First Few Days In Peru

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Well the weather is not great. There is constant cloud cover which never breaks. Aparently it´s always like this in winter. We are looking forward to seeing the sun again. But enough moaning!

On the first day we set off for the Pacific coast and the southern suburbs of Miraflores and Barranco. Getting a bus down the via Expressa sounded easy in the book but the reality was a little more confusing. There are a myriad of small bus companies (if you have a bus you are a bus company) that drive up and down the main avenues and the conductors simply lean out of the windows shouting destinations and pedestrians. With the aid of some basic polite spansih I was able to get help from a very friendly lady heading for Miraflores.

The journey from Lima Centro to Miraflores might only be a 4km but in might as well be two completly different worlds. Lima centro is a poor place but Miraflores is as up market and flashy as anywhere in Europe. The wealth divide is really clear by taking a ride down the via Expressa.

Once in Miraflores we walked down to the cliffs overlooking the pacific. Although really foggy the coastline is quite striking. We took a short stroll down to the beach and then head back to the via Expressa. It turned out to be a very long day and we were very relived to be back at the hostal.

Yesturday we decided to stay firmly in Lima Centro. After breakfast (great coffee for about 60 pence) we headed for the Plaza Mayor, which is a very beautiful square that has a suprisingly relaxed and calming atmosphere; this might be somthing to do with the heavy presance of heavily armed police and soldiers (with an Assault Vechiles and machine guns). Here we found the Presidential Palace and the Cathedral. Just as we arrived we noticed an ethusiastic crowd gathering at the gates of the palace, with riot police in attendance. As it turns out Alan Garcia (el Presidente Republica) was going to mass in the Cathederal. So we watched the mayhem of Alan and the Bishop walking across the square surrounded by special security, troops, jounalists and cheering Peruvians. Alan is a man of the people seemingly. Once in the cathedral the doors were shut (a private mass this one) and a imposing wall of soldiers and riot police was formed at the top of the steps. About five minutes later the same scene was played out in reverse as Alan left the catherdal , shook a few hands and then was whisked off back through the gates and into the palace. In true paparazi style I snapped him on the steps. The best photo yet- a world leader surounded by people who genuenly seem to love him.

Later on we visited the cathedral- nice art but all a bit grim- and the fransiscan monastery- the oldest in South America and a fantastic place to visit, bit not somwhere that you can take photographs. You can really get a sense that Peru was the heart of the spanish empire but that the decline has been a long one.

Last night we went out with a German guy from our dorm whose been travelling for a year, lving recently in a squa in Mexico. He was a great to talk to and helped us out with understanding how things work down here. We went to Barranco which is were we were told that all the best night spots are. A little dissapointing all told but Lima is NOT a party town because most of the people don´t have much to party about.

We´ve me some really cool people in our dorm and the Hostal espana has a great amostphere between the backpackers. Tomorrow we are geting the bus to Cusco, which will take 24 hours and will NOT be fun.

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Photos

The Pacific Coast of Barranco
Not a day for takig a dip.

North Lima
North of the Rimac the city gets a lot poorer.

Alan Garcia Goes to Church
My first world leader shot.

Comments

[Mum]

Great pics
Wonderful pics and marvellous comments! I felt as if I was with you. Paparazzi James is up and running! Keep the blogs coming James!