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Published: September 8th 2008
Plaza de Armas
A.K.A. Alfred Hitchcock´s nightmareA famous travel author once said that culture shock is not an introduction to a strange culture, but simply being assaulted with an overload of stimuli all at once. I believe that's the best way to describe Lima: an assault on the senses but an interesting place once you know your way around. Sure Lima is dirty, and polluted (if you leave your car by the side of the road for more than a few days it's covered with black soot), whenever you cross the street you're taking your life into your hands, you never see the sun (the sky this time of year is either gray in the day or a dull orange at night), and yes this is where all good buses go to die. But Lima also has a softer side that hides just beneath the surface. People stop whatever they are doing to help blind people cross the street, you can eat an enormous quantity of GOOD food for about $2 dollars. In fact, with lodging Ammi and I are averaging $30 a day for both of us. I've never heard of traveling to SAVE money before. Awesome! There are less beggars here than back home, if
Lima from the Roof-tops
View from the balcony at our hostel they do want money they at least do something (I've seen people do somersaults in the crosswalks as cars wait). And one that Lima doesn't have that I don't miss ONE BIT: loud car stereos. It may not be a city in which we'd like to live, but it's worth having visited.
SANTA ROSA DE LIMA
We weren't sure of what to expect with this festival. As we entered the Plaza de Armas uniformed soldiers lined the streets. On the asphalt in the middle of intersections were intricately decorated mosaics made of flowers that we could tell took many hours to make. A marching band announced the beginning of the procession. A huge “pyre” with a statue of the virgin Mary or Santa Rosa or something sitting atop emerged from the mouth of the church being carried by thirty or so grunting men. (Wasn't this in Godfather part 2?) They marched forward right across the flowered art, ruining it beyond recognition. Right then we heard the loudest BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! we've ever heard. We ducked down to avoid the submachine gun fire that I was sure was coming from the police riot tank, and then we realized no
Waiting for lunch
That´s Kevin, not Captain Redbeard one else had even flinched or seemed concerned. A hidden pyrotechnical was setting some kind of explosive fireworks off the top of the buildings that sounded more like canons. As the procession neared the Government Palace, someone was yelling: “Viva el pobre de Peru!” at which point the crowd responded with “Viva!” and the man said “Viva la policia de Peru” at which the crowd responded with equal fervor: “Viva!” Soldiers had to hold back the advancing crowd that seemed determined to touch the pyre for luck. Afterwards a priest released a number of white doves that seemed to take to the air apprehensively, no doubt fearful of further explosions.
Well our time to leave Lima has come and I'm kind of looking forward to seeing the countryside and getting away from the pollution. We're catching a bus down the coast to Pisco on our way to Lake Titicaca. Chao!
***TRAVELERS' TIPS***
-Be careful crossing the street, cars turn left from the right lane and vice versa
-Miraflores is a bit nicer but more expensive
-Watch your valuables in the Plaza de Armas
-Don't leave without trying a Pisco Sour
-Try a Lomo Saltado dish in a Chinese restaurant
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Jane
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