Blogs from Lima, Lima, Peru, South America - page 86

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 ... read more

Having read nothing positive about Lima, we'd been hoping to not have to set foot in it until LA Woman's flight home, but bus timetables and our next destination Huaraz forced us to drop by. And it really wasn't as dismal as the grapevine had suggested. Arriving on a cloudy, cool day, we opted to stay in the Miraflores district, a haven of shops and restaurants but little to see. We visited the Parque del Amor on the sea-front, containing many colourful mosaics with quotes and declarations of love, together with a sculpture of what appeared to be a pair of pensioners engaged in some slap and tickle. The dull sea and chilling breeze brought back fond memories of Saltburn. Nearby was Larco Mar, a large shopping mall with an array of fast food restaurants befitting ... read more

Tour of Miraflores, San Isidro, Lima Centrale, Barranco After a late night to sleep and a very quick continental breakfast, I was on a morning city tour that the Mami Panchita Hostal arranged with onsite tourist agency named Raymi Travels. My simple and room 11 faces Federico Gallesi street, and the traffic began with raucous earnest at 6 a.m. Earplugs kept me at peace until 8 a.m., a time almost too late to make the tour, but the sleep needed. There was but one other tourist along, a stout gentleman in his middle 50s Jorge from, I think, Venezuala. Our driver Jorge and guide Jason picked me up at 8.30. Jason is a native of Callao, Lima´s seaport and airport district 20 minutes north and west of both Lima center and the San Miguel district, where ... read more

Midwestern Gringo Arrives in Lima Arrived Hostal Mami Panchita, arriving shortly after midnight. Lima plane was 1.75 hours late leaving and had to fly around turbulence in Panama. Made the Chi -- Miami plan with just a few minutes to spare. There was some delay getting a man established in a seat on the plane headed for Chicago. The driver from Mami was there to pick me up after I exited through custom gate, a relief for one fresh to Lima and Peru. My limited Spanish will get a work out. There was a throng of people with names on placards waiting for their people. Once outside the airport grounds one knows they are in Lima--not Madrid for example. The shanty towns are just outside the airport near the Callou District. This hostal would be impossible ... read more

One last thing... I am REALLY REALLY REALLY far away from the jungle area where the government has declared an 'emergency state' because aboriginal groups are protesting. Aboriginal groups are simply blocking highways and oil and natural gas installations in protest of laws that facilitate the sale of their lands. Sounds reasonable to me. Seriously though, not to worry I am about a 4 hour flight with an additional 28 hours bus ride away. xo ... read more