PISCO & CHINCHA, Peru - 1st September Friday
We had to get a bus to Arequipa tonight at 7.30pm from a place called Chincha, on the Pan-American highway. 
We had a slow start with a late breakfast served to us by a very friendly, warm and intense man from Uruguay - Julio. He was totally fascinated with India and thought very highly of the country. He had moved to Pisco "por amor" having met a girl from Pisco in Uraguay - they were now married. In Uruguay he was an electrician but now he worked in this hotel as he could not get a job as an electrician in Pisco. We found out that he was on the previous night's shift and had only to serve breakfast and leave.....but he waited until we had our "late" breakfast.
We checked out at 12 noon and decided to go to Chincha early. Pilar & Juan the hotel owners were so concerned, and kept giving us contacts for each of the places we would be going to, that would help us.
Took a collectivo from Pisco to Chincha, which is a busy coastal town few hours south of Lima, renowned for it's cheap wines and a variety of Piscos. It is also a strong cultural hub for Afro-Peruvian culture. Most of the early colonial cotton plantations were worked by salves who were mainly from Guinea. There was harsh racial repression in Peru, with prohibitions on mixed races. Afro-Peruvians were banned from playing drums and that's how Peruvian percussion intsrument called the 'cajon' was invented, from the fruit boxes that the slaves carried. Susana Baca is a fine example of Afro-Peruvian music and is known internatioanally. It is said that the Cajon has moved into flamenco music after Paco De Lucio saw it played at a party in Lima, where Susana Baca was too.
Walked from where the collective dropped us off, to the Cruz Del Sur bus office and left our bags there for the evening bus. Walked back to the main circle and had a great lunch served by a very attentive young boy who threw in fruit and a glass of wine, which we know were not part of the fixed lunch. Then decided to go to the neighbouring town of Sunampe, 1 km form Chincha, to a 100 year old winery 'Bodega Naldo Navarro' that makes Pisco and local wine (vino dulce).
When we got there, we met the man who owned the place himself ; the place had certainly seen some better times, but was now quite run down. We anyway got a guided tour and tasted some of the wines they make, right out of the barrels using a hose to draw a bit out into a glass; some awfully sweet wines too.
Took a collectivo back to Chincha. We had a long wait at the bus-stop and by 7.30pm we were on our way to Arequipa. The trip was to take 11 hours; a night on the bus which turned out to be quite comfortable. 'Cruz del Sur' gave us dinner on the bus and even blankets for the night. Later the very lively and cocky "enroute" attendant conducted the usual Cruz del Sur Bingo with a lot of life and jokes, involving people in calling out numbers. We all slept extremely well.
We had a slow start with a late breakfast served to us by a very friendly, warm and intense man from Uruguay - Julio. He was totally fascinated with India and thought very highly of the country. He had moved to Pisco "por amor" having met a girl from Pisco in Uraguay - they were now married. In Uruguay he was an electrician but now he worked in this hotel as he could not get a job as an electrician in Pisco. We found out that he was on the previous night's shift and had only to serve breakfast and leave.....but he waited until we had our "late" breakfast.
We checked out at 12 noon and decided to go to Chincha early. Pilar & Juan the hotel owners were so concerned, and kept giving us contacts for each of the places we would be going to, that would help us. 
Took a collectivo from Pisco to Chincha, which is a busy coastal town few hours south of Lima, renowned for it's cheap wines and a variety of Piscos. It is also a strong cultural hub for Afro-Peruvian culture. Most of the early colonial cotton plantations were worked by salves who were mainly from Guinea. There was harsh racial repression in Peru, with prohibitions on mixed races. Afro-Peruvians were banned from playing drums and that's how Peruvian percussion intsrument called the 'cajon' was invented, from the fruit boxes that the slaves carried. Susana Baca is a fine example of Afro-Peruvian music and is known internatioanally. It is said that the Cajon has moved into flamenco music after Paco De Lucio saw it played at a party in Lima, where Susana Baca was too.Walked from where the collective dropped us off, to the Cruz Del Sur bus office and left our bags there for the evening bus. Walked back to the main circle and had a great lunch served by a very attentive young boy who threw in fruit and a glass of wine, which we know were not part of the fixed lunch. Then decided to go to the neighbouring town of Sunampe, 1 km form Chincha, to a 100 year old winery 'Bodega Naldo Navarro' that makes Pisco and local wine (vino dulce).
When we got there, we met the man who owned the place himself ; the place had certainly seen some better times, but was now quite run down. We anyway got a guided tour and tasted some of the wines they make, right out of the barrels using a hose to draw a bit out into a glass; some awfully sweet wines too. 
Took a collectivo back to Chincha. We had a long wait at the bus-stop and by 7.30pm we were on our way to Arequipa. The trip was to take 11 hours; a night on the bus which turned out to be quite comfortable. 'Cruz del Sur' gave us dinner on the bus and even blankets for the night. Later the very lively and cocky "enroute" attendant conducted the usual Cruz del Sur Bingo with a lot of life and jokes, involving people in calling out numbers. We all slept extremely well.
posted by Silveira Family of Three (+1) at 11:32 am
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