Lima

While in Lima, I stayed in the outlying district of Miraflores.  There was plenty to see for the first couple of days, but much more than that could have been a drag.  It's a coastal city - with cliffs leading down to the rock beaches.  It happened to be overcast and some what chilly pretty much the entire time I was there.  

Walking down to the beach leads you to rows of surfing school tents, rocky beaches, and a small boardwalk.  I sat and watched surfers for quite a long time...Why you would surf in that freezing cold water still baffles me.  The sound of the water washing up on the rocks was so different than the sand I'm use to!  It sounded like distant fireworks, followed by a large roaring crowd of very tiny people.  It was like my own fan club/celebration....  :)

 

At the top of the cliffs are parks with incredible views, a nice running/biking trail (which I took advantage of a few times), and a little lighthouse.  Parque del Amor (The Park of Love) is situation right on the cliff and features a large sculpture of..well...here you go:

Going down the path leads you to the paragliding.  That's right.  You can paraglide along the cliffs and through the buildings!  I was planning on going on my return trip but as it turns out, it is ridiculously expensive (or maybe I'm just ridiculously cheap)!  I'm talking over $60 for 15 minutes.  So instead, I watched other people paraglide.  

Even farther down the path is the lighthouse.  I love lighthouses!  

The center of the city has a couple of small parks, including Parque John F. Kennedy!

During my second stay in Lima (to catch my next flight), I met an awesome couple from Mexico!  We met on the plane from Cusco to Lima, and ended up staying in the same hostel.  

Unfortunately, they were only there for a short time - luckily that short time was Halloween.  We found an awesome place for lunch...soup, main dish, and a drink for about $3.  I tried another peruvian dish (Aji de Gallina) and was NOT disappointed!

That night, we decided to stay at the hostel for their bbq/halloween party.  We may or may not have snuck some rum and coke into the hostel (come on - their drinks were ridiculously over priced), and bought chorizo to barbeque.  We also dressed up in some ellaborate costumes:

The night was great - sitting around playing cards, enjoying some refreshments, and eating. They left the next morning...I stayed a couple more days before heading on to Chile.  

Peru, check.

~Jac