Why I love the sea
Trip Start
Sep 24, 2008
1
16
41
Trip End
Ongoing
Lima,
Peru
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The wind always picks up a bit as darkness falls on the city. Seventy degrees with a light breeze is such an amazing comfortable atmosphere. Street lamps light my way through the three blocks to the bluff over the black sea. If I manage to make it the the cliff right after sunset but before night has completely fallen, the moon's reflection streaks white caps in a way that is only best shown in a picture or painting. This will only last a brief time as the moon begins its nightly path across the sky.
When there is no distractions, no noise, the sound of crashing waves below is the most calming orchestra that I can imagine. Closing my eyes and immersing my mind in one of the most natural phenomenon our world gravitates to within universal law is freedom
Brilliant
. It makes me feel small and weak and outrageously lucky. Looking out at the vast expanse that covers roughly 70% of our world also brings me a sense of community. I can look down the bluff and see silhouettes of others under it's same trans. Extending even farther, its influence is felt world wide. Night time in Miraflores and Lima is amazing, I find myself often wandering through my neighborhood after paying homage to the sea. Park benches and dimly lit lamps line the streets. Monuments are brilliantly lit in amazing light. Colors accent bell towers and corners bringing them to life for those that pass by. My favorite structures are the fountains that are sporadically placed throughout the city. Miraflores has more than a couple. Neighboring Baranco hosts a more Spanish influenced atmosphere, also the home of the better music venues in the area.
I was in the center two nights ago when night fell. The President's residence, churches and shops that surround the park square in front of the political concentration came to life all at once as we were walking through the center. Christmas themes still hang in the air. Reindeer and various figures light pathways that wind through the grass. Purple and Gold accents highlight the leader's home...UW. Although a slum surrounds us within about two blocks in every direction, you wouldn't know it from any perspective within the plaza. My next two weeks before heading east will be spent exploring the vast network of parks, plazas and museums that have been beautified in the last four or five years. Lima is a transforming city on the water. Although I have come at a time when the clouds part and the sun shines fiercely every day, I believe that I could one day live here. I feel safe and unhindered passing alone in the dark. The opportunity to listen to what the waves have to say everyday offers a tranquility that is indescribable.
