Sorry again for the late post. I had this week's update almost done but then it got deleted somehow, so I had to rewrite everything. Well, anyway the last week of my 6-week endeavor was only a partial, but still full of fun adventures, especially since I was with my dad! We got to see Lima, and it was so cool to be experiencing a whole new city and culture together. I'll ruin the ending for you and let you know that I am safely back in BA, where it has been nice to sleep in my own bed and be in my own room with some stability in my life. Without further ado, check out my final week gallivanting through South America!
Day 36: Cusco, Peru to Lima, Peru; distance: 6236 miles/ 10036 kilometers
Today, we packed up all of our things and left Cusco. But first, we walked around the little pueblo just one more time and my dad even bought some cool shirts. We got a cab to the airport, which took us through the non-touristy part of Cusco- the "real" Cusco, as it were. It was so cool to see locals at these open air markets and stores selling an eclectic collection of random things. I wish we could have stayed and walked through this part of town, but we had flights to catch! We each made it to Lima without any problems- although since the Cusco airport has only 5 gates, they don't really bother putting the right gate number on your boarding pass or even the overhead screens. When we landed in Lima, we took a cab to our first "hostel", Inca Frog. (I say "hostel" because although it was technically considered a hostel, we had a private room and bathroom, and it was a classy hostel in a great neighborhood. Much more like a hotel!) After we got situated, we headed to a main walking street that our cab driver had recommended. We walked up and down several main streets, checking out our new surroundings. This neighborhood we are in, Miraflores, is the best neighborhood in Lima and has great restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, and plazas. Ultimately, we decided to stop for an early dinner at a seafood restaurant- since Lima is on the coast, the seafood here is fresh and delicious! Because we were still exhausted from our trek (which finished yesterday), we decided to go to bed early. I really like Lima so far, and I am excited to get to know another city in South America!
We were driving pretty fast, so I wasn't able to get great photos of the "real" Cusco. But here is one that highlights the ever-present sky filled with wires and the dilapidated buildings.
Just a quick Cusco to Lima map for you. We went from an elevation of about 3200 meters in the mountains to sea level on the coast.
Day 37: Lima, Peru; distance: 6236 miles/ 10036 kilometers
Today we had a game plan for what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go but, of course, this trip never seems to stop with the surprises! It all worked out for the better in the end, though. We began this morning by heading from Miraflores to the downtown area of Lima via cab. We wanted to work our way from north to south through the attractions on this side of the city, so we started the day off at the Museo Taurino, the Lima bullfighting museum. However, even though the website said that it was supposed to be open, the museum was completely gated off and closed! I didn't really understand the security guard, but I am pretty sure that he mentioned that the museum was closed for remodeling or something. Regardless, we were now in a sketchy area of downtown Lima with nothing to do! Fortunately, we had maps and knew how to get to the main downtown area, and we weren't alone, so that was good too! My dad needed my Spanish skills and I needed his presence to ward off strange men, so we made a pretty good team. On our way to the Plaza de Armas, the main central square, we passed over this bridge and through a local market area. This is where everyday Peruvians walk to work, eat lunch, and buy clothes, and it was cool to get a feel for the local culture. Also, this area had tons of cheap knock-off shopping, like sunglasses, watches, hats, etc. This was a really nifty area to walk around, and afterwards we headed to the Museo del Convento de San Francisco, which is a cathedral/monastery that was turned into a museum. We had a guided tour of the cathedral and learned a lot about Saint Francis and Catholicism in Lima. Most notably, we got to see the catacumbas, or catacombs, underneath the church. It was a little bit creepy to see human bones everywhere, but the cathedral itself was beautiful. After our tour, we walked to the Plaza Central (or Plaza de Armas) and watched the changing of the guard at the Government Palace (their White House- equivalent). I think that I have seen this done in only two other places: at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in both Greece and Washington D.C. Now I can add one more country to my list! After walking around this main square for a while, we hunted for a place to eat lunch. We were both protein-craving, and we found this restaurant that was advertising this huge amount of various grilled meat and fries as a lunch special, so we split what was probably a meal for three or four people! After thoroughly verifying our status as omnivores, we walked back to Miraflores- about 6 miles! It was scenic, though, and took us through more non-touristy areas of Lima where vendors on the street were selling peeled kiwis and tuna (prickly pear fruit) and hard-boiled quail eggs. We arrived at our hostel and rested for a while before heading back out- this time for a walk along some scenic parks that overlook the ocean. Tons of people were milling about, laying out on the grass and soaking in some sun, and hang gliding. What a stunning place! We walked around the main streets of Miraflores a bit more and found ourselves in the Kennedy Park, which was full of flowers and cats. We were both still super full from lunch despite our walking around, but my legs were getting tired! We headed back to the hostel to plan out tomorrow- we are switching hostels and my dad leaves late tomorrow night!
Call me sheltered, but I'm pretty sure I'd never seen this before. Dead, plucked chickens hanging upside and waiting in line to get their heads chopped off.
The cathedral was wayyy to big for my phone camera, but here is an excerpt of its architecture.
Our lunch. Or should I say feast? Two different cuts of chicken, beef, lamb-heart kebabs (anticuchos), gizzards (I didn't know what that word was on the menu, so we figured it out later), salchicha (hotdog), and chorizo (sausage). Whew! (And did I mention the side of papas fritas, or french fries, that came with it too?)
A view of the Lima coastline from the parks, which were on a hill. It was cool to get a view of the ocean from an above-sea-level perspective... Almost like being in Malibu again!
My dad and I at the Parque Kennedy, or Kennedy Park in Miraflores. What a beautiful place!
Today is a sad day indeed- my dad and I are parting ways! However, he leaves for the airport at midnight, so we still have the entire day to spend together. We started off by packing up and checking out of our hostel (although we left our bags there so that we could enjoy the city during the day before checking in at my new hostel for tonight). We then headed off to the ChocoMuseo, Peru's chain-museum that specializes in my favorite thing- chocolate! When we first walked into the museum, the smell of chocolate was everywhere and we were served chocolate tea during our informational tour of the small museum. (Read: I was in HEAVEN!) We sampled lots of chocolates and fruit-infused chocolate spreads, and we learned a lot about chocolate and how it is produced from bean to bar! After buying plenty of chocolates to sample, we headed to downtown Lima to check out the city's 480th birthday party. We had read and heard about the day full of festivities and the night full of fireworks, so we wanted to see if we could join in on the fun! Unfortunately, we had been told the wrong day- the party was yesterday! We were bummed but decided to make the most of our time downtown and head to the bridge market in the "real" Lima that we had seen yesterday. We bought some cheap items and then walked around and found a late lunch. We eventually headed back to the hostel, got our stuff, and took a cab to my new hostel, which is super close to the airport. This way, my dad can take a quick cab to the airport at midnight and I have a cheap place to stay overnight that is close to the airport for my flight tomorrow morning. We settled into the hostel and then stayed up pretty late just talking and enjoying our last few hours together! We walked around the slightly-sketchy neighborhood to try and find some late-night snacks, and then, at midnight, something super sad happened- my dad left. He had to head to the airport to check-in for his flight to the States that left at 2 am, so I was left alone in Peru. I am so sad to see him go, but I am so glad for the time that we have been able to spend together!
With the winnings from the ChocoMuseo! Mmm... I wish I could have bought out the whole store and just fed my chocolate addiction forever...
A view of the Plaza de Armas of Lima. It was very colorful- the buildings in this photo are yellow, and others were the typical gray and white.
A great view of the "real" Lima and the market on the bridge. People were walking all along the bridge and every few feet another blanket was laid out with goods spread on it. What a cool cultural aspect of the city to experience!
Day 39: Lima, Peru to Buenos Aires, Argentina; distance: 8183 miles/ 13170 kilometers
Today was relatively uneventful. I got a cab to the airport in Lima at eight and waited in long lines to check-in, go through security, and pass through customs. Going through the lines took long enough that I only had to wait for about 10 minutes to board, and then I got to sleep for most of the flight. It left at 10:30 am (Lima time) and landed at 5 pm (Argentina time), so even though the flight was only 4.5 hours, I lost most of the day just to traveling. I took a group shuttle from the airport to the main downtown area and then took the subte the rest of the way home. After a long day of traveling, I ate an early dinner and slept- a lot. It's weird to be back in Buenos Aires after so much time away from the city!
Downtown BA is to the far left of this photo of my view as we were landing!
(Although this is my final "weekly update", stay tuned for several more posts pertaining to this break, including ones about food, Pablo Neruda's houses, and, of course, Machu Picchu!)
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
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