Michael Jackson, Swine Flu and Pepto Bismol

---

Me and Rose have found ourselves in the centre of a bustling, bright and friendly city - Lima.
It was an excrutiatingly long jouney to get here and the most stressful connection in Madrid where we had an hour and a half to check out and back in again plus navigate around weird glass corridors and endless escalators in the biggest airport in the world. Then we had to fly twelve and and a half hours to Lima not sitting sitting next to each other and being refused glasses of water by the airline staff and having to eat truly disgusting food. When we got off the plane we were greeted by staff wearing Swine Flu masks and we have also had Peruvian men, who give women lots of attention anyway, make swine flu related jokes and coughing noises at us...quite funny really!

However, when we got here we slept, got up two hours later and went straight into the centre of Lima. The city is strangely alluring - the faded glamour of bygone eras and shabby but beautiful colonial architecture, the brightly coloured houses, the incrediblçy friendly Peruvians who would go out of their way to help you. We sat in the main Plaza, gawping at the buildings surrounding us and watching the daily guard march around the square, with a marching band. We ate some stodgy food - everything is rice, chips, beans and meat here. We went to the Church of San Francisco and saw an 18th century library and saw 17th century catacombs under the church, lots of bones. We drank nice coffee. Feel very safe here. Rose it teaching me some Spanish and I am using it everywhere, hopefully it will get better.

Then we drank in the hostel bar with our fellow backpakers, lots of nice people, and we went to a club where they played Michael Jackson lots and Rose made me do the moonwalk for her. I also met someone who went to Shef uni! It was surreal standing in Barranco in Lima talking to a guy about student union clubnights and Corp vodka! One of the guys we hung out with looked so much like Borat, it scared me! Then we went to this Irish bar and drank more beer till five in morning. We are paying for it today though, we dragged ourselves out for lunch but not much more and Pepto bismol has been on the agenda - but feeling ok now. Gonna plan the next leg of our trip to Cusco in a bit, hoping to leave Lima on Tuesday and it seems that lots of people from the hostel are heading down to Cusco also, for Macchu Picchu.

Really enjoying ourselves, been very jovial even in stressful times and enjoying each others company. We are sfe and happy, lots of love to friends and family (esp. Mum, dad and Kim!(. xxxxxxx

---

Comments

[Ma]

Wow
Lima sounds fantastic, Pip - lucky thing. Wish I was there. Definately visiting at some point - when you and Kim have left home! Very glad you are safe and happy, even though you have not responded to mine and Dad's text requesting info that you are OK. Assume that you are. Keep on having a fab time. Can't believe you met someone from Sheff! Small world. Plse send the odd text saying 'OK' if nothing else, then we know that you're alive and well! Love to Rose. Big, big hug. Mum xxxxx

[Trish]

Yay!
This trip already sounds amazing and it's only just started. I wish I could be there with you guys, it sounds like you're having a blast. Your mum's right, it IS a small world. It's so cool that you can meet people from all over the world in hostels. I hope you're taking millions of photos (especially of the 18th century library that sounds super cool) and continue having a fabuloso time. Good luck with the spanish! Tell Rose to be patient with you and that I miss her (and you) lots. Really looking forward to your next entry <3

[Kim]

Hey!
Sorry I didn't send a message earlier, but hope you're doing better now! And Lima sounds amazing, when you go into the wilderness keep an eye out for Jaguars! lemme know if you see any up there >_< And you'll have to teach me some spanish when you get back! It's amazing you met someone from sheffield Uni too!