paying an inordinate amount of money for a (safe) registered taxi at the
airport to take me to my hotel, everything went just fine.
At first, I was a little worried about the hotel I'm in. It's in a
classic (read: old and dark) building, and is a little run down. But I
slept quite well last night, and the room is quite clean and
comfortable, even though it is a little worn around the edges.
I've only been in Lima one other time, and it was on a guided tour which
Emily and I went on with some high school students of ours when we were
teaching in Maine. The endshot is that, although we spent a day or so
here, I didn't get a very good feel for the place, because we spent most
of the time touring historic sites and museums. It was, certainly a
good trip, but we hardly went anywhere where we were amongst Peruvians,
rather than gringos.
So here I am. I wanted to get a little bit of a chance to walk around
the city and check it out. So today, I went to the Plaza de Armas to
get my bearings, then went off to the la Parque de la Muralla, which is
a park laid out around the ruins of a section of the city walls. Along
the way, I checked out some colonial churches, including the Convento de
San Francisco, where the crypts below the church are open, and you can
peer into chambers where femurs and skulls are laid out in symmetric
geographic patterns. But I only looked at the facade and dodged the
pigeons today, because I've been down there before.
Also walked through one of the city markets--a lot less crowded and
chaotic than I thought it would be, though it still has its share of
stiff, dead geese hanging upside down in butcher shops, pigs' heads on
hooks, and what appear to be cattle hooves...
Lima is also blessed with a large number of very skilled tailors. Lots
of sharp looking suits hanging in the windows.
I got a chip for my cell phone, so I should be able to use it to call
home now, though I'm not sure how expensive it will be (probably too
much). We'll see how it goes. I already had two of the three major
brands available in Guatemala, and now I have the third. I may, at some
point, also get a Telefonika chip here. I've got one, but I don't think
I'll be able to receive calls on it, since it's a Guatemala number.
And in case anyone wants to call me, my number here is: 98 046 8931. To
get me from the states, you probably have to dial 01 (the international
access code) and 51, the country code. So that makes it:
01 51 980 46 8931
I think.
I also walked through Chinatown. That's a bizarre feeling. Why do I
have the strange belief that Chinese individuals only emigrate to the
United States?
In general, I would say a couple things about Lima:
1. Although it has been held up as an example of poor air-quality
regulation, especially among automobiles, Lima seems a heck of a lot
cleaner to me than Guatemala city, though it was (admittedly) a holiday
today, and the city isn't getting a lot of the traffic it might get
otherwise.
2. Parts of the center here are a little dirty, but a hell of a lot
nicer than Guatemala city, and even La Paz. Although La Paz also has a
pretty good feel to it.
3. It's pretty clear that Peru hasn't had an election in a long time.
Not many painted election signs around. Although there is one huge APRA
up on a hillside North of the center.
4. They do seem to be doing a good job at developing the city, as
well. A lot of work seems to have gone on in the last ten years or so,
and the city is fairly well maintained. I'm hopeful for them.
Also, I'm so far very happy with my mountainsmith lumbar pack/shoulder
bag. Not as slash proof as the leather bag I got in Guatemala, and not
as crushable as the montbell bag that got slashed before I got the
leather bag, but very comfortable, even when I'm wearing it in front
with a backpack.
All right, I think it's time to head off and get some dinner and a
recharge for my phone.
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