Peru - Lima

13th - 16th August ´08

Our experiences and memories of a place had been dominated by the people we knew or met there... so accordingly we looked forward to our stay in Lima. The lovely Carola (a fully pledged member of the Galapagos Gang) had offered us a spare room in her flat and we had gratefully accepted. Her place was located in a very affluent area in the heart of the capital (between Miraflores and San Isidro)... it was great to arrive to a homely environment and finally to be in a place that didn´t warn us about putting toilet paper in the toilet (there was potential for blockage due to thin plumbing pipes in many hostels). Having reached Lima quite late that night, there was time for one drink in which Carola introduced us to the local speciality... Pisco Sour - a very drinkable concoction of Brandy, egg white and lime juice.

Being in such comfortable suroundings, it was a struggle to drag ourselves out of bed the following morning... when we finally did, we walked and walked until we could walk no more. Our route initially took us along the coastline where the weather conditions prevented us from paragliding off the surrounding cliffs. We then circled around the many plazas of Miraflores where the well dressed folk, cafes and restaurants gave it a real European feel. When Carola arrived back from work later that evening, the 3 of us headed out to the coastal avenues of Larcomar... littered with bars and restaurants, and views of the ocean. We continued where we had left off in the Galapagos Islands... ending the night with cocktails and B52´s.

The next day we had a lunch date with ceviche - a traditional dish of raw white fish marinated in lemon juice, onions and hot peppers, (with side servings of sweet potato and corn on the cob). Carola´s multi-talented housekeeper had prepared her signature dish for us to sample... very tasty and the additional rocotta (spicy chilli) meant we were fully awake for the afternoon of exploration that lay ahead. Our short taxi ride (no metro system as yet) to the old quarter highlighted the congestion problems that were so prevalent in Lima... some traffic lights never really performed their function and required whistle-blowing traffic controllers to take charge. Just as in Quito, the Old Town was deemed dangerous due to the poverty that existed there, although we never really felt unsafe because of the abundance of patrolling police - the contrast between there and Miraflores was particularly evident. We spent some time appreciating the colonial architecture in the Old Quarter before heading back... we met up with some of Carola´s friends that night (enroute our taxi broke down and began to smoke both inside and out - nothing new in Peru!) and sampled some more traditional Peruvian cuisine. After some good wine and a couple of taxi rides, we found ourselves wandering through the trendy, lively area of Barranco until the early hours of the morning.

With access to a kitchen, our sole mission on our last day in Lima was to remind ourselves what home-cooked food tasted like (Carola was also eager to taste) - the menu del dia was ringra bateta nu shak (aubergine and potato curry). Our first task was to acquire all the ingredients (or improvise) which the 3 of us did at a colourful local market. We were thereafter joined by Alex (another of Carola´s friends) in which the team was organised as follows... Preya - masterchef... Carola - washing and preparation... Yatin - peeling and chopping... Alex - chief-taster? Thankfully Preya hadn´t lost her touch and the meal went down well. We completed the night playing games of ´Bullshit´and watching DVD´s in a fittingly lazy fashion. Carola´s hospitality, company and knowledge had once again made a real difference to our stay in Lima and we looked forward to returning the favour someday. Next stop in Peru... the sand dunes of Huacachina.