First week

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Dear Blog,

Our first week in Lima was marvelous. The region that we live in, Miraflores ("look at flowers"), is one of the safest, most affluent areas so we didn't have much of a culture shock. In fact we are living like kings. Eating all of the local cuisines, enjoying the exchange rate. We even bought bicycles that we ride to and from Clinica Anglo Americana with, and grocery shopping etc. Normally we get quite a lot of attention because we look so different, but when we are on our bikes we stand out so much. We are the only people getting around with helmets so we look like the biggest tourists. Also Shannan insists on wearing hers constantly when we have the bikes, even into shops, I refuse to be seen with her.

Well here is a whole heap new photos. I'm catching up quickly but I feel like I am leaving a lot out. We laugh constantly and there is always something new to try/learn. One of the best things about over here is watching the sun set over the water. Que bonita.

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Not a culture shock in Miraflores. This is one of the many ovalos/fountanas/jardins/parques in Miraflores. When the time is right I'll put up some of the photos from the other parts of Lima. The difference between rich and poor here is immence.

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View from the Parque de Amor (Park of Love). Great views everywhere, people making out everywhere, tourists everywhere.

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These are our bikes, Shannan's "Jamena" on the left and mine "Jorge" on the right. The help us explore. This is just one of the churches on the way to the Clinica. And the other picture, well that just had us doubled over laughing, apparently carving a cock and balls into a wall is hilarious all over the world.

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These are our friends Carlos and Oliver, they're actually both Canadian-Peruvian. They showed us the ropes. This night we were at Sergente Pimiento (Sgt Pepper) a discotec in Baranco. They served only beer in plastic cups and played mostly The Beatles (surprising hey) all night. A bit of fun.

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This is me at Clinica looking authoritative. We get given the patient list, try to understand as much of it as we can, fortunately medical words latin and very similar to what we're used to, then go on a ward round. Everybody kisses when the greet, senior doctors and doctoras, people you've never met, everybody asks you how you are, where you're from. Things take longer but we love it. I'm bringing compulsory kisses and handshakes back with me.
At the end of our first week we got taken to dinner to Chifa, which is Chinese Peruvian food, they have a large chinese population from generations and generations ago. Such good food. Then there was a band and everybody danced. Hips swinging, shoulders shimmying. I looked like a baby giraffe trying to walk and I couldn't wipe the dorky grin off my face or unclench my fists. Shannan was a natural (well she had the enthusiasm maybe not the grace, sorry Fanny but you are a gringo). And of course everybody wanted to show us some moves so everytime we sat down somebody would ask for a dance, and not wanting to be rude I was up on the dance floor for an eternity. Then we left there like bats out of hell.
The other photos are with Pierro and Julio, a couple of our friends from the hospital. We got dancing lessons from them. Everybody is so kind here. We are actually going to a wedding this weekend, everybody just takes us under their wings. And everybody is so keen to show us a part of the city.

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This first week that we were here we constantly had map and phrasebook in hand constantly, now we need neither. And if we do we are too proud to admit it, and we get lost/eat wierd food from time to time but it ends up working out ok in the end.
The heart picture is a demonstration of 3 things.

* causa - a delicious local food, the yellow stuff is a delicious potato, and inside is seafood, avocado yummy sause etc etc. This one had crangrejo (crab) and all the seafood here is effing amazing and fresh and cheap
* our popularity - this traditional dish is usually a scroll, it looks like a snail on the plate, but this day the chefs decided that our food should be heart shaped. We gave them an Australian dollar and blew them a kiss for their troubles
* missing things - this picture is the last time that we've seen my spectacles, if you put something down and don't keep an eye on it, or leave something behind, it won't be there when you get back, even in the safe safe safe areas.

Enough for now, a friend from Uni is over for dinner, update more tomorrow.

Ciao x

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Comments

[spike]

you look pwitty in all the pics

[Aref Aueb]

love it
so hungry for CAUSA!!!!!!, mum come home and cook me some !!!! look how tall you kids are , you girls are towering over the guy in the white shirt and his partner in the dancing photos . xo have you tried the bulls hearts yet ??????

[Shonabona]

Yeah, causa is so good. We went to La Mar today and had ceviche. Yum yum yum. Miss you goofball, tu madre va a salir en 5 dias. Loco. We'll miss her, she misses you. I hear you are communicating with my colleague Sugar Fanny via shitbook. It's good to hear that you are well though. Hope you're not working too hard. Shona