Peru-Lima

We flew from Santiago, Chile to Lima, Peru on LAN 5940 - 8:50A-11:45 3 ¾ hrs. Best Western Embajadores, Juan Fanning 320, Miraflores, Lima; phone 511 2429127-28. $78/night.

Hotel in Lima very nice, good location, internet, taxi to/from airport. English spoken by all. Location was great. 3 blocks to Pacific Ocean. There was a walking/cycling paved path along the ocean cliff that ran for several miles, like Santa Monica, CA. 4 blocks from large shopping mall, on the ocean, restaurants, including Tony Roma’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Dunkin’ Donuts, many shops.

LIMA: Money changers wearing bright green
vests and holding 4-5 inches money in hands-EURO, USD, Peruvian soles, were at every large intersection. Sometimes several at a corner. I should have taken a picture, but did not.

There were several casinos in Lima with names like Atlantic City, Vegas, New York, Elvis.

We used taxis in Lima, not expensive. Where we have people selling newspapers at intersections, Lima has people meandering around cars selling newspapers, calculators, CD’s, soda pop, popcorn, watches and single rolls of toilet paper. They will also wash your car windows while you wait at red light. Taxi rides not for faint of heart. Many times I looked out window and saw two or three cars all within 3-4 inches of the cab, all angled in different directions.

There was an armed guard at every bank door, every ATM, every busy corner. They looked non-threatening. We asked about safety. Response was there was very little crime, just pickpockets now and then. Guards with machine guns, riot gear, 2 tanks at government building. They are there all the time, just in case. No problems expected.

At restaurant on beach we had Peruvian specialty plate-yucca balls stuffed w/cheese. We didn’t recognize meat. Waitress tapped her heart. I thought it was chicken breast. She said, “Nada”, and drew a heart. It was good, we don’t know what kind of heart it was.

Cathedral in main plaza.

Couldn’t hold out any longer, May 18 we needed comfort food from home. Went to Tony Roma’s for baby-back ribs, baked potato and slaw, 27 soles/pp/half-rack, lemonade 7 soles.

Tony Romas was in the same center. This Tony Roma’s is unique. It had a masseuse just outside the door. For 10 soles you could get 15 minutes head, neck and upper back massage. It was heavenly.

Dinner show in Lima:

Street scenes in Lima:

We arranged our Machu Picchu tour before leaving home. Because we wanted flexibility, I arranged our other tours in Lima. There were many tour offices in Lima offering the two other tours we wanted to take. Prices were all about the same; we went with the company that had arranged Machu Picchu for us. Their e-mail responses were timely; they were willing to work with me on individual tours, made good suggestions, etc. We recommend the company.