Huacachina

I am back in the game! After four days I still suffer from jetlag, dead tired at 4pm and waking up 2am..

Rob was waiting for me at the airport with caramel cake and crisps <3 we left Lima behind the next day and headed to Ica. Known for Peruvian wines. We stayed close to Ica in small town, surrounded by huge sand dunes, Huacachina. Amazing!! Town was bottom of the dunes next to the oasis. We took buggy tour and slided down the hills on boards. I tried sandboarding but didn't work. Sunset was amazing, so peaceful if you shut your ears from the other buggies :) These dunes were the biggest I have ever been, and I can tell you I felt really small.

We also visited Bodega Tacama. The first winery in South-America. More than 400 years old, spaniards brought the first vines. Getting in from the gates was harder than crossing a border! Security guards all over and they wanted to see and scan our passport (which we didn't have with us). We got private tour around the winery and some tastings. I wanted to try the fancy wines also so we booked another tasting. We got to go this super nice tasting room with a professional sommelier. Noora you would have liked it so much!

Helsinki

Time flies.. Almost two weeks has gone and I have enjoyed every single moment. The best has been the light! Summer Finland, sun is still shining 11pm and starts shining again before 4am. I got new credit and travel cards, passport and almost all sorted for the insurance. I have spend time with family and friends, wondered around town like a proper tourist.

Weather has been amazing! Real Finnish summer, +27 degrees, full sunshine and flowers blossoming. Seriously, I love this city! But once again I am forgetting that I am only on holiday. It wouldn't be the same if I would be working, or at least it never was. When I lived here, I worked way too much. I always did two different jobs at the same time and didn't have any time frolicking around flower fields :D

We said final goodbyes to grandma yesterday when we put her next to grandpa. I visited interesting military island, swam few times in Baltic Sea, went to sauna middle of Helsinki, new Löyly was just opened last week. We had babyshower for my oldest friend and I went to cheer my sister who participated on triathlon. I have been eating so much; sweets and chocolate, cheese and ryebread, ice cream,.. These kind of holidays I miss, no stress about timing and planning and will I have time to meet all my friends. I do what I do and enjoy the most if it. But I will be looking forward seeing Rob again, I have missed him. I want to go back to the mountains and experience cultural shocks :) 

Tomorrow I fly back to Lima. We try to find farm to volunteer and will climb up to Machu Picchu and snow peaked mountains! I got tons of new energy spending time with my loved ones <3

Vallisaari

Old military island close to Helsinki city centre, which was opened to public this yearsaari has very interesting history, I was totally amazed of the beauty and old bunkers. I love old war stories. 

We had such a good day with Aleksi. I think I actually managed to burn myself little bit. We walked around both of the islands and went in every building you could possibly get in :) We also found a perfect spot for swimming and picnic. Met my old co-worker and enjoyed huge soft ice creams at Esplanad park and later I met my oldest friends for a glass of sparkling! :D Seriously, my day couldn't have been any better.

Final goodbyes

Funerals are never easy. Last year I flew home to say goodbye to my grandpa and this time I flew little longer to say final goodbyes to my grandma. 

Dead is easier to accept if you are sick or old ebough, but if it happens quickly or your body gives up, at least for me it is much harder to handle. She gave so much and enjoyed every minute. She was such a bossy little women but always so happy and positive. She should have had so many more years left in life. 

Life gives, life takes. 

Summer Helsinki is so beautiful! I can't believe how amazed I am every year how pretty it can be and how many cool things and events happen in the city. 

Lima

My first impression wasn't so good, like I told you. But I have been taught to give second chances :) We stayed in Miraflores, upper class area of Lima. Nice buildings, parks, malecon and beach front, not bad at all. We swapped our hostel and I am glad we did, Inkawasi is so beautiful and peaceful, with pool table fancy dining area. Me gusta! 

We spent Monday at the historic centre, wouldn't say it is so colonial as Cartagena or Quito. But we still found some really nice buildings and squares, Plaza Mayor being the best one. New modern concrete buildings kind of ruined the old town feeling.  

Today we walked to Barranco, another uptown area. Nice view to the sea, really fancy apartments with huge balconies and rooftops. Nowadays place for writers, musicians and artists to live, I would say it is the next Miraflores. Very chilled, not so many bars to make noises. Really nice old mansions, some of them very rustic thou. We finished our walk to firshermen warf at Chorrillos. Lunch at local place, fresh cheviche and fish for lunch. 


We had thought of walking back on the beach but it wasn't nice at all. Very dirty and smelly. Now it is our one last hour together before I head to the airport to fly home for the funeral and see my family (holiday between the holiday) and Rob will catch a night bus to Huarez.

Downsides of travelling

15 hour busride from Quito to Mancora was enough for one day. We rested and chilled for two days on the beach. Then it was time to take one more bus to Lima, 17 hours.

Ten different bus companies, different times, different prices,.. How do you know which one is the good one? They all show you a picture of a brand new bus, promise wifi, A/C, toilet, TV,.. Reality was different for us. The bus we got on (an hour later than it was suppose to departure), yes it had been like in the picture, 20 years ago! When I asked about a/c they told me to open the window. Yes, there was a TV from the 70s, was it working? No. Toilet.. I am not going to tell you how disgusting it was. At least we got those semi-cama seats what we had paid for. For the first few hours.. At midnight the bus stopped (just after I had woken up for a cockroach crawling top of me) and driver asks us to take our stuff and change a bus. So typical. We are not given any choise than to take our bags and change even shittier bus with normal seats, 11 hours to go. YES! (That 11 actually turned out to be 15)

I do love travelling, seriously. I love bus rides and exploring new places and meeting people. But what I can't stand is peoples dishonesty and when locals just lie against your face to get your money. After the robbery I have lost the trust for the locals and I have been more scared. Which is not good, cos I can't enjoy full hearted when I am constantly thinking is he lying to me, are they telling the truth? I want to believe good from people and I don't want to guard my back every second. But when bad things happen and nothing is like they promise, what else can you do than be scared and sceptical?

There are so much positive sides while travelling, but now recent days I think we have only met mean people, lying travel agencies and dirty places. I want to go home!