Getting out of Lima

One weekend after midterms, I needed to get out of Lima for a weekend. Semana Santa was over, and things had quieted down overall, but I was still ready for a solo trip and a little alone time. I settled on a little town called Churin, a popular weekend getaway for natives of Lima, but basically unknown to tourists. The town is known for its natural thermal baths and abundant trout. So Friday morning, I went to downtown Lima, bought a bus ticket for 20 soles, and set out on a 5 hour bus ride northeast of Lima through the mountains. Though they're currently working on building a highway, right now it's more of a dirt path on the side of a mountain. In places, I thought we would surely fall off the side. But we didn't, and we arrived in the tiny town of Churin in the afternoon. The whole place was only a few blocks, but they were lined with small hostels and restaurants. I spent a very relaxing weekend sitting in mountain hot springs, speaking Spanish, and eating delicious food.