Trujillo, Peru

Trujillo: Hostal La Fortuna (30 soles = $10) for a double bed. Calles Almagro y España

After an unexpectedly long stay in Chiclayo, we finally arrived to our next destination, Trujillo. The 1st night was... eventful. We took a taxi to the cheapest hostal in our guide book ($6 a night per person) to find that the place our cab driver described as Dracula's home had closed down. We then began a trek across the city with our backbreaking bags to a hotel recommended to us by a tour guide who we met in the street. He told us the place was nice and the price comfortable, but when we arrived we found a dark, dodgy place, no hot water, closet sized room, odd smell, one bed, no windows, and a creaky, diaper-like, springy mattress that Laura and I would share. Our backs couldn't handle any more wandering around. "We'll take it!" we said.

Then the search for food. We prowled the streets of Trujillo noting the impressive colonial style architechure; doors big enough for a giant to easily enter. After eating a mediocre, but cheap ($1.33) meal (called churrasco: beef, rice, salad, potatoes, juice), we began the search for a new hostal that we could change to the following day. The cheaper places all seemed to have a strange vibe; something creepy about the men working there, or the over abundance of mirrors, junky locks on the doors... I don`t know. We did find some really nice places...waaaaay our of our $5 price range. Our dingy little room was starting to look better and better; at least the owner, a kind, old man, gave the impression that he wasn`t going to steal all our stuff.

While looking around a guy approached us to ask if we needed help (did we look lost?) He started explaining where we could find a hotel and that he could show us if we wanted. There was another guy standing farther back. I suddenly recognized them. We had passed them a few blocks back, where they were talking to two other foreigners. Something had called my attention to it. A feeling of uneasiness set in (I doubted these guys were just being nice...patrolling the streets, concerned for the well-being of lost foreigners.) "I don't trust them," I said to Laura in English and we calmly made an excuse as to why we had to go. Before leaving one of them made sure to say something in perfect English (just to let us know he understood me...) I felt bad...maybe I had been wrong?

An hour later while walking around we saw them talking with 2 more foreign girls. I was glad I'd followed my gut instinct. As Laura summed us up: she'll get us home (I have no sense of direction), but I'll get us home safe, creep free (Laura could easily talk to a rock.)

We also met a small 7 year old boy selling candy in the street. It was 9:00 p.m. He followed us for about 20 minutes asking for money. We generally don't like to encourage the exploitation of street kids, but when he told us that if he didn't help his mom, they would lose their house, we started to break down. (He also told us the schedule of his entire day, wake up, help mom, make breakfast, go to school, go home, make lunch, do homework, go to "work"... etc.) So after a short, but inspirational speech by Laura about why education is important and a pinky swear that he would study hard, we gave him a few coins. He said that he wants to be a professional in the future. We wonder if he'll ever have that opportunity...

We ended the night testing local desserts. We're still trying to figure out why South American desserts aren't as delicious as they look. (Maybe they're lacking the calories of U.S. desserts?)

Trujillo- Hostal La FORTUNA: FORTUNATELY, we won't be staying here for too long.