be stretched to 10 days to appreciate this southern part of Peru’s untouched jungle.

If you are finding yourself in Cusco, you can also get to this park. From Cusco it is a 10 hour trip by bus, followed by a boat trip of another 6 hours. Alternatively you can take a flight from Cusco (30 minutes) to the Boca Manu airport.

From Lima it will take you at least 42 hours over the road to reach Puerto Maldonado, whereas a plane will take you around 1,5 hours.

Besides the necessary repellent, you will be a bit fresher than the other areas in the Amazon, with a high of 31 degrees Celsius in the summer and around 16 degrees in the winter.

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