Lima

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Hola Amigos!

I apologise for the delay in my travel blogging, the past couple of months since I got to Peru have not only been hugely busy, but have absolutely flown by! From when I arrived in Lima up to the present moment (I'm in Santa Marta in Colombia), I've done two treks, the first in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru among some of the most beautiful scenery, the second I just came back from, in the Colombian jungle. I've chilled on the beaches of northern Peru, met some amazing people to travel Peru with, paid Quito a flying visit, and am currently working my way along the Colombian coast.

So on the 1st March I flew from La Paz to Lima, largely to bypass southern Peru and the areas affected by the floods. My main reason for visiting the southern part of Peru was to see Machu Picchu, and as it was closed due to the heavy rains, I decided to just head straight for Lima and travel inland to Huaraz to fulfil my trekking needs, then head up the coast for some sun, surf and seafood! I arrived in Lima and got picked up by my hostel, called Backpackers Family Home, located in Miraflores. Definitely a recommendation. The staff are so friendly and welcoming, encouraging me to speak Spanish with them, and the kitchen is the best I've come across in a hostel (important when you are travelling on a budget). Plus the beds are comfortable, the dorms are spacious, and there is a great TV/DVD room for chilling out in the evening. I was quite tired, so made my last ever packet of Bolivian supernoodles, chatted to a nice British couple for a bit, then hit the sack.

I got up the following day feeling great, I was happy to be on the move again, and experiencing some heat! I knew I wanted to head to Huaraz so I set off to book my bus ticket. I walked to the end of the main road, where I knew I had to turn left and walk to number 749. I was at 6021. I walked for about 5 minutes before deciding to jump in a taxi, which ended up taking 15 minutes along a massive motorway! It would have been a hell of walk there and back! So, job done with the bus ticket, I went to the local supermarket called Vivando. Quite possibly, the most amazing supermarket I have ever been to, it rivals the Selfridges food department. After a month of Bolivian food (rice, chips and supernoodles) I was ready for some decent grub, so I spent nearly 25 quid there! It was worth every penny, lovely cheeses, fresh bread, chorizo, olives, pickles, and for some reason I bought artichoke puree. No real reason why, I was just on a one-woman quest for deliciousness and got a bit carried away! I promptly headed back to my hostel and made an amazing lunch!

After sating my hunger, I decided to check out a bit of the area where I was staying. I can honestly say that the Miraflores region of Lima was the safest I've felt in the whole of South America. It's clearly a wealthy neighbourhood, where the children wear designer gear and carry their expensive branded tennis racquets to their lessons, the women are polished and manicured to within an inch of their life and the men...well, they tend to ogle the ladies! Larcomar shopping mall at the end of the coastal path is where the gilded youth of Miraflores go to hang out. I could only afford a cup of coffee there, but it is chock full of lovely boutiques, lots of places to eat, and a spa. The place itself is impressive, built into the side of a cliff, so it was nice to have my coffee overlooking the beach and the crazy gringos paragliding in the afternoon sun.

Unfortunately, I only had a couple of days in Lima, and wanted to see a lot, so the following day I decided to check out downtown Lima. It is very different from Miraflores - colonial buildings, a beautiful big cathedral and government buildings. I watched the changing of the guard, similar to the Buckingham Palace changing of the guard, but with more goose-stepping and for some reason there were lines of police in riot gear in front of the government building where it takes place. The cathedral in Lima is definitely worth a visit, and worth the slightly pricey fee to go inside. Very ornate baroque architecture and sculpture adorn the inside, and the pulpit alone is very impressive.

I had a fair old wander among some of the streets in downtown Lima, and felt pretty safe, but the guy who runs my hostel had warned me it was quite dangerous, especially at night. It was getting hot, and I wanted to make another amazing sandwich, so I hopped in a cab back to Miraflores. After (another) amazing lunch (ta very much Vivando!) I visited some pre-Inca ruins in Miraflores. It was really interesting, and I was quite impressed with how much of the tour I understood, considering the fact it was in Spanish.

That night I got the overnight bus to Huaraz, and was ready to head out into the countryside and away from city living. I had only planned for two nights there and doing a day trek and maybe some cycling. Little did I know I was going to meet some great people, one of whom I would end up travelling the whole of the north of Peru with, and that my plans would change completely.

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