La Llegada
Trip Start
May 11, 2006
1
3
15
Trip End
May 21, 2006
Lima,
Peru
Thursday, May 11, 2006
On arrival at Lima, 7:00 pm on the dot, we are expecting to be met by our local driver, Bratzo Sokcevic, a great Peruvian name! He had been recommended by my daughter Suzanne, who had used him during her last visit to Lima. Nevertheless, we didn't expect the mob of travellers that had arrived on other flights and were hustling to get through immigration. There must have been hundreds of people, and with only four queues, nothing seemed to move. One line was open for crew, and some of the passengers tried to slip through, but immigration was having none of it, and they were sent to the back of the line! We all cheered at that one!
Finally, after a frustrating wait, we get through and are fortunate in passing customs without major problems. It's now past 8:00 pm. Will Bratzo still be there, or will he have given up and gone home?
We look for a sign amongst a whole host of signs
1. Hotel Bolivar
. Sure enough, right at the end the very last one denotes "Crossland Family", and we are good to go! Bratzo was a very accommodating young man of Serbian origins (but Peruvian temperament). We had planned to stop on our way to the venerable Hotel Bolivar, our first accommodations, in order to pick up Carlos and Aida, Miryam's parents. We are treating them to dinner at the Bolivar Grill. By the time we leave their home, its 9:00 pm.
Wendy and Karen live in Trujillo, in the north of Peru, and are arriving by bus at 9:00 pm. They will be taking a taxi directly to the Hotel.
The Hotel Bolivar is located in the centre of Lima on the Plaza San Martin. Tastes may have changed since it was built in 1924, but this grand dame retains the sumptuousness of the days when guests included presidents and prime ministers, all be it, somewhat jaded by now. We enter the marble-columned rotunda, and our eyes are drawn upward to the magnificent stained-glass dome. Off to one side is the bar, which remains as popular as ever. The tables on the terrace are the perfect place to enjoy the best Pisco sours in town. A grand staircase sweeps you to the upper floors, where the rooms retain lovely touches such as parquet floors
2. Plaza San Martin
. Pull back the curtains for an unforgettable view of Plaza San Martín. www.granhotelbolivarperu.com. Few visitors want to stay in downtown Lima any more and as we wander through the empty echoing corridors, we realize we may be the only guests.Shortly after we have checked in, Wendy and Karen arrive, so we can all sit down together for some Pisco sours and a wonderful dinner on the elegant terrace. What a shame we have so little time to enjoy this classic hotel.
Back in the 60s, when I worked in Lima Tours, our office was just across the street, and the Bolivar was one of the busiest and most popular hotels in town. In fact, the prices charged then were actually higher than what we were paying now. I must have consumed enough Pisco sours in those days to have floated the Queen Mary.
