FINALLY PERU!!

The air in Lima is soft like the slightest breeze on a warm night. A desert rat, I am enjoying the humidity's way of puffing up those age wrinkles around my eyes and mouth but it is only May and I wonder in the back of my mind whether my relationship with the humidity will change when I come back to Lima in mid-June.

I have wanted to visit Peru for a very, very long time. Like others in love with the image of ruined cities above the clouds and families living on reed islands, I have wanted to walk where the ancients have in Machhu Pichhu and ride in a reed boat on Lake Titicaca.   Back in the 80s, I planned a trip  to Cusco and Machu Picchu, intendng on hiking the Inca Trail. I even had a guide scheduled. The Maoist guerilla group Shining Path destroyed the train rails to the ruined city destroying my plans as well. Now, thirty years older, I won't be hiking the Inca Trail but I will climb those thousands of steps to the top of the most famous mountain in Peru - Machu Picchu Montana.  

I never imagined, when I planned the first trip so long ago, that I would be taking this trip with my son, now a man. My kid grew up traveling with me and now I have had to adjust to meeting  him in airports all over the world. I am glad I have him along since he speaks 'practical Spanish' whereas I speak only Border Spanish. I know how to ask for a bathroom or how much something costs but that's about it. I am hoping my Border Spanish becomes a little more fluent while I am here.  

Fortunately, my 'piquito Espanol' is fine in Lima. Lima is wonderful. The beautiful Miraflores area is a fun place with lots of shopping (books, alpaca goods, and music for example). Lonely Planet's advice that Lima is the gastronimic capitol of South America is right I think. Everything we ate has been fresh, beautifully prepared and tasty. Especially the pisco drinks.  

When we travel, we don't often choose fancier restaurants, preferring Ma and Pa restaurants offering 'authentic' food. But after hiking down from our hotel near Huaca Pucllana to Larcomar, an enormous bay-side pricey shopping mall right across from the JW Marriott in Miraflores, we were hungry and felt like celebrating our good fortune to be in this lovely part of Lima. We were attracted to a restaurant called Popular, specializing in local, in -season fare. Wonderful! Especially since we were sitting right on the edge of the cliff that soars over the beaches below.  

After dinner, we walked up to the Cat Plaza where there were a LOT of stray cats lounging on every available surface. Really. Locals can't tell you why the cats are there - they just take for granted that they are. A few short blocks away, music caught our ears and we hiked up to the second-story ElTayta, a small bar with great music that night being performed by several bands made up of Collegio Musica Peru students. Reggae, pop and even blues from seriousluy talented yong people really looking to impress. And they certainly did.

 Now we have journeyed on to the Sacred Valley but that is another bog post - maybe two. In the meantime, if you are planning a trip to Peru, think about staying at least a couple nights in Lima. Peru is not just about the Sacred Valley and its most famous tourist attraction Machu Picchu. It is also about the cosmopolitan city of Lima with its great shopping and wonderful food. And don't forget the Pisco Sours!