Las Aldas Lima

... i feel like we've all known each other for such a long time. We work really well together as a team and we are able to enjoy each others company in the evenings too. No one feels clostraphobic, well only occassionally if someone is around.
A beer is calling and we have to get the boat back to the cabin now so will write again tomorrow and I'll start adding some pictures.

... TV and for 55 soles a night we were hardly going to be stretched. We decided to stay although I was still weary of the area, paid 10 soles to our happy taxi man and unloaded our bags into our room. After a hot shower we ventured out to explore and soon felt comfortable in the area. It seemed like a middle class area of Lima with other families walking the streets. A few blocks away we found a cinema but there were no English speaking films. We decided to ...

... the buildings lit up and loads of people walking around. I don't understand all these people who say they don't like Lima as it seems great so far. We go through the square that has the hotel Bolivar and it looks great, I say to Franchesca that we will spend our one night in Lima on the way home at the Hotel Bolivar. Then we stop at the Sheraton for coffee and cake, that is one ugly hotel in an ugly location, I sure wouldn't choose to stay there. Then its back on the bus and down to ...

... a cold. Donīt worry, no swine flu, just a bit of nasal congestion. Of course, according to some, men donīt get the flu, so thats lucky.

Day 31 - First day of tour, but unfortunately just another day in Lima. Checked into hotel and met my roommate (English lad Ali), headed out for quick meal (awful at that) and walk around the centre. Still don't really take to place to be honest. As trip starts with an early flight tomorrow, its an early night tonight - a sign of things to come...

... that a long flight, what with a stop in Auckland it is about 16 hours, and then we had 8 hours lay over in Santiago (Another place covered in fog, good job we saw the mountains before we went under the clouds otherwise you wouldnt know they were there)
From Santiago it was a relativley short hop up to Lima, about 3.5 hours and now we are waiting for our 5 ...

... a king." It's proven true.. all of my meals here have been awesome. We have our standard breakfast each morning-- mixed fruit, with yogurt and cereal grains, fresh bread with either goat cheese or butter and marmalade, and then tea, sometimes with fresh orange juice. Great way to start the day, huh? Then for dinners we've had excellent food cooked by Susanna's very nice maid, Vanessa. It's wierd to me living in a place with a full time ...

... are now lighted and it gave the colorful colonial structures a different hue. The buildings, with itīs wooden balconies, looked even more spectacular as the street lights lent their amber color throughout the street. Plaza Mayor looked so different at night as well. We wanted to stay longer but it was already dark and we knew better not to stay in downtown Lima at dark - plus we wanted an excuse to be able to have a quick peek of Miraflores, a more ritzy ...

... an empty and strange looking place off the beaten track that had very cheap food; very cheap food that was very ****! The starter was supposed to be chicken soup, but was a weak and salty noodle soup that had chicken liver and chicken heart as the only sign of any meat. Our mains were overcooked chicken in mushroom sauce and rice, and spaghetti bolognase that had unidentifiable red meat in it. Still I guess our stomachs will let us know what the ...

... Later on I convince Telmo to come with me to visit the National Archeological Museum , which I haven't seen since I was living in Lima 35 years ago. Telmo negotiates for a taxi at S/. 5.00 (US$ 1.60). I am always ashamed to bargain for taxis in Peru , as they are so cheap I get the impression that I am exploiting the poor drivers. Nevertheless Peruvians ...

... flight took me back to Lima, Perus capital, where I was met by some family friends Ricardo & Ana (after a misunderstanding in Lima's poshest hotel where, in my backpacking gear, I called down the wrong Ricardo and was met by some big manager of this lush hotel who didn't have a clue who I was!). Joined by some of their friends we all went for lunch on the seafront where I got to try some of Peru's specialities such ...