After my last post, you might think I wanted to call it quits. Well I did for about an hour but I got over it. Also it helped that Bridget and I left for Lima the next morning.
We spent the last five days in Lima and I am writing this in my last few hours before I head to the airport. Lima was for me a breath of fresh air, a little feel of home and well a pleasant surprise.
I guess I was expecting Lima to be more of the same. Basically similar to the other towns we visited but just bigger. I found that it was unlike any city we visited yet. Coming into the city by bus literally felt like driving into Chicago. Bridget and I have both lived in Chicago and well it felt a little like coming home.
They have a great Metro bus system that runs efficiently through town and right down the highway...kind of like the red line. Their version of Lake Shore Drive is a little more spectacular because it is the Pacific Ocean. I could go on but just know this city is pretty spectacular.
Bridget and I explored the museums taking in a few great art exhibits. We also took a bike tour of the neighborhoods San Isidro and Miraflores. They are very affluent neighborhoods and very touristy. There is even a mall on the Oceanside cliff with a TGI Fridays and a Starbucks. It made me a little sick to see but you can't get away from it there.
Our bike tour was a lot of fun. We had a great guide and companions. Two of the other girls on our tour had just arrived in Lima that morning at two am. They flew in from Boston after finishing their final exams and graduating from college. Talk about excited.
They were a lot of fun though and joined us after the tour for a trip to the Magic Fountains. I am not exactly sure what the name of this park is but I know magic and fountains is in the title. The park actually holds the worlds record for most fountains or something like that. There are 12 in all. They light them up and the center fountain has a special light and music show every hour. I would have to say...and I mean this seriously...I found it to be magical.
We really just took it easy for the week and enjoyed the people watching, food, and ice cream. There is literally an ice cream stand every ten feet here. My favorite two scoop option is limon and maracuya. Not sure how to describe the latter flavor other than it is awesome.
Bridget finally ate ceviche. It is basically raw seafood that is covered in lemon and lime juice and somehow the combination of acids cooks the food. It looked gross to me but Bridget loved it. While we were eating this meal, there was a gentleman about our age sitting at the next table. I had a great view of him and watched as he ate his meal and then proceeded to start sweating profusely. His nose was running and literally I could see the sweat dripping off his face. He asked the server for more napkins and soaked quite a few. After he left we asked the waitress if his meal was spicy and she said yes very and we all had a little chuckle over it.
Bridget left yesterday and I have spent my time walking along the ocean, visiting a museum with an exhibit about the terrorist attacks the country suffered in the 80s and 90s and taking in a free concert in the plaza.
The exhibit about the terrorist attacks was quite moving. I am not going to do the history justice but in a nutshell an internal terrorist group gained power in the 80s and proceeded to bomb and kill thousands of people. The group was called Shining Path and they were a communist group started by an ex university professor. Again I don't understand all the dynamics at play in the conflict but ultimately almost 70,000 people died. Their deaths were caused by both the Shining Path and military action by the Peruvian government. It was an incredibly dark time in the history of Peru. This exhibit was a product of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission which was started after the conflict ended.
I ended my day at the Plaza for a free concert of traditional Peruvian music. It was a great show and the president of Peru was in attendance.
I have really loved my time in Lima and it was a great end to our trip. Oh and one more note. We stayed at a hostel that my friend Sara stayed at and this place is a zoo...literally. It has four floors and I am convinced there are more hidden that I just haven't found yet. You get breakfast on the third floor where it is an open patio. On this floor there are many rooms and no less than two talking parrots, a puppy, a dog, 6 parakeets, two huge turtles, a cat, and a peacock. I think it is an old mansion or something. It is basically a labyrinth with many floors and never ending rooms. Also there are tons of classical paintings all over the walls and statues and busts of apparently famous folks. The place might be crazy but it was a great stop. The hostel staff were so nice and made our stay so pleasant...although I think they might be a little crazy too. The man who does maintenance wears a paper hat like a sailor's hat when he works. Oh and one of the turtles sleeps in the bathroom next to the toilet.
Like I said Lima was very fun. If you ever come to visit here, I strongly recommend the maracuya and limon ice cream combination.
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