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Published: January 8th 2008
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Laid back guarding
Dont worry about terrorist attacks, if they inturrupt this call to my missus, she'll have their guts for garters! Emma writes - I definitely think we hit Lima at its best in early January. The infamous smog that can plague the city at other times of the year was taking a break. We had some top tips from the folks from Lima we met in Mancora. Stay in Miraflores and drink in Baranco. So that's what we did. We stayed one night in backpacker hostel Loki, but were so jet lagged from the 19 hour bus trip, (yes nineteen hours!) that we made the schoolboy/girl error of having a disco kip at 7pm, before heading out for the nightlife, only to wake up at 1am. Still, much needed.
Lima is great. I'm really taken by the city. Overall, really clean and beautifully kept. Gardens everywhere with gorgeous flowers. Great bars and places to eat. A beach with swanky restaurants in a complex type place on a long Málecon. It felt a bit American there I suppose, quite Miami-esque. I've never been there, so I'm guessing that bit. But, nice. You can tell there's a lot more money here than in Quito. They've still got the beautiful colonial architecture of the old towns in common, but in Lima,
Changing of the Guard
Except these two did not change at all. there's the added massive shops with big price tags and a whole load of western eateries. They get everywhere.
Things that you can buy through your car/taxi window on the highways - Standard issue flowers of course, as well as a quick windscreen wash, but you can also find cotton buds, superglue and eggs being pedalled. This might be an on going feature throughout the blog. Stuff you can get.
On the street it's the same story only bigger, you can think of a little something you might need, like a flick knife or some nail clippers, and along comes a man selling one just two yards down the street.
Amazing.
Things to watch out for are the laid back police. Talking on their cell phones when it's time to protect the changing of the guard at the palace. And in contrast, the ninja street cleaners, in their orange suits showing only their eyes. Probably more about protection from pollution than any kind of ninja suit magic, but still, a good look.
Not sure what the palace is for. The guidebook we have seems only fit to tell us of the dangers of a place, and
Did Gaudi visit Peru?
Paragliders heaven at parque del amor not what any buildings of interest may be used for. The changing of the guard is the most touristic thing I think I've ever seen, and not having taken any notice of the royal goings on whilst living in London I didn't know what to expect. It seemed there were two guards on guard to be changed during this changing of the guard. On marched two more guards and they stood in front of the guards already guarding. Then came a jazzed up guard marching band and a whole heap more guards from the left and some more guards taking up the right, who marched about for around half an hour whilst the band played into the nativity scene at the front of the courtyard (complete with alpacas/llamas and not camels). After a while, the new guards all marched off and left the original two guards still guarding the palace. Seemed a bit unfair really. But of course they couldn't move to complain. They had guarding to do.
We had to move hostel next day due to Lima being outrageously busy everywhere. The only place we could find was round the corner, called Trust Me. (Instantly makes me do the opposite.) Right budget, ok room, so we said yes. But only when we came to sleeping did we notice the pillows were made with what seemed like sand and the mattress was made from some kind of heavy duty plastic. The most uncomfortable place I think I've ever slept. And that may include Gavin's wooden hut beds from our horseriding trip in Ecuador. And those untrusting feelings only escalted the next night when nobody answered the buzzer to let us in for about 25 minutes. A passing street security man helped us buzz in the end, then the door opened. Made me wonder if they'd be watching on some kind of CCTV and laughing, as punishment for us waking them up at 3am the previous night. Not really much of a way to run a hostel.
So a flying visit to Lima. We could have stayed longer happily, but it's onto Cusco and the strange Inka trail trek we've booked. Mountain bike, zip wire and trekking to Machu Picchu.
Instead of a 24 bus ride, we're flying for an hour.
I'm off to buy some oxygen in a can...
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