Found out yesterday that the Peruvian border at Tacna, where I was going to go today, is closed.  It`s been closed and will be closed indefinitely.  No buses are going in that direction.  The locals are throwing rocks at cabs, buses and people who try to cross the border.

In fact, as of today Tacna has been declared a state of emergency.  Here´s a blurb I got from the news:

“A strike is underway in Tacna to protest a vote by congress to modify a law that would redistribute tax revenues from a giant mining company, Southern Peru, in favor of residents in the neighboring region of Moquegua.”

I was supposed to go there yesterday or at the very least this morning so I can cross over into Peru.  I have to see Macchu Pichu!  I also have a flight out of Lima on the 12th. 

What sucks is that I was at the bus station to Peru and cab drivers were more than willing to drive me to Tacna.  Meanwhile, they knew all along about the strike because it had been going on for days. 

I had no idea what to do and thankfully, I`m staying at the Sunny Days hostel and the owner Ross, who´s from New Zealand, was so helpful.  I was going to turn around and go back to San Pedro, but I didn´t want to give up on Machu Picchu.   So Ross gave me the phone number to Sky Airlines and I called them before booking a tour of Lauca National Park.  Luckily I did, ´cause Sky Airlines only flies to Arequipa, Peru on Wednesdays and Sundays.  If I didn´t fly the next day, I´d be screwed! 

Reserved the flight and got to see this sunset in Arica.

Sunset in Arica