¡Cada dia mejor!

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We arrived in Lima early Friday morning and had a great introduction to Peru. I nearly threw up after our cab ride from the airport. I’m not sure if it was the fumes or the nauseating driving. Supposedly the ride is supposed to take about 40 minutes. I think we did it in about 20. Ironically, the driver was buckled up, but our seatbelts did not work. The horn seems to be the most important part of the car here and I am sure must be replaced more often than the brakes. Luckily, it turns out our driver´s behaviour was an exception and our cab rides of late have been rather pleasant.

We visited a 1500 year old ruin in the heart of Mira Flores, the district we are staying in since we could not check into our hotel until later in the day. Rebecca was really fond of the hairless dogs that were a popular breed during Inca times. (see photo).

To our pleasant surprise, it turns out that Lima is the gastronomic capital of south america, so we have decided to splurge a bit on food. We had an amazing lunch today of ceviche, which is raw fish that is ¨cooked¨ in lime juice. We had sole and tuna that literally just melted in our mouths. Lima being right on the coast makes for some fresh seafood.

Tomorrow we are off to Cuzco, the Inca capital of Peru at 12,000ft. That is of course, if the airline does not decide to shutdown, like the one we almost bought our tickets from on Friday. Saturday´s front page read,

TansPeru (the airline we had reserved tickets through) to suspend operation indefinitely

. Oops. Turned out fine, but we had to buy a more expensive ticket.

Off to Cuzco and the Inca Trail....

-Don

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Photos

Adios
Leaving San Francisco. (Photo shot by Chauffer Susie Bily)

Inca Dog
This hairless dog seemed to be eyeing Rebecca. I guess it was good idea to get those rabies shots after all.

Cujo
Here´s a close up of the beast.

Plaza de Armas (Lima)
Don in front of the Lima Cathedral in Plaza De Armas. Pizarro, spanish conquistador and founder of Lima, is buried inside.

Parque Muralles
Apparently, it´s an election year in Peru so the politicaians pull out all the stops to show that they are making the city a better place to live. This a beautiful new park along a polluted river and within sight of the barrios altos, or slums on the hillside.

Peruvian Wedding
We passed a wedding at one of the cathedral and shot these twp peruvian girls. They were very excited about being photgraphed by the gringos.

Emberazada
We visited the ¨Whole Foods¨of Lima and not only did they have handicapped parking, they had parking for pregnant women as well.

Spanish Colonial Architecture
Throughout Lima, spanish colonial architecture can be seen. The distinctive ornate wooden porches caught our eye.

Ceviche
Rebecca about to enjoy some fabulous ceviche.

Ceviche Dos
This was tuna ceviche with asparagus, mushroom, corn, and sweet potato. A scrumptious delight

Trophy Head
Some cultures of ancient Peru perfomed human sacrifice. They also dried the heads and carried them around on a rope. The head is amazingly preserved with eyebrows and all.

Cada dia mejor
There were signs like this all around Mira Flores, meaning ¨Better Every Day¨. We though this saying interesting given the contrast of poverty and wealth. Other neighborhoods had similar signs and sayings

Mosaic
This candle vase reminded us of Erin, so we took a shot of it.

Comments

[Steve Const]

pregnant icons
Okay - at first glance I thought the pregant woman icon indicated a woman with an ample derriere! Whoops....

[Irene]

Great Pics

[Irene]

Great Pics
Happy to see you've started your adventure. Thanks for bringing us along. This is cool!

[erin]

yeah!
you made it! i'm so glad you landed in such an amazing place--can't get much better than raw fish, bald mowhawk dogs, and dried heads. thanks for all the pics--can't wait for more. cuidado y bueno suerte con todo, er

[Kat]

Awesome guys!
I'm so glad you're keeping a blog and will check in frequently. Traveling is so much fun! I type this in Utah - we are 1 day away from ending our cross country driving trip. We hit 21 states and Zoë did awesome the whole time. Love the photos! Have fun. :)

[Anne]

Cocoa Leaf Tea?
This stuff is the bomb - gets rid of any altitude sickness, with a nice, even buzz. Definitely try and bring some home, I still have a stash from when we were in Peru 10 years ago! Be safe! xoxoanne

[tim]

cada dia mejor...
hey folks, I am sure that you will be kept amused by the sometimes ironic political/social propoganda that abounds in latin america. also, keep and eye out for folks wearing second hand shirts with really funny sayings in english. the ceviche looked great. all is well in berkeley. cheers. tim

[Steph]

feliz ano nuevo
hola! hi you two! your trip just looks SO fun and exotic so far. the food looks sooo delish! as for the dog... he looks like food! glad you made it safe - looking forward to more updates! SCR

[Janie]

great blog!
R&D, I love the blog. Wonderful pictures and comentary. I laughed about the airline shut-down. Welcome to Latin America!!! You learn to take each day as it comes... :) Can´t wait to see you guys! Leave that scary eye-browed head in Peru! xox, Janie