Traveling never quite goes as planned...thus we spent an unanticipated 9 hours sitting in the Bogota airport. We did eventually arrive in Lima and got a taxi to Barranco, a quieter part of the city along the coast. From here we´ve explored the trendier districts of Barranco and Miraflores as well as making the trip into grittier central Lima to see cathedrals, catacombs, and colonial buildings. Everyone is very friendly, even the restaurant touts aren´t too pushy, and our limited Spanish (or in Zach´s case a Spanish/Portugese mix) has been enough for us to communicate effectively. The taxi driver yesterday spoke slowly as he pointed out significant landmarks like the Palace of Justicia (although he claimed it´s really the Palace of Injusticia) and warned us not to travel down certain streets because of delinquencia. It remains to be seen if we´ll find communication more challenging as we travel into the mountains.
The pace of life here is very agreeable. Days are lazy and the streets start to come alive around sunset. Vendors start to set up their wares in public parks and people emerge from offices and homes to inhabit the public space. Last night we sat down to dinner at 11pm and there were still people coming to eat an hour later. Dishes of choice include ceviche of all types, anticucho (skewered, grilled cow heart), rotisserie chicken, and Inka Kola (a bubblegum flavored soft drink).
Our plan today is a descent from the cliff to the beach and more ceviche for lunch before a 15-hour overnight bus ride to Arequipa. We´re riding VIP style and the bus is equipped with a GPS system linked to the police in case of emergency.
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There is this great guest house in Arequipa but I cannot remember the name....If you are standing in the square facing the mountain side of the city it is on the street on your left going away from the square towards the mountains....it is on the left side of the street just past that little pedestrain street. This probably won't help much but it was a great spot. Justin and I bought lots of the Peruvian artwork in Arequipa and I think I remember it being cheaper than in cuzco....Keep posting and enjoy!
Hello, Dan and Evan
Looking forward to following the blog. Moreso, I am looking forward to Dan's return to Refuge, since you are in charge of ordering toilet paper. We just opened the last individual roll. And we have three weeks until you're back at work. This is the ultimate test in our commitment to paper conservation.
Have a great time,
Mary
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