Grim up North.....Grimmer in Lima!

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Day 58: Tuesday 26th August - Visiting one of the worst capital cities in the world

I arrive in Lima early in the morning, must be before 7am. Never have I less looked forward to an arrival in a new place than this......everyone on my journey so far who has already been to Lima has warned me that as soon as I arrive I'll want to leave. Sadly in the time it takes to get a taxi from the bus station in the centre to the suburb I'm staying in, Miraflores - next to the coast they are proved absolutely right. I decide pretty much on the journey that I'm only going to stay a day. For a capital city there is not much to do or see and although you can paraglide off the cliffs next to the beach in this weather....no thanks. The weather makes this city appear more dull than it actually probably is. Its grey skies all around, with some light drizzle every now and again.

When I arrive in the hostel, get talking to an English girl, Charlotte over breakfast and she and her friend Julia, who is American have similar plans to me today, we're going to head to the centre of Lima to see the few sights there are; the main plaza, the cathedral, the government palace, some catacombs and the national museum. We decide to share taxis - really the only mode of transport in Lima, which is a big city (population 8 million) and also notoriously dangerous (which South American capital city isn't??!). Miraflores is around 4 miles from the centre so its too far to walk, and the buses well they're just confusing.

Plaza de Armas is pleasant enough. Its flanked by the cathedral on one side, the government palace on another, and the city hall on the third. The president is attending to a function in the courtyard when we arrive so the square is full of armed police next to the government palace. It also seems that most schools in Lima are having day trips to the Plaza as the square is swarming with kids in various matching uniforms. A popular Peruvian TV series is also filming in the Plaza. After the Plaza, the three of us head a few blocks away to see the catacombs at San Francisco monastery, where most Peruvians were buried in the 16th and 17th centuries. They found 25000 bodies buried, but over time only the femurs and skulls remain. After the tour of the catacombs we head back to the plaza to see the changing of the guard at midday. A band plays and its the Peruvian military in all its pomp. Even though there are many police around I get the distinct impression that I'm being eyed up and down by opportunist thieves waiting to pounce in the crowd. Once the changing of the guard is over we catch a taxi across the city to the national museum, which ends up being largely a waste of time as its the location of a conference so most of the exhibits on the history of Peru and the various civilisations are closed to the public. The only exhibitions open are on pre-columbian pottery, potatoes and the civil war of the 80's/early 90's. Learning about the Shining Path movement and seeing the photos of the troubles is interesting but the rest of the museum is rather underwhelming (That's being polite!!).

By early afternoon, so only some 6-7 hours after my arrival I've pretty much seen all I want to in Lima.....its a grim place, overcrowded, polluted, rubbish weather.....can't think of a redeeming feature really. Get a taxi back to Miraflores and get lunch with Charlotte......15 soles (3 pounds) for 3 courses....bargain. Find out over lunch I may be sat across from a future London olympian on the track....It'll be intriguing to see if I switch on the TV in 4 years and she's made it! Her friend Julia (crazy girl) doesn't join us.....never have I seen two less likely friends...like chalk and cheese! Play pool and have a beer in the evening back in the hostel where I'm given travel advice by Roberto a Uruguayan guy not to do the short hop across to Uruguay when in Buenos Aires......apparently BA is far more interesting....i'll bear it in mind.

Day 59: Wednesday 27th August - Leaving Lima (Quickly)

Decide that since I probably will never be back in Lima (I hope) that I should check out Miraflores and the beach. Miraflores is very touristy, westernised, populated by all the international food chains, and the beach.....well on a grey day, with tall cliffsides it reminds me of Marsden Bay in the North East on a dreary Autumn's day!! Time to leave I think. Get a taxi to a bus station - every bus company has a separate station dotted about the city - and can't get a bus to Ica from this station so have to get a taxi to another company's bus station. Get me out of this city!!

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