Before you start reading just please be aware there should be pictures with this post, wifi is very slow though so will update later with photos.
We’ve been here less than 24 hours but are finding Lima to be quite a charming place.
Our airport pickup was a breeze, nice big sign with our names etc. The drive to our hotel was interesting, the traffic was manic. No one seems to signal but it just works. At one point leaving the airport we just sat for about 20 minutes, cars streaming by in the other direction. No horn honking though, everyone just sat calmly and waited. We asked our driver and she just said it’s normal.
After checkin we headed up to our room for well needed showers and fresh clothes, by this stage it was almost 42 hours since we’d left home. Then it was time for a well earned Pisco Sour in the bar, local time 11pm. We had a chat with a family from the US visiting Peru for the first time since the parents left almost 30 years before. Scored some handy tips on restaurants as well.
After some much needed sleep we woke feeling refreshed and rested. Breakfast was simple but filling, plenty of bacon & eggs followed fresh fruit. We then met an Aussie couple who were just finishing their tour, also with Peregrine. They had had a ball and wished us well on our travels.
With food in our system we headed out to explore the local area, first though we needed local currency. We found the bank and went to change some US dollars into local Sole. Ok so error number one, you need your passport for this to work. No worries though, we have our travel cashcard so will just use the ATM, mmm wrong again. Card works but all directions appeared in Spanish, what we ended up with was more US dollars. So back to hotel to get passports it was, luckily it was only 500m or so away. Mission achieved on second visit and away we headed to explore.
We followed the directions and hit the Miraflores coast, amazing! Lima, or at least this part, is set along sheer cliffs to the beach below. The cliffs have mesh netting hanging down to prevent rockfalls onto the traffic below.
This is now the third attempt at writing this as the wifi here is really flaky, i had to cancel previous attempt as trying to upload images bogged it down. When I cancelled image upload it wiped everything it written after that which i didn’t realise when I hit save.
At this point we had two choices, north or south. Having been told about some great restaurants to the south we headed north. Crazy but we had a plan. We meandered along for 5km or so, stopping occasionally to watch the surfers below and just life in general. The park is really well maintained by teams of gardeners tending to the lawns and gardens all watched by Miraflores security staff who were everywhere. They had a way of making you feel safe, not that it’s needed, the whole place has a calm feel, no one seems to be in a hurry. After stopping for a cold drink at a clifftop cafe we started to wander back along the coast.
We reached our starting point at Parque Amor, the Park of Love, and headed on towards the south. After another 3km or so we found Larcomar, an amazing shopping mall built into the cliffs. Four levels of brand name shops and restaurants with an upmarket feel. The retail therapy needs were met by buying new shoes, for me not Helen, the hiking shoes I’d bought in Perth were killing my feet. Feet happy it was time to satisfy our appetites. We settled on Papacho’s, a burger joint, where we both had salads. They were huge, almost was defeated by a salad.
It was then time to head back to our hotel for a meeting with our guide from Peregrine, or at least I thought it was. We checked the notice board in the lobby but nothing for us, they knew nothing at reception either. They said they let us know when they arrived. Back in our room I discovered that I was a day out.
We left Perth at midnight on Sunday and after traveling for almost 46 hours arrived in Lima at 10pm on Monday night. Yes I know it doesn’t sound correct but the good old International Date Line had been crossed. It took me ages to work this out, even had to ask Google what time and date it was in Lima to be quite convinced. Good job I’m a teacher and had in fact taught my class a lesson on this only a few weeks before. I guess jet lag and sleep deprivation had taken their toll.
So now we sit with a Pisco Sour in the bar and contemplate heading out to explore the local area for dinner options. And so many options there are too.