After spending about an hour in the peaceful Plaza de Armas we were driven to Cusco airport and flew to Lima. We had had 4 wonderfully full and exciting days learning a little about Ecuador and Peru and we are so glad that we took this side excursion because the experiences that had will last our lifetime.
Look on the map for Manta (in Ecuador) where we began our 4 day excursion, then Machu Picchu, Cusco (just below it) Lima and Callao.
After our plane landed in Lima we were whisked away in another coach for the 30 minute drive to the seaport of Callao where the Sea Princess was berthed and awaiting our arrival.
The trip took us from busy Lima, through the suburbs with placards advertising political candidates' standing for Peru's upcoming elections and then into streets near the docks. The city of Callao had a huge Madonna-with-child statue in the middle of a busy intersection – an obvious Spanish inspired icon. As we neared the port area, we noticed that the buildings of dwelling, shops and homes became more and more dilapidated and run-down and there were police cars parked on nearly every block. Factories and dockside business had security razor wire around them and guards at the entrance doors and gates. We felt sad for the city as people who lived and worked there were also in danger from gang activities.
On our arrival at the port authority gate, our driver spoke very seriously about not venturing out into the streets alone in the daytime as the area was dangerous for tourists. Night time excursions would be perilous even calling a taxi was thwart with danger. Some passengers wanted to walk back to a mall we'd passed but the driver warned that Callao has a multitude of security problems, especially for tourists. Large port cities often attract criminal elements because they are the main entry-exit point for illegal merchandise. Peru along with Columbia is the biggest producer of cocaine and drug traffickers, corrupt officials (including some police, local authorities, and politicians) have aided the criminal activity and generated other problems like poverty, prostitution, low levels of education and other gang-related crimes.
In order to curb the growing trafficking and organised crime the government has declared some areas of Callao as states of emergency with curfews that restrict the congregation of people. Throughout this year, 3,200 police were involved in a 180 day martial law operation where many criminals were arrested, but the problems and security risk remain.
The Sea Princess provides coaches to drive passengers back and forth from the ship's dock to the secure Port gates because the massive working port is the biggest in Peru with vehicles, cranes and cargo activity happening over the maze of docks and wharves and on every day port is so we had to wait until this bus arrived before we were permitted to transfer from our coach to the one leased by Princess to take us safely to our ship.
Speaking to passengers who'd berthed in Port Callao we learnt that those who did excursion around the port town and the mall had been escorted by tourist guides for their own safety and that many decided not to tour this port area which looks very rundown.
One last comment: The main concern for voters in this years' elections is the rising crime rate in Callao's most dangerous neighbourhoods which border the maritime ports, where organised drug gangs smuggle cocaine to Europe and the USA.
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