April 23, 2019
After a 2am wakeup we flew from Santiago to Lima, Peru landing around 7am. The public transportation system in Lima is not nearly as good as in the other cities we had visited. We were told a taxi was our only, and safest option to get to our downtown hostel. Taking a registered taxi directly from the airport is what we did. This was during morning rush hour and I think the traffic in Lima is the worst I have ever seen. It goes way beyond anything I have seen in LA, Chicago, or New York. I don’t think it was just the amount of cars and how long it took, but it was the way people drove. There were no rules to the road whatsoever. Every single car is dented, scraped, and beyond beat-up because people just run into each other.
They have three lanes and use them as six lanes, aggressively trying to weave into non-existent spaces. We were laughing while looking at peoples’ side view mirrors that were literally rainbows because of colors scraped from other cars. Someone scraped our taxi while we were in it. A couple times I just had to close my eyes, worried we were going to be crashed into any moment. Horns are non-stop and I couldn’t imagine having to commute in that kind of traffic. It felt like you would be so stressed by the time you arrived at work, how could you possibly do your job? I guess the people just get used to it, but I couldn’t stand the non-stop squeal of horns when there was no direction anyone could possibly move. I didn’t understand the point of people continuing to honk. After two hours of being in that kind of traffic trying to get to our hostel, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Lima that much. However, that changed once we finally arrived at our destination. We had a really cute hostel right in Plaza San Marten in Lima’s historical district. The Plaza was absolutely beautiful and looked like something from a movie.
Our hostel was also awesome and right up my alley. It was called Orchid Hostel and it was attached to a yoga studio and spa as well as having its own vegan restaurant! Although I have changed my ways and started eating meat on this trip in order to eat local cuisine and not miss any special local dishes. I was very excited for some good plant-based food! We got to the hostel and put down our bags and jumped right into a free city walking tour at 10am. We ended up having a private guide who showed us around Lima’s historical district. The buildings were amazing, and it was evident why Lima is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
We walked through the main Plaza (Plaza de Armas), Chinatown, and Lima’s central market.
We stopped and got a green health drink made from all medicinal plants for only 30 cents USD. We also tried a quinoa peach drink which was super good for 30 cents. I started feeling healthier already. 😊 The guide recommended his favorite local ceviche spot for lunch which we tried. It was very good, but it was hard for me to eat the ceviche without any kind of chips (chips are not traditionally part of their ceviche).
After lunch Brendan and I went back to the hostel and I took advantage of a free 50-minute massage on an automated Chinese traction table that was included in our stay. It was really great, and my body needed it. After feeling very relaxed and rested from the therapy, I got Brendan up and we headed to a park in town that had a water fountain light show. While walking to the park we got to witness the nighttime rush hour which also blew my mind how insanely chaotic it was. Reaching the park was like a complete sanctuary in the middle of madness and a never-ending sea of car horns. It was one of the most beautiful city parks I have ever seen. Every foot was perfectly manicured and clean.
The park had many beautiful fountains all lit up with a background of classical music. I got a calzone and a churro and we got our spot for the 7pm light show. The show was super-impressive! We had a great time afterwards walking around the park.
We went back to Plaza de Armas to see it at night and it was also beautiful. Brendan got a piece of pizza and we both got ice cream for our walk back home.
I still feel extra jumpy in the city after my phone was stolen. Everyone warns about people who try to distract and steal your stuff. Brendan pointed out how jumpy I was when we were walking, and a girl tapped my shoulder. I jumped about three feet! We made it safely back to our hostel though and went to bed.
What beautiful fountain pics and so many good things to see and to eat! Its really great you get to eat a lot of street food, local fare while still losing weight! Your face looks thinner, not that it was ever un-thin, you look healthy and strong. You could thrive on the peruvian version of the “krispy kreme” diet and still lose weight with all the rigorous walking and activities! Life back home may feel really dull after all youve seen, done and are embarking on now!!