Business-Class to Dented Taxis

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This being the first entry I feel obliged to blog our means of arrival as well as our first few days in Barranco.

Having flown for two and a half hours on a plane boasting legroom about three inches shorter than the length of your thigh, I was surprised to discern the words ´business class´ from the attendant who took our tickets on boarding out long-haul from Madrid. For some completely unknown reason we had been upgraded and spent the next 12 hours in luxury! Seats reclining to a fully horizontal position offering massage and memorising your most comfortable position, menus offering veal and tunabelly and hostesses offering unlimited champagne made for a surprisingly quick flight. Having enjoyed a wide variety of unexpected business-class experiances we landed and found a man holding a ´Bedraski´sign... We had arrived!
Our first glimpse of Lima was through the window of our battered taxi; it couldn´t be more different from the country we had left almost 16 hours before. Our chauffers erratic driving made for a memorable first taxi ride and his laugh as he backed into a parked car while parking outside our hostel communicated perfectly the Limeños attitude to driving and explained why we have yet to see a car without a dent in it.
After spending a day in the city we have come to the conclusion that there is no point in Britain trying to go green, I feel as if I need a gas mask to cross the road!
After eating our first proper meal tonight a guy with a guitar and a guy sitting on a wooden box (which doubled as a drum) played us some songs as we finished our drinks. Between what little Spanish we had and what little English he did, one of them explained that he would first play us an English song which would be familiar to us. La Bamba. And after that, a classic Peruvian tune, both of which were rustically melifluous! There are some pictures of us with them (which will have to follow) but they were so friendly I couldnt stop grinning. Everyone seems so friendly here, which is a good thing: I think this culture shock is going to take some gettin´used to!

Peace out: R & J x

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Photos

View from the Plane
The silver bit is the Amazon river

View from the Plane
The twisty bit is the Amazon river

Reclining
Our first class seats!

Comments

[Janet & Steve]

Steve and Jan.
Hi Rach and Jake, looks like you are having a wonderful time.Good to see you have arrived safe and sound. Thanks again for inviting us to your leaving party, just about caught up with our sleep now after a night with Andy and Izz in the caravan.You must invite us to your coming home party. Take care, look forward to your next blog, take care.love Jan and Steve. P.S. I think I got altitude once, climbing Snowden! or was I just nackered. Steve

[Mum and Andy]

Hi
Hello you two just logged into an internet cafe to look at your new blogs. It is good to see that you are both still ok. We are in Perranporth at the moment and the weather is dreadful still never mind. Love you both loads and we will check again in a few days for an update. Having never done this before we feel quite "hip". Mum and Andy xxxxxx