Bienvenido a Lima, Peru

So we have made it to Lima. Our flight arrived here this morning at 1am local time. The flight down was quick and uneventful, aside from the full moon which lit our way and a few massive thunderheads viewed from the window.

We arrived to a city blanketed by fog(which we are told is the norm for this part of the year). We were lulled to sleep last night by a few solitary dogs scrapping and the occasional cat fight. However we woke to a city full of sensory delights. Smells, sights and sounds to thrill and to overload. It seems like you can buy almost anything your heart desires right off the street, we saw everything from toothepaste, and manila envelopes to tiny eggs (looked like sparrow or grouse) that they boil right on the spot for you.

Our hotel is an eclectix mix of classical busts (some as large as a human) and wonderful winding stairways and hallways rambling through occasional lightwells and courtyards. Terraces on the roof are covered in overhanging vines and there is a nice cafe to chill in. The entryway is adorned with pottery and three human skulls. (http://www.hotelespanaperu.com/ingles/index.htm)

We spent the morning travelling the streets of Lima and figuring out the bus situation. Not many people speak more than a smattering of english, which has been great because we have really been able to start practising our spanish. It didnt seem like the two courses did much when we took them, but they are coming in handy now to an amazing extent.

We head out tomorrow for Casma (six hours north on a bus from Lima). We hope to spend a day or two there relaxing and enjoying the ruins. From there we hope to head to Huaraz for some hiking in the Cordillera Blanca .

Chau,
justine y chris