This is a photo from my time in Quito. I haven't took any photos yet in Lima. 20th November 2011 Leaving Quito, Ecuador and first impressions of Lima, Peru
Well set alarm for 4am as hadn't packed as I realised that I would need toiletries and things in the morning. I was too tired anyway for packing last night. I didn't get up till about 4:40am though. It was a stress the packing. Toiletries are a pain as had to wrap them all up and apply tape around toiletries bag. Taking deet round with me is a pain. If it leaks it is so strong it melts things. I didn't pack as well as I did coming out so I had an extra plastic bag to carry on flight with me. I was a bit worried that may stop me carrying on so much hand luggage. I had my fleece and ski jacket tied around my waist, the extra plastic bag, my daypack and my handbag. When got to check in though they did give me a more secure plastic bag and suggested it was fine. It was rather boring in airport as got there about 7:40 and flight didn't start boarding till 10 0'clock.
When got on the plane, the entertainment system was pretty rubbish. Ended up watching program on the group tv about celebs with and without make-up. Had a sandwich and cake. They also gave me immigration forms and customs form to fill in. I had to sort of guess the customs form as it was all in Spanish. When arrived went through immigration, baggage was there this time and went through customs.
Just as got into arrivals hall, my pick-up was just arriving. He spoke tonnes of Spanish fast at me and I had to point at his sign saying Spanish lessons and just say beginner. He didn't speak English so spent the journey in silence. Peru is more developed than India but less developed than Ecuador I would say. The buses weren't as new and there were little vehicles like autos in India but in better condition and with doors. One of the first things I saw in traffic at traffic lights was people coming down selling stuff. That was not surprising but what I did see that I've never seen before is people break-dancing between the traffic for money. They cleared off when traffic began moving obviously but odd to see someone doing handstands and moving feet up and down between the traffic. As got near Miraflores it became more developed and nicer. The beach smelled strongly to me of fish or sea water and sky was cloudy. Arrived at apartment and it is on the 11th floor of flats. Apartment and homestay hosts (Luis and Rosa) are lovely but problem is I don't speak Spanish and they don't speak English.
Just as was starting to get quite down, Rosa and Luis asked whether I wanted food. Managed to communicate things over dinner and enjoyed their company despite having trouble understanding. They are lovely people and they put me on the phone to their daughter who could speak English to find out what food I like and don't like. I tried not to be too fussy. The only thing I really mentioned was I am not keen on eggs but I am not allergic to them. The food was lovely too- had like a pate thing on bread plus a little egg (obviously wasn't keen on that but ate it). I then had a lovely chicken dish with rice. I then went and watched Little Manhattan dubbed in Spanish. Managed to follow story even though it was in Spanish. 21st November 2011 Miraflores, Lima
Well met the other student living in the apartment with me. He was very nice, quite a bit older. He is from Chicago but originally from Turkey. He is staying a week. We then went to ECELA for 8am and was supposed to be doing a placement test. I looked at it and it was impossible for me to do. The teacher there had said if don't know then don't guess. I was placed in beginner class but it wasn't due to start till 2pm. Unfortunately the class I was joining had already been together for a week so I tried to work through the class booklet on my own for the morning using the school internet. Had welcome talk to school and some popcorn, orange squash and some pastry like things. Had to introduce myself and did my best to answer in Spanish my name, age, where I live and my hobbies. I do find it hard when people ask me questions. There was only me and a Brazilian there who could already speak good Spanish. The welcome talk was all in Spanish but luckily papers they gave out did have some English translations.
I have a lady teacher, was joining three English males ranging from age 22-30 and a Russian girl who was joining at same time than I was. We had a laugh in class. I felt really bad when felt like laughing as one of the students was writing lunes on the blackboard. He couldn't spell it. The others were telling him how to spell in Spanish alphabet pronunciation. I wasn't laughing that he couldn't spell it but that others sounded a bit frustrated when he still wasn't spelling it right and changing things that was correct. When trying to look at present tense was looking at verb to wash. We were trying to act to wash and one of boys thought was it sweat. One of the boys said his face was bald. I then wrote my face has no face instead of my face has no beard. Had a laugh when boys had to describe Britney Spears and first thing they were thinking was how to describe that she was big busted or showing her breasts as she had a revealing top on it. It was first thing I was thinking of too to be fair so goodness knows what the males were thinking. They never said that was what it was but we were all having a laugh about it. I then had to describe Avril Lavigne and could see that boys were also ogling at breasts. One of the boys then had to describe Brad Pitt. For homework I've got to describe Johnny Depp in Spanish. I've got a test on Friday so got to try and catch up with what they did last week so it is going to be quite a busy week.
Came back to apartment and I struggled with keys to get in door so had to ring doorbell. I'm tired now after trying to understand things all day. Had dinner with Luis and Rosa-fish. I was looking in dictionary quite a bit. Luis I think was asking me about English history a 1000 years ago and it being conquered or conquering in Spanish. I was trying to explain to him in Spanish that though I understood that he was asking me about English history I didn't know the English history well enough to know that I was answering correctly. If I knew what other country that he was asking about being conquered/conquering I may have had a chance. 22nd November 2011 Miraflores, Lima
I tried to find the shopping centre which is on the sea front. After seeing the car park for it I first walked around a residential area looking for something that could pass as a shopping centre. Got targeted by a women trying to sell me something but just said non, gracias. I couldn't have bought anything even if I had wanted to as I had no money left on me. I then walked the other way and I still couldn't see anything that could be a shopping centre. Cyclist nearly ended up colliding with me and he told me a little about the cycle paths. I found another car park for shopping centre and had to ask where to go for pedestrian entrance. Had to walk across a small parkland area and then use escalators to go down into the shopping centre.
I then walked around shopping centre looking for an ATM that works. I went round 1 area twice as they were fiddling with 1 of the ATMs and they were surrounded by security guards. I didn't realise I could use one of the other ATMs while they were fiddling with the other one. I then went to try and find lined paper in book shop and they didn't have it. I actioned scribbling on a piece of paper to ask whether had it. In Pizza Hut I watched as a group of people (probably from countryside as dressed in traditional Peruvian dress) went on escalators and saw escalators for first time. Security guards were having to take them up and down the elevator. Just shows what we take for granted. I was shattered again so went to bed early. I am really tired at moment but I think its because I'm not used to studying any more and I am always studying even when it is not formal lesson time as having to use Spanish out of lessons too. Hopefully it will make me learn faster but sometimes do get rather tired. 23rd November 2011 Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Spent the morning working through homework and trying to catch up with what the rest of the class had done last week. I ended up eating in a fast food outlet called Bebos for lunch. It was a bit like a Macdonalds. Lesson 2:00, then studying then dinner then studying.
24th November 2011 Miraflores, Lima, Peru
I was shattered when got up today. Was still very dozy at breakfast. Spent all morning coming up with answers to 5 questions for oral. Only just got it done in time for getting lunch and having the lesson. In apartment I did homework tasks and began revising. For dinner we had steak and rice which was really nice. I was confused when Luis was telling a joke. I don't get jokes in English so I've got no chance in spanish. I then went back to studying again.
25th November 2011 Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Well today is the day of the test. Spent all morning studying. Did test and I was so pleased that I passed it. I was told by the director of school that other students were meeting at 11:30 for drinking and dancing plus would I like to join the staff for a surfing lesson tomorrow.
After lesson I talked to Luis and Rosa before dinner and like me they thought 11:30 was too late for going out.For dinner we had a chicken and potato dish I think. The juice I found a bit too rich and the pudding was made out of the same juice but was jelly. I was confused when we were talking about drink and I thought Rosa said it was triste (sad). I was like how can a drink be sad. It turned out she had moved on to the next topic of conversation and it was sad that Murat (other student in apartment) was leaving tonight. It was quite sad saying goodbye to Murat. Felt bad leaving the dessert and drink but would have made me feel sick. I then went to room and was going to watch some tv on laptop. It turns out you can't watch BBC and ITV on the internet player outside the UK. I tried to find a film on tv that I could watch in spanish. I couldn't find one so I went to sleep very early.
26th November 2011 Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Well woke up before I had to get up so I had more than an hours cosy time in bed. I was nervous about going on the staffs day out surfing lesson but I really wanted to go. I figured they wouldn't have asked me if they hadn't wanted me there though. I was nervous about the surfing also. At school everyone made me feel welcome and then we got in vehicle to take us to the beach. Struggled a little with the form filling as it was all in spanish and then I struggled into my wetsuit.
The lesson began and we first began by going for a run along the beach in a wetsuit and then doing some exercises. We then practiced getting up on board on land. That first I didn't understand it as they were teaching in spanish. They called the three males over and one of them instructed me in English. It turns out his parents are from the Knutsford/Wilmslow area. He is on holiday here but he instructed here four years ago. We then got in water and there were so many instructors to us all. We were sent from each one to another while paddling on board before having a go surfing. I got standing up on board a couple of times. I loved it. So much better than when I tried it in Anglesey. That time things were against me though I think- I had just been ill so was getting my strength back, the instructor wasn't as good, we didn't do much land practice and I think the board was better here too. I am glad I left my sandles in vehicle. When walking down to beach and everyone else was in shoes I was thinking was that a good idea to leave them in vehicle. Everyone who left their flip flops on the beach had them nicked.
After changing out of wetsuit we went back in vehicle and I got dropped off somewhere in Miraflores. My teacher asked me whether I was joining them for lunch but I thought I had crashed the staff day enough. She asked whether I knew where I was and I said not exactly. I asked whether the shopping centre was down there and to the left. I managed to find my way to shopping centre by following road signs to a road name I knew. Then I could see the sea in front and I knew the shopping centre was on the coast somewhere. I began to walk the wrong way along coast but then I thought back to when I had been driven from airport and the driver had drove the other way on the road which I could see below me. I thought the shopping centre must be in same direction and after turning a corner I could see it.
I went and bought some hair bobbles in shopping centre. I didn't realise it was buy one get 1 free. I had seen a sign for it which said something like 2 x 1 and 50%. I thought it may be on other items though. The staff got me to pick some other hair bobbles. I needed to get some as I've managed to lose all mine (possibly somewhere in my luggage). For surfing I ended up using an elastic band as a substitute. I then went to pizza hut in mall and the only money I had left was 20 centimos (2 coins). I was thinking I could probably happily live in Miraflores, Lima if everyone else joined me and I knew the Spanish language. I then walked back to house and tried to explain to Rosa in Spanish that I had gone with the teachers and why. I was also trying to explain that I'm not sure what time I am going out tonight as I'm waiting for other people to give me details. It looks now like I'm not going out. I've then spent the evening messing around on the internet and updating my journal. A couple of language problems at dinner but a nice burger dinner with rice. I was trying to explain that next week I've got lessons at 9 rather than 2. At one point I obviously suggested unintentionally that I had 9 hours of Spanish lessons a day. No way that would kill me. On saying that nearly all hours are Spanish lessons apart from when I am sleeping. Luis has also been explaining to me the history of Peru in Spanish so I had to concentrate hard to understand that. I got the gist of it. Its just hard to construct sentences and understand sentences when you don't know certain words. Tomorrow going for a tour around old Lima with Rosa and Luis