Oct 24.
We landed at 10 PM Peruvian time, 11PM our time. We had to get through immigration which took about 20 Min. then we went to claim our bag. Our bags didn't appear until 11PM - they appeared to be the last ones unloaded. That's what happens when you have a 5 hr. layover in Houston. Our bags were clearly the first ones on the plane and last ones off. We didn't get spot checked at customs so we proceded to the exit. Mobs of people were standing behind ropes as we walked toward the exit doors. Men were calling "taxi" so we hooked up with one and headed for his cab. He had a chart of charges $71 sole to our hotel in Miraflores - he agreed to $25 US
Check in was smooth and we fell into bed about 1AM
Oct. 25 Thursday
We got up at 7AM headed for breakfast on the ground floor. Weather was in the 60's, foggy and pleasant. A nice buffet with eggs, meats and fruits (some unidentifiable in the meat and fruit category) but very good. Coffee is strong and terrific.
With directions and a small map from the hotel in hand we headed about 7 blocks to the bike tour. Lima Bike Tours was on Bolivar St. a small place with lots of bikes out front made it easy to find. A young man named JonCarlo introduced himself as our guide. We signed the releases - it was a full page of possibilities - met the other people on the tour, 7 others: a German girl who sounded like an Aussie because she was living in Melbourne, a couple from Atlanta, two guys on vacation who just came back from a jungle tour, another couple traveling for a few months, and us. We went to our bikes. Our tour covered 22KM along the Lima Bay. We road through Miraflores, Barranca and Chorilla which was the furthest point. It was unusual and beautiful along the coast. Beaches, cliffs, condos, boats and restaurants of all kinds. We road through many parks, stopped for some information and background from JonCarlos who spoke English quite well, and wound our way through traffic, on and off sidewalks through people and along not a few rugged roads and dirt paths. At times I wasn't sure if we were mountain biking or in a city. It was great exercise after sitting all day Wed. and was fun and informative. The sun burned through and it got quite warm. We saw the coast and got a sense of life in that part of Lima.
We walked back to our hotel and did some resting.
Dinner with Malena
Malena Rivera came to our hotel at 7:30. She hailed a taxi and explained taxi procedure in Lima. You always tell them where you are going first, then you bargain with them over price.
We strolled the "Sigh Bridge" which Lima is famous for and then took a cab to a restaurant, Brujas De Cachiche. Malena was delightful company and we learned about food, customs and Lima. Barrie had Ceviche, 4 kinds, I had sea bass with crawfish tales and a coral sauce. For desert we indulged in the local sweets. I had Suspiro a lamena, (dulce de leche) Barrie had a delicious mouse like desert with a fruit topping and Malena ordered Picarones and shared. These are a kind of donut made from squash and pumpkin dough, fried and served in a syrup called chancaca. Sort of like Mexican sopapillas but with a tart flavor in the dough. We walked back to our hotel after all of that.
Pictures:
1. Looking at the foggy Pacific from the cliffs 2. B & MJ standing on cliff with Miraflores coastline in background 3.MJ on a walkway to the ocean near Sigh Bridge
4. The coast looking South to Chorillo.
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