Lima Lessons Learned and Peace in Paracas

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Comments

[Manuela]

Virtual Tour
Loving your blog so far Tom. You have the gift of descriptive and entertaining writing, bringing the scenery and your experiences to life. I feel as though I am right there with you! Enjoy Arequipa and I look forward to the next instalment.

[Emma]

Emma
Our stay in Peru's capital Lima was quite the introduction to South America! It may have been jet lag, possibly old age setting in, but it took us a while to adjust to the chaotic city vibes and resist the urge to sleep as soon as the sun set... at 6pm. We might be trying to escape thirty, but we're at risk of jumping straight to seventy or eighty! Even our indulgence in pisco sours as is customary in Peru, was too much for a certain someone, who abandoned his girlfriend in Lima's catacombs of all places, to get some fresh air! We had to rely on taxi's to ferry us about Lima's 43 districts as walking was not an option - Lesson #2. The minimum requirement to become an official taxi in Lima is access to pen and paper to create a sign. Beyond that there is no regulation whatsoever!! Mr Bonny would be outraged! Our minimum criteria in selecting a taxi fit for purpose was looking for one with fewest dents, with number plates and bumpers still in tact, and preferably free of go-faster stripes or Nike ticks! Four lanes often became seven or eight, and the dedication to fit into the tiniest of gaps in the traffic to gain a few inches on the competition, and to honk louder than everyone else was fierce! Lima's wacky races was a far cry from London's licensed black cabs. Honk. Besides the many lessons learned as naive tourists setting out on our journey, the culture shock that Lima delivered was eye opening. The juxtaposition of rich and poor, the contrasting landscapes of the colonial city centre and the indigenous-built favelas on the city perimeters, demanded that we took check and recognised our privileged position as guests in Lima city.