So while in Lima we got some visas (Bolivia and Brazil) and cooked for ourselves for once. We slept in the same beautiful apartment for more than 3 nights in a row and even showed a couple of friends from from our Huaraz trek around for a day. Mostly though, we did our best to meet up with difference couchsurfers in different parts of town. (If you´re new to this blog and don´t know what Couchsurfing is, click here)
So we wrote a personal ad.
Well, not quite. Since we didn´t need a place to stay we posted on the Lima message boards looking for anyone who might want to meet us or practice their English. We got a bunch of responses. With couchsurfers we toured Lima´s center and had our first (and maybe our second) Pisco Sour. We enjoyed coffee in Miraflores and toured the huacas in Lima that pre-date the Incas. We received great travel advice saving us a couple of hundred dollars when we went to Nazca, Ica, and Paracas, and even were
special guests at a wine and cheese party. (Interestingly enough, this was actually called a “wine and cheese” party rather than a “vino y queso” party.)
We also did some touring of our own when we went to the site of the Spanish Inquisition in Lima where we had an awful tour guide…it happens. The museum itself was interesting though, we got to see the torture chambers and some original prisoner wall art. The Museo de la Nacion was pretty good (and free) with archaeological works from all over Peru (which is an awful lot for one museum) but wasn´t quite as good as the (but not free) gold museum´s exposition in Miraflores.
But now our comfort of “normal” living is at an end and it´s time for us to travel again. Leaving Lima we were quickly reminded of how many Peruanas live below the poverty line as we passed slums in the desert heading south. While we are privileged to experience many great things while traveling, we are constantly reminded of just how lucky we are to be able to do something like this…let alone be able to eat three (or five) square meals a day. Though we might have some bad days, its good to remember just how fortunate we are!
Great post—that pic of prisoner wall art is so ominous. Glad to hear that you guys liked Lima. Just wondering where you came across such a great apartment? Did you happen upon it online. As an aside, how secure did you feel in Lima? My wife and I came across a couple of travel warnings that cautioned against travel between the international airport and the city because of ‘express kidnappings’. Obviously, I realize that these things are hard to relate to without being there, so would appreciate some persective from those on the ground. Only if you are so inclined! Thanks for this and looking forward to your next post.
Daniel (the poster above, NOT Danny) –
I am the co-owner of said apartment, and you should feel free to contact me if you’d like to rent it at [email protected] .
Regarding express kidnappings and the like, I don’t want to lie and say that there is ZERO risk. But Lima is, in fact, a relatively safe place. As far as getting from the airport to town, there are three or four safe taxi desks in the airport coming out of customs, and any one of them will do the job with zero hassle and almost complete safety (although they are not all priced the same).
In general, there is a fair chance you will be robbed in Lima, but serious violence is, so far, not an issue. You can help to prevent being robbed by doing reasonable things, like keeping a low profile (leave the Rolex at home, etc.) and staying alert. It is a good idea to leave important papers in your hotel (or apartment, as it were) and go out on the street with only the money you plan to spend or have available, along with a photocopy of your passport. Take no more than one credit card along with you on the street. If you follow those rules – which strike me as reasonable for almost anywhere – you are likely to enjoy Lima safely.