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Published: April 28th 2018
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Once again the cock crowed at 4:30 Am for our 5:30 departure. Today we bid farewell to Puno and prepare to return to Lima. Our flight departed out of the infamous Juliaca Airport. The airport, like all of the rest of the city was a disaster just like the rest of the city. The 1940's era airport had exactly 2 gates for all of the 4 flights a day in and out. The airport is basically devoted to contraband flights so the passenger flights are actually in the way of the real money makers, counterfeit commerce. The airport was last updated a decade ago. I looked out the window at the runway and I swear I could see potholes dotting the tarmac.
Unlike in the US, here in Peru you can fly with liquids, so we each were given our daily ration of water and we waited by the departure gate for about 20 minutes. No one called the flight but we noticed people lining up at the gate so we joined the cue. Without further fanfare, we boarded the flight and were soon airborne and heading toward Lima. The flight was smooth and I slept most of the 90
minutes to try to get some catch-up from the early wake-up.
We arrived at the modern Lima airport and immediately noticed two things. One, Lima is a modern city and a far cry from the Andes communities where some level of squalor ruled the day. Second, the air had oxygen, and plenty of it.
We got our luggage and boarded the bus and spent the next 45 minutes in Lima traffic trying to get back to the Jose Antonio, the same hotel we stayed in the first time we were in Lima. Since today was on our own I decided to take walk and see some of Lima on foot.
I first headed out to local Farmers Market to get a first had view of the local foods. The walk took about 20 minutes and I visited a park along the way, just a small city prk in the middle of modern bustling Lima. The market itself took up a whole block and was filled with every kind of delight.
There was fresh produce, cucumber, peppers, a variety of colorful potatoes, many baked goods, honey, olive oils and vinegars Then we passed some deli like stall
that had some very interesting items but we were stuck behind a language barrier. A very kind stranger stopped to hep us out and recommended a vegetable burger on a special bread with humos and olive dressing. The whole deal cot 3 soles or about $1. I bought a bottle of water and headed to the park next door to enjoy my find. I sat down on the park bench and took my first bite.It was delicious. I am not one for vegetable burgers, but this was the best i ever had.
From here I decided to follow along the road toward the South Pacific Ocean. Along the way I stopped at JFK park where I purchased a fine Gelato and sat on a park bench and watched Lima walk by. I enjoyed my repast and headed along the shops and finally arrived at the ocean. It was magnificent.
The waters we far below the steep cliffs giving me a birds eye view of the surfers taking to the waves. All along the beach were little shops and a long pier jutted out ending in what looked like a possible fine sea food restaurant. I walked through the
Parque del Amour which looked like it was decorated by Gaudi of Spain. The sun was shining and the park was filled with young and old enjoying a beautiful day along the beach.
All too soon, it was time to head back to the hotel for some much needed rest and a shower to prepare for out final event, the farewell dinner.
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