Don’t think I’ve ever been on edge about anything in my life arriving into Lima International Airport and trying to explain I want a registered taxi.
Driving, no fanging it through the traffic accelerating to a million miles and hour and breaking just as quick, I’m surprised we didn’t have to stop for a new set of break pads along the way.

Arrived at Pariwana Hostel in Miraflores where there are security and cops hanging about on every corner for the travelers safety. Or at least to make us feel safe. Had a walk to the beach, still very cautious as to who was walking past me and what their intentions may be. Got to the beach with a kid I met in the hostel from the Netherlands (he didn’t know Peter Pan and definitely wasn’t a Lost Boy – don’t worry, I asked). Saw love park which was pretty gay but the view over the Pacific was pretty good.

As the day continued I came to the sudden realisation that I was ‘that’ kid who travels by himself who everyone else questions. Other travelers question (usually to themselves) ‘why is he by himself, there must be a reason’. And so to others I seem clingier than gladwrap, have no mates and just plain weird. I know this is how other travelers think because when I was a Backpacking Battler this is what I thought of other solo travelers.

Okay so this is where the experience gets a little rattling. I woke up to the hostel maid wanting to clean my bed because it was after 11am and I had slept through past checkout at 11am. Guess I’m still pretty buggered from the traveling. My late wake up meant I would be spending the day solo as everyone else had already bailed. So after locking up my bags in another locker in the hostel, I caught a bus to Barranco, a suburb about ten to fifteen minutes outside Miraflores. I caught the bus because on the map it seemed easy and only cost one soles (equivalent to around 50cents or so). I get off outside Barranco because that’s where the bus terminates (also another maniac driver). I have my camera and not much money on me (twenty to thirty soles). Walking by myself down the street I was a little on edge but much more comfortable than I was the previous day.

Following my map I get to a courtyard style walkway and walk passed a bunch of people who looked to be in their 20’s. I heard one of them yell ‘oi’ and so I just kept walking ignoring them. I get glancing behind me to see if any of them were following me. I reach almost the end of the walkway where I see a bloke dressed in all black at the end. He looks at me and puts his hand in his pocket and leaves it in there as he starts walking my direction so we would run into each other a few metres ahead. As we got closer (only one step closer as my brain has processed all these thoughts in about half a second) my heart drops and blood starts pumping quicker than the bus driver and taxi drivers drive and I turned around and immediately walk pretty quick the way I had just come. As soon as I turned the corner I put my camera in the gooch part of my undies so I was almost shelving it and ten of my twenty soles deep in my sock so if I did get held up I would at least have some money for a cab back to the hostel.

Because I walked down another street it meant I walked further than I was supposed to in a different direction and got lost. Asked a cop who pointed toward a certain direction so I followed his direction and made it to Barranco. You’d hope Barranco was worth it after all that right? Yeah it wasn’t really but at least the experience opened my eyes wider than I could have ever imagined.

If this happens every day my blood pressure is going to be through the roof !

Start the tour this arvo of Machu Picchu, a four day hike of the Inca Trail and the Peruvian side of the Amazon. For those reading this who might be slightly worried about my safety, don’t be. You learn from your mistakes and from now its not sleeping in, adventuring with someone else and getting cabs everywhere.

See you at the other end of the Inca Trail !