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So we have arrived in Lima! It's been a jouney and we're both a bit shattered and currently trying to stay awake until a reasonable hour - local time is currently 5pm and in the past 30 hours we have had a 2 hour nap and Jane slept a little extra on the plane.
Our last day in Fort Lauderdale was a nice relaxing one - the plan was to spend it on the beach but it was a rainy day, so we sent a package back to Oz, got a coffee and tried the local delicacy of Key Lime Pie - it was pretty good. Apparently the one we got was pretty extreme on the tartiness front but otherwise good - we both liked it. It's not a cheesecake - too thick and gelatinous - but it's not cream... not sure how to explain it - I haven't really seen anything like it in Oz.
Anyways, Alejandra dropped us to the airport at 3pm for our flight and we got there pretty early as customs there is apparently a bit of a pain... not for us! We managed to check in and get through customs in less than 20mins!! That left plenty of time for the beginning of a tournament of 500 ;-) Karl is learning - if he picks it up as quickly as he picked up backgammon by the end of our holiday I won't want to play with him anymore!!
Anyways, our flight had a four hour lay over in Mexico City - it was pretty amazing to fly into. It's definitely unlike anything Karl has flown into before. It's humoungous and so very dense. This was our first real test of language - from when we got on the plane in Miami, we heard very little English. But to Jane's suprise and happiness, it's all coming back to her and she's doing well communicating with customs officials and information people. Karl would be a little bit... OK really lost without her!
We finally arrived at our destination - Lima, the capital city of Peru - at 5.50am this morning. We were picked up by a taxi organised by the hostel, and taken to the place - Flying Dog, in Miraflores. Well - what an adventure that turned out to be! Neither of us would EVER EVER want to drive here! It's not even organised mayhem - the lane markings exist, but i haven't seen one used. Precision driving at it's finest! Karl thinks it's amazing - a three lane road (one direction) with 5 cars accross going about 60kms an hour, rapidly changing lanes without indicating and we haven't (yet) seen an accident! The traffic just seems to keep itself flowing too. Roundabouts are mere suggestions and going seems to be based on your courage rather than your turn. And is it noisey! the horn seems to be a vital part in this delicate process - honking your way in, or tooting your thanks or seeing if those pedestrians want a taxi - horns are a constant background noise! There's also a lot of traffic controllers - perhaps an arm of the police? They have little platforms on the highway (cuz lord knows you wouldn't want to be on the street) and stand in various busy intersections here in Miraflores and if things get too caught up, they whistle and command and things keep on moving. The best bet that we have is that they're making people move on and trying to keep things flowing.
We got in about 8am, and things were quiet in the hostel (bar the horn noise outside - and various car alarms) so we took a two hour nap just to keep us going for the day. So far today we have searched for four museums on the map the hostel gave us - not one has been found. Apparently, Jane found out from a shop assistant, has been shut for over two years! Perhaps they need to update their maps.
We did see lots of sights - the shop carts along the roads selling magazines, cigarettes, drinks etc etc. Had a yummy lunch at a local restaurant, made it down to the beach and saw a stunning view - the cliff down to the ocean is very steep. It looks to be eroded away so you can see the layers of soil etc from over the years. There were people surfing (although it's winter and a bit drizzly), a giant Jesus statue in the distance and in this trendy place, lots of fancy shops. We did manage to find an exhibit of interesting interpretations of Peruvian national dress made by various Peruvian competitors (it seemed like they weren't actual fashion designers yet - more of a competition). Some were beautiful, some just interesting and some fairly random, but a good exhibit all the same.
Since then we've slowly made our way back to the hostel, done some grocery shopping (trying not to buy all our meals) and showered (trying to wake up!). We're planning what to do tomorrow and for the next week or so, but I assume we'll both be asleep before the sun goes down - about 930pm!
- comments
Alejandra There is a great shop in Miraflores with absolutely beautiful native artifacts and purses, shoes and everything else Peruvian. You will love it! They are located near the Pirwa Hostel (@Calle Enrique Palacios )(there is two of these ). Look for the The Miraflores indian Market shops & Mercado Artesanal both along Enrique Palacios (calle?) and Petit Thouars (ave?) And check out the Huaca Pucillana on Calle General Borgono (miraflores) Also, the seviche restaurant we told you about Sonia's (awesome seviche and fish (sorry Karl)) is in Chorrillos (~10-15min south by taxi from Miraflores) only opens for lunch.