I got up early today to make sure I could complete the nine-hour journey from Arica to Arequipa in daylight. When I arrived at the international bus terminal in Arica, I was surprised to find out that the buses to Peru didn't even have fixed departure times - they just filled up bus after bus with people, departing as soon as the bus was full. In the case of my bus, this took about ten minutes. Of course, these buses don't go all the way to Arequipa. About 60 km from Arica, just across the border, is Tacna. Apparently, chilenos frequently make the journey there for cheap shopping and medical treatment. Even knowing this beforehand, I was still impressed by how quickly the buses filled up.
On the way to the border I realized that this stretch is, as far as I know, the exact location where Bolivia is trying to gain a corridor for access to the Pacific. Seeing the busloads of chilenos going shopping in Peru and the efficiency of the border crossing, I don't think this is ever going to happen...
In Tacna, I found out that Peruvian time is two full hours behind Chilean time - what a nice surprise, gaining two hours just like that ;-) I then boarded the earliest bus to Arequipa.
The most interesting occurrence during the bus ride were the stops. At every stop, at least ten food vendors entered the bus, loudly praising their wares and trying to keep out of the way of everybody wanting to get on or off the bus. The offered everything from soft drinks to sweets, snacks and hearty meals, and each stop brought different foods. Judging by the smell, most of it must have been delicious - next time I'll try some :-)
On the way to the border I realized that this stretch is, as far as I know, the exact location where Bolivia is trying to gain a corridor for access to the Pacific. Seeing the busloads of chilenos going shopping in Peru and the efficiency of the border crossing, I don't think this is ever going to happen...
In Tacna, I found out that Peruvian time is two full hours behind Chilean time - what a nice surprise, gaining two hours just like that ;-) I then boarded the earliest bus to Arequipa.
The most interesting occurrence during the bus ride were the stops. At every stop, at least ten food vendors entered the bus, loudly praising their wares and trying to keep out of the way of everybody wanting to get on or off the bus. The offered everything from soft drinks to sweets, snacks and hearty meals, and each stop brought different foods. Judging by the smell, most of it must have been delicious - next time I'll try some :-)
