Beach Blanket Bingo

We've been heading down the coast of Peru, spending a lot of time on the beach and at police check points.  We took a break from selling ice cream for a day of relaxation and surfing.  David got up on his second try because even though he's a string bean, he has freakish upper body strength.  A french caravan was spotted on the way to Huanchaco and they caught up with us again in Nazca.  Some of them have been traveling for two years.  Just think about it, they must have shipped the camper from France!  We're approaching our one month mark and with one attempted robbery and no significant car problems we consider ourselves pretty lucky.  We also get to watch romantic sunsets on the beach while drinking Cusquena de trigo (pretty good) or Quara poolside (it tastes like flowers.)

On a side note, we're writing this blog from our hammocks at the Swiss hotel outside Nazca, where we are camping.  The flashpacker inside of us can't resist the free wi-fi.

We were in a town called Pisco, where presumably one could enjoy a Pisco sour, an alcoholic beverage made out of Pisco (similiar to Grappa), limes and egg whites.  But we were hard up to encounter this delectibly tart indulgence.  Instead we found raspadillas, like a snow cone but better because they pour juice over it, so instead of sucking out all the flavor you slurp up the sugary goodness along with maracuya juice.  When we got into Ica we found a random Pisco store that sold cute little jars of Pisco and wine, which we took shots of while gushing over our future travels in Bolivia. 

We've been selling to a diverse clientele, including a man on stilts (we actually did an exchange for some terrible candy bar that he was also selling for a sol), a customer all the way from Japan (we first spotted them taking pictures in the middle of the highway by a lookout tower for the Nazca lines and later buying inferior ice cream until finally they bought a cone from us.  David, the master coner can do up to six cones at a time.  Michelle can do half that and Lebo is the most expert change maker in the history of Peru, she has her own sorting system.

Las Fresas Hit the Road

After two years in the Peace Corps we’re hitting the road in an Emerald green ’95 Chevy, bought for $5,000 in Peru. Our plan is to travel South America living off the bounty of soft serve ice cream, five flavors to be exact, although strawberry is obviously our signature flavor. Our return to Bolivia is like a pilgrimage to the land we were exiled from, to visit friends and do all the things we didn’t get to do, maybe get some closure and listen to LPs with Bill Green, It took a while to get moving, we’re taking our time in the traditional South American pace.

We spent two weeks in Ecuador, fixing up our truck with the ice cream machine, attaching the fulgon and painting it, traveling every day and touring every mechanic shop along the way. We stopped outside of Cuenca to visit Garrett and have a good old fashioned cuy roast.  (That's guinea pig for those of you playing at home.)  We finally managed to cross the border to Peru (on the third try). We’ve become “Police Whisperers” charming the pants off every cop and customs officer we come across. We are a bit suspicious after all with our truck plastered in Lebo’s crooked stars and Michelle’s childish handwriting “Helados Las Fresas,” the machine in the back and two puppies up front. Although when Soledad pees on David’s feet it distracts them enough to let us pass with smiles and waves. Funds are low due to all the technical difficulties (see box) but we did make $170 in two days selling in a few coastal barrios in Ecuador and almost $200 in a beach town in Peru. When “The Fund” isn’t in the red gas, food and lodging is paid for through the sales, so we plan on working our way down Peru to give ourselves a nice cushion for later on. We’re in Northern Peru still and think it will take about two weeks to make it to the Pachamama. We probably won’t make it to Oruro for Carnival as originally planned but we’ve come to realize that plans change quickly, all you can do is be flexible and jump rope (for heart.) Bolivia or bust!

On the side of the highway fixing one of many flat tires.

Fresa and Soledad spoon on the floor

Happiness is an ice cream cone

Getting that tire fixed and put back on