Lost Before 10am

Hola from Lima!

This is technically my second day in Lima although the first one does not really count as I spent the large part of the day with my derriere attached to a plane seat. I will not bore you with the details but needless to say, the flight was long and the films were many. I was fortunate enough to meet a bunch of really friendly girls on the plane who were off to travel and/or teach. It was a comfort to know that several of them were as unprepared Spanish speaking-wise as I was.

The B&B I stayed in last night, the Casa Bella in Las Flores, was perfect: the room was big and comfortable, the shower was viciously powerful (just what you need after a lllllllong flight) and most importantly, everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Thanks to their hospitality I felt my jitters fade away.

Today, I began the morning with a fruity breakfast and a drink which tasted like the syrup that accompanies tinned peaches. I then went to exchange some money, and this is where a sense of direction would really have come in useful. I found the place with ease but then the shock of that wiped my memory and I couldn´t remember how to get back. All the roads seemed very similar and needless to say I walked in every direction possible until my last port of call which turned out to be correct.

Later on, I made my way to Larcomar, a picturesque shopping centre on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Alas, I was not really in the mood for retail therapy but fortunately the scenary was striking enough to avert my attention.

In the afternoon, it was suggested I visit Lima´s famous ´Convento de San Francisco´ and upon entering the cathedral my blood went cold and and a feeling of unsurpassed awe struck my heart. I have visited several cathedrals in my life, but nothing matched the atmosphere of this one. Pardon the oxmoron but the place seemed to be alive with dead, lamenting spirits. One staircase led to an underground chamber which contained a glass case full of aged human skulls and a number of child-sized graves. Standing there alone, my heart rate seemed to increase to the air speed velocity of an African swallow.

Lima has given me a wonderful introduction to Peru and hopefully, things will only get better.

lucy