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Published: April 8th 2009
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Hello All-
I feel like it has been such a long time that I have been away from my blog when really it has only been two weeks. However, a lot has happened in such a short time. I have seen many things some fascinating others heartbreaking; had many new experiences some good some ugly; and taken lots of pictures and made many realizations about my life. This blog is going to reflect on my time in Peru’s capital city of Lima. The blogs to follow will tell of my experiences in the city of Iquitos and the Amazon Rainforest.
Peru is the only country in South America to have a coastal capital city but its proximity to the coast makes it a tourist hotspot. I had heard some pretty terrible things about Lima before coming to Peru and even my family in Cusco didn’t seem too excited about me going there. It is a huge city, about 8 million people and full of crime and sketchy areas like many larger cities. Having lived in Iowa my whole life, I am not very familiar with big metropolitan areas except for what I have seen on brief vacations, so
they make me nervous to say the least. The atmosphere was noticeably different immediately upon exciting the plane. Mainly, I was warm almost hot and the air was stuffy with humidity, almost like a summer day in Iowa except for the strong aroma of ocean water and fish. The people were different too. No one looked you in the eye in Lima and the pace was much faster than in Cusco, although I didn’t think that was possible.
We stayed in a very nice, pricy neighborhood called Miraflores in a rather nice hostel. We were right on one of the main strips complete with huge casinos with lights that sparkled loudly into the night. I fell in love with the big city feeling almost immediately. It didn’t help that we were surrounded by fantastic restaurants and did I mention that the beach overlook was only about a 15 mins away. I later realized why people, tourists especially, don’t like Lima as we ventured into other neighborhoods but as long as I was in Miraflores, it was happy. Although I have never been, I imagine that Lima, at least my part of Lima, is a lot like Miami; palm trees,
beach access, lots of sun, and just a summertime-surf city feel.
We were sent to seminars right away and unfortunately the best one was over on the first day. We took a seminar on Afro-Peruano music where we learned how to play cajons which are essentially wooden boxes with a circular hole cut out of the back. The player sits on top of the box and slaps the solid side with his or her hands to various rhythms. Depending on where the cajon is slapped also produces different pitches and tones. Awesome. We also played cow bells, bongo drums, donkey jaws, and other traditional instruments. Some members of the group were so taken by the lessons that they went out and bought their own cajons….I’m not that dedicated.
Half way through our stay in Lima, our directors gave us a break from seminars and let us have a mini-vacation at a beach house at a private breach community. We grilled hamburgers and ate pasta salad on the beach like pros. I had never really gone swimming in the ocean before although I have seen the Pacific many times. I was scared of it at first but it didn’t
take me long to be wiped out by a huge wave, getting tumbled in the under tow and scrapping my knees in the sand. I literally thought that was the end. I remember being under water thinking, “This is ridiculous. I can’t be drowned my first time in the ocean. LAME (in the words of Gerald).” After a bit I fought my way to the surface and my fear left me. Soon I was boogie boarding and taking on the waves like I was doing it for years. I watched the sun set on the waves and didn’t want to leave the sound of the waves and the peacefulness of the world. I vowed to stay out on the beach all night so I could watch the sunrise despite the army of crabs that were planning their assault all around me.
I stayed on that beach until about 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning fighting off crabs when I was discovered by the beach security. They were spot lighting me from their watch towers and I could see that they were coming to apprehend me or something so I decided to head in to avoid an awkward confrontation. But believe you me; I was back on that beach as soon as I woke up the next morning around 7:00. However, I paid dearly that next day for my beach love…and so did everyone else. We all slathered ourselves in sunscreen multiple times that day but we all burned to a crisp. My stomach caught it the worst. Utterly painful but so worth it.
The rest of the time in Lima was spent trying out different restaurants and going to more seminars. There is a food here in Peru called Ceviche, I’m not sure if it is found in the States or not. It is raw fish and shellfish that have been marinated in oils and juices. Fantastic. The fish in general in Lima was unbelievable, and the octopus was some of the best I have ever had. My friends and I did indulge ourselves one night in some good ol’ American food. Meaning that, we managed to find a Chili’s on the water front. Buffalo Chicken never tasted so good.
This is not the end of my Lima adventures. I will be flying back to Lima next Tuesday (April 14) to live there for 3-4 weeks during my Independent Research Study Project. There is a strong woman activist in Lima who speaks out against Yale University and their withholding of Peruvian artifacts. She is primarily concerned with many artifacts taken from Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham when he discovered it in 1911. My project is centering around the effects of globalization on international artifact traffic including the laws and grave robbing aspects. Should be exciting and I can’t wait to live in an apartment with 5 of my good friends in the big city.
That’s all for now but look for my Amazon Blog coming soon!!!!
Hasta Luego
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