I promise I won’t write about every combi ride we take. I probably could because they are seriously entertaining and usually accompanied by upbeat music that could be taken right out of a movie. It’s all so appropriate for the insanity. (By the way, I am finding out that combis are official transportation throughout the city. I thought they were operated by Joe Shmoe’s who owned modified minivans.)

We decided to venture way out to the Pachacamac ruins this morning. Arturo at the Lion Backpacker advised us that it would take two combis. One from Miraflores (Avenida Benavides) to the Universidad de Ricardo Palma (on the Pan American Highway). Then we were to get on another combi down the Pan American Highway to Pachacamac. It’s about a 40 minute ride, and way off any map I have of the area. A bit intimidating, but we were up for the challenge.

It was an exciting and bumpy ride, but we managed easily. You really just have to yell where you are going at the guy who is hanging out the combi’s door, and he’ll tell you to get on or not. By doing that the passengers then know where you want to get off and usually tell you when it’s coming up. And at some point the doorman comes around for payment… It’s haphazard, but systematic at the same time, once you get used to it.

So, forty minutes later the combi doorman tapped me on my shoulder and said “Pachacamac ruinas?”. “Si!”

The driver slammed on his breaks and dumped us off in front of a big metal gate. Yeah, a gate blocking the entrance to the ruins. Yeah, they were closed. Everything is closed on Mondays in Lima. Good to know.

So we trekked back to Miraflores, happy for the adventure but disappointed in missing the ruins. That’s my combi story #2. I’ll stop now.