Hotel Aleman Lima

... altitude was just not gonna happen. so rocks happened instead. often you'd see the herd of grazing goats, or sheep, or alpacas before you'd see the shepard. the alpacas were obviously the most unique to see, but my favorite were the sheep. these well clothed animals just seem like they were built to graze the cold highlands of the andes. on a clear day they looked like goofy poofballs stilting around on their stick legs, yelling at each other and yelling at us. my favorite was the foggy ...

... quipuca, filled with knots and colours was brought quickly over land by the use of runners running for about 3 km each before handing over the quipuca to another runner. In the absence of a written language, this was the only mean for the Inca ruler to maintain control over his vast empire.

Thereafter we walked to Plaza Mayor surrounded by all the important buildings of the city including the presidential palace. Our last visit on the tour was Iglesia de San ...

... a bunch of school kids that would run at them so the birds would fly up. There was one little girl around 2 years old that was so cute. We had 7 minutes to look inside the church - mass was going on. It is neat to see different churches. Then we all walked through the monetary. To see the old paintings. The large place where the priest dressed and the whole area was neat. They made everything big so they could lure people over. We then saw the ...

... guide who only speaks Spanish! Our Peruvian friend translates, what a bonus. He also has three Harley's so is not perfect!

This site is relatively new excavation only starting 15 years ago and struggling for money, but it is now a World Heritage Site, so maybe they will do better. There is one huge pile of sand to move to find the history.
When we finish we have to go back a different route, we got our hands slapped for our footpath exploits. This ...

... with vegetables and chicken on top.

Then on Saturday we visited el Parque del amor - the park of love - which was really great with mosaic everywhere like Gaudi's Park Guell in Barcelona (though a more modern interpretation). And then basically we had to go to the airport to set off to our next destination - Arequipa.

Much love to everybody at home - we still cant wait to see you all - not long now! xxxx

... the streets." This was my view the last time I visited Lima. However, San Isidro, where we were staying, is a relatively safe residential area and was within a 30 minute walk of Miraflores. It was very different than the rest of the
city. On the way, we passed by Super Vea, a mega grocery store on par with those in the US. They sold peanut butter, which was a substance we hadn't seen since we were in Patagonian Chile!

Lima had a very different feel ...

... with our group. He didn't realize they were there and when he turned his head he basically screamed and jumped out of his seat. It was hilarious. Then they did the same thing to another girl. Finally, the guy with the biggest mask got really close to me (when I wasn't looking and didn't realize it) and I screamed when I realized he was there. It was all very funny and entertaining - maybe you had to be there but take my word for it - it was funny. After dinner we returned to ...

... a poncho and hat for him and a skirt, blouse, sash and shawl for me. It was cool so I put all this on over my slacks and shirt. Then we walked to the community center by flashlight. This building had one lightbulb and one short fluorescent tube powered by battery.
There were about 50 visitors and 50 family members plus two different groups of band members playing flutes, mandolins, guitars, and drums. Most ...

... 10 US...I want to get to my hotel, so the $20 US works for me. Unfortunately you have to find all of this out by yourself, ascertaining what risks you are comfortable with and those you are not. Anyway, Mark and I got to our hotel just fine. I don't think Mark had had time to mentally prepare himself for Lima, so it was a bit of a shock when he stepped out of the airport into the urine-scented city! Thank goodness I cannot smell!!

... at
night. For dinner we are treated to a very interesting show of
peruvian music and folklore and cultural dancers, while we sample
delicious peruvian food.

The next day, after starting out with a
delicious light breakfast of breads and cheeses, fruits and juices, and
typical peruvian cereal, we head for a tour of the city.
Plaza de Armas by day is bustling with activity as peruvian families ...