Peru: Máncora - Beach, Sun, Ceviche and Cremoladas

The minivan stopped as traffic came to a standstill, now adding to the snake of various vehicles making their way out of town. It’s never a good sign when your driver gets out and starts to have a chat with someone on the road. You know you’ll be awhile. There is only one road to Máncora from Zorritos, and being only an hour away made a nice getaway for us TEFL Zorritos students.

Máncora is a surfing town. Popular with locals and tourists for its clean breaks and great weather, it reminds me of the vibe in Mount Maunganui before they built the beachfront high rises. Any town that draws in tourists also means tourist pricing. We didn’t stay overnight to party, but I have heard of cocktails at 30 soles, which can be price of dinner for two.

Peru: A Month In Zorritos, Tumbes (Week One)

Zorritos is a small town in the province of Tumbes – a 2.5-hour flight from Lima and a world away from the one I was living in just a week ago. Even though Whakatane has roughly the same population as Zorritos, there is a vast change of pace and lifestyle. Where there were pine trees, I see coconuts and papayas. Not all roads and footpaths are paved, and without regular rain, dust nuisance is something you have to accept as a fact of life. I can’t say there has been much of a culture shock (except for the language barrier), because there are many towns in the Philippines that look just like this one. Maybe it will be an advantage, or it could hit me later.