First impressions were all about traffic. The traffic lights count down both green and red lights, like we often see for pedestrian crossings. This means that the taxi driver knew exactly how fast he had to accelerate (80+) in order to make the lights. A lot of cars have reflective stickers down the sides to reduce night time crashes. Judging by the number of dented cars they don't work that well. Lima had a population of 661,000 in 1940, 8.5 million by 2007 and 11 million today. Flying in, the impression is of endless small apartment blocks made of concrete and terra cotta coloured brick. On the ground the it is more positive, we'll kept, if simple homes. I stayed in the upmarket seaside suburb of Barranco, lots of grand, Art Deco houses, nice bars and ... read more