Trujillo-Mancora

2333 Bus not here yet. Terminal v quiet, just me and two women. Handed bag in about half hour ago, it's still sat behind the desk so at least I haven't missed bus yet. Fucking hope we don't keep picking people up in middle of nowhere. Meh, prob be OK, what I've read suggests crime on buses much less common than it was. If we do have problem this will never get sent, of course.

Suspect this bus is coming from Lima or something.

2353 Still waiting. Now three women here. Must be a street door open somewhere.

0042 Still waiting. Fairly sure I haven't missed it but there's always that nagging doubt. There can't be that many buses at this time of night, I have to assume these three women are waiting for the same bus as me.

0125 FFS. Still, at this rate it won't *be* night while we're on the bus, which might improve safety. :-)

0129 Oh, I 'e-mailed' (ie filled in the online form) expedia about that odd "Your flight departs from EZE not LGW" red text when I viewed my itinerary and got back a response showing zero understanding; apparently the customer service idiot tried to book that flight themselves and didn't get any error and if I was having trouble booking I should call such and such a number. Fuck 'em, I suspect a small bug in their site and was trying to help them by pointing it out, if they don't care then neither do I. I've been made aware of the astounding fact that the return leg of my flight doesn't leave from London Gatwick but instead leaves from Buenos Aires Ezeiza.

0133 A bus is here. It seems to say Lima on front. My bag is still behind desk - hadn't dare check before.

0137 On bus. Watched chap wheel trolley over with bag on, didn't see it get put in boot before he waved me on. Was going to tip him but too dark to judge coins in dark and didn't. Not tipped anyone else in past re baggage handling but paranoid tonight. Oh well. Didn't see anyone else tip.

0152 Are we ever going to pull out? Irrationally I can't relax until we do. I suspect this is an international bus and this being a bit cheaper than Cruz del Sur am worried they won't wake me when we hit Mancora. Oh well. Fingers crossed.

0155 We're off. Alea jacta est..

0405 Can't sleep. FFS.

1031 Did sleep a bit. Not great. Was at Hotel Escudero in calle Puerto Rico in Trujillo. We are about 10-20km from Mancora.

1042 I don't fucking believe it. We're stopping for a 30 minute break in Los Organos. 10km from Mancora. Cunts. I think we're even obliged to get off the bus.

1046 Yay. Fortunately I'm not desperate but the toilets at this shitty little stop have a sign on the door saying 'urination only'. Fucking glad I'm not on this bus all the way to Guayaquil.

1052 Yay squared. Like just about every other fucking public toilet north of Lima there's no running water, so forget washing your hands. It's not just about post-piss hygiene, if we're having this mandatory stop I'm sweaty as fuck and it would be nice to wash my hands. I can't help but suspect nothing except this mandatory stop keeps this shitty little cafe going. I am not eating, a) I had some dried fruit and nuts an hour ago b) I'd rather have a proper relaxed meal in Mancora, perhaps even after a shower, than bolt something down in 30 minutes c) I'd rather not give any money to this place if I can help it, when I'm being forced into stopping here.

Oh, the bus is strange. It's an enormous eight wheeled coach which is basically a double decker, but the entire lower deck seems to be used for luggage storage, there are apparently no seats down there, the door just has stairs up to the 'top'/only deck. Maybe people take a lot of luggage...

Oh, there's a Santa on the wall, some tinsel and a 'feliz año nuevo' dangly ornament. Hey, it's only March.

1142 At hotel. Check in is 2pm. Yay! Still, they have a bog. No toilet paper, but running water.

1226 Have booked a full day tour for tomorrow. Prob be a bit shit but wtf. Have to be at office at 0830. Sweaty as fuck but at (La Rustica de) Jose's for food. Smidge pricey but could be worse. Place super touristy-beachy-surfery. Lower budget feel than Cancun. Not sure if compares with anywhere else I've been. Will have arroz con mariscos, that is 25, bisteck a lo pobre only 19 so I guess it's partly expensive cos it's seafood.

Definite SYT vibe about town but not that many SYTs actually about. They're probably all on the beach. While I do wish/try to be less concerned about what people think, the fact remains that the idea of 'hitting the beach' singularly fails to resonate with me. It's not even shyness, if I imagine a totally deserted, guaranteed private beach it doesn't make any difference. The idea of lying in the sun totally fails to appeal. Maybe if I could swim there'd be some pleasure there (and possibly in learning some kind of watersports, if I could overcome the irrational repulsion caused by the fact these things are 'cool' activities). Anyway. Jealousy of the SYTs aside, I really don't fancy beaches so there you are. I just may see if I can learn to swim (for all sorts of reasons) when back in UK, but in reality it may be one of those awkwardly timed things which would require turning up at 5pm one night a week.

1238 To be scrupulously fair the atmosphere in town, while overly tropical and beachy, is not too unpleasant. The tropical vibe (probably irrationally) stirs my heteropoda venatoria concerns but not too badly.

1328 I am stuffed, maybe coke zero and melon juice overdoing it, can't quite finish food tho good. Hands especially feeling just super-sweaty, I will prob get bill shortly and wait out the rest of the time at hotel if they stick to the letter of check in time. Flytastic; also not entirely good evidence re spiders, I guess no flies means no food... Fuck me I want a shower.

1337 OK, bill 33, made 36, let's go.

0019 Possibly check in was 12 (doce) not 2 (dos). No real harm done. Spent evening in, did little circuit to see beach (OK but not Bounty-ad gorgeous, slightly desolate access the way I went in and bit scared after reading Wikitravel, came out better way), lazy evening in but got fruit on way back, also pre beach changed voucher for ticket at Cruz del Sur office (also means I know where it is, vital of course). First fruit stall the presumable vendor bellied up to me from somewhere in the street (not inside his little shop) as if I'd called his Mum a cunt instead of, I don't know, as if I'd stood and looked at his fruit in a 'hmm, I'd like to buy, where is the vendor?' manner. I made my excuses and left, found someone else with a better attitude selling fruit off a barrow down the street.

Anyway got to be up to be at tour place by 830 so up by 8 so should at least go to bed if not to sleep. Oh, I booked a hotel in Guayaquil so pressure off a bit tho be good to book the others asap. Also I am well behind on my hotel reviews for tripadvisor, maybe tomorrow night, failing that even if safety permits I am not going to be out every night in Gujayaquil.

Obviously no separate entry for today in Mancora, it all got tacked on to the bus, doesn't really matter of course.