So here's what you've all been waiting for! Anyway hello. We've spent most of our time in Lima now, we stayed for four days in Centro which is much maligned by the Lonely Planet but we believe incorrectly so, and now we're in Barranco which is called Bohemian in every tourist guide about Lima ever printed (possibly for alliterative purposes).

In Centro we generally wandered round and ate very cheap food and took in a museum or two. The food is ridiculously cheap, its cheaper to eat in a (very nice) cafe than buy and make food from a supermarket- a two course lunch is a quid! Therefore I expect to come home with an expanded waist. Sarah is unhappy that the portions are too big, we disagree on this point. Also the seafood is incredibly good, the only strange thing is that they insist, absolutely everywhere on giving you rice AND chips as a side dish, this is most perplexing, but not too hard to deal with- leave the rice.

Hotel Espana is extremely cool with plants, statues, chandeliers, paintings adorning every space and a host of animals such as scavenging cats and dogs. However, they are currently refurbishing which caused much irritation to eyes and lungs and abused ears and nose. We're now in (bohemian) Barranco in their 'Backpackers Inn' which is smaller, cool and significantly less dusty.

In Centro we met two characters I'd like to tell you about, one asked what music i liked and i assuming he was selling something said 'non gracias', he didn't like this, he proceeded to tell me how everybody hates the English, especially the Irish and there were lots of Irish people here and we should be careful- I said we would indeed be careful. He then said it wasn't his personal opinion but people think were arrogant, disrespectful, imperialistic etc- I think it was his personal opinion. He then said he's a 'big time drug dealer' who probably makes more money than me, I agreed that he probably does make more money than me. He then repeatedly said that he is from the street and the ghetto, he pointed at a little rat face boy and said 'thats my boy he's from the street too'. The next episode perturbed me as a deaf woman asked me for some money, with the drug dealer leering over I gave some money in an attempt to look respectful, modest and non-imperialistic. Afterwards he said, 'That was stupid, she's just gone round the corner and said to her mates that stupi white man thinks I'm death and gave me money' defeated I shrugged. Disturbingly he then cavorted pretending to be a deaf person duping me and then insisted I should only give money to people with clear wounds or injuries such as someone with no legs (his example) as they really need it! Eventually he left and we quickly scurried in the opposite direction. I've edited his speech to remove copious swearing, feel free to add copious swearing if you want more 'colour' to the story.

The other character was a writer (he writes about serious things in a funny way) who very colourfully told us why he loves London but would never return because the modern London would ruin his dreams and that he will never marry again but that every case is different and every person is different so we must marry! He also told Sarah that she has the hands of a Londoner and is very nice but careful- I laughed heartily.

Hope your all good at home, lots of love and best wishes

Sarah and Rich