Not The Beans, The City
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
We have just returned from Peru where we had the most fantastic time.
We left Venezuela on June 6 on a four hour flight to Lima. Our plane was delayed leaving Caracas, of course, so we arrived later than we wanted. Our hotel was a three room suite in the penthouse. Each of us had our own bath with a large living area and decks. It was sumptuous. We checked in just before the power went out. Our friends JimBob and Nancy arrived later that evening.
We toured Lima the first few days. We were wholly impressed by the cleanliness of the city. The people were very friendly and easy to talk to. Everyone spoke Spanish, but many folks also spoke English. Our hotel was close to the ocean so we walked there and enjoyed several beautiful parks. One of these parks is the park of love and is the site of an annual kiss off; a national event that has produced the world’s longest kiss: 45 minutes!
We took a bus tour of the city, checking out the downtown and many old buildings. Lima was established by the Spanish in the early 1500’s. We saw the main plaza and the Simon Bolívar Hotel. We also visited a monastery and viewed the catacombs, complete with aging skeletons. It was on this day that we got our first taste of a Pisco Sour.
Pisco is liquor made from grapes. It is not a wine. It is a clear alcoholic beverage much like vodka or tequila. When mixed with sugar, ice, lemon, and egg whites it makes a fantastic cocktail that is regarded as the national drink of Peru. We enjoyed quite a few during our stay.
Lima is a modern city with all of the comforts of home. We shopped at the artisan markets, explored art exhibits, and gawked at the beauty of this wonderful city. There are malls, McDonald’s, Radio Shacks, and even a Hooters. We enjoyed the mild climate, strolling through the Miraflores district, sampling the cuisine, and gearing up for our impending excursion into the mountains.
Zman had a blast with JimBob, climbing on him and peppering him with questions. In the late evenings we made our way back to our penthouse suite, played some cards, and speculated on the upcoming attractions.
It was a stunning start to a magical trip. There were some rough spots along the way due to political uprisings and basic Latin American service (or lack thereof), but in the end it couldn’t have been better.
MJR
We have just returned from Peru where we had the most fantastic time.
We left Venezuela on June 6 on a four hour flight to Lima. Our plane was delayed leaving Caracas, of course, so we arrived later than we wanted. Our hotel was a three room suite in the penthouse. Each of us had our own bath with a large living area and decks. It was sumptuous. We checked in just before the power went out. Our friends JimBob and Nancy arrived later that evening.
We toured Lima the first few days. We were wholly impressed by the cleanliness of the city. The people were very friendly and easy to talk to. Everyone spoke Spanish, but many folks also spoke English. Our hotel was close to the ocean so we walked there and enjoyed several beautiful parks. One of these parks is the park of love and is the site of an annual kiss off; a national event that has produced the world’s longest kiss: 45 minutes!
We took a bus tour of the city, checking out the downtown and many old buildings. Lima was established by the Spanish in the early 1500’s. We saw the main plaza and the Simon Bolívar Hotel. We also visited a monastery and viewed the catacombs, complete with aging skeletons. It was on this day that we got our first taste of a Pisco Sour.
Pisco is liquor made from grapes. It is not a wine. It is a clear alcoholic beverage much like vodka or tequila. When mixed with sugar, ice, lemon, and egg whites it makes a fantastic cocktail that is regarded as the national drink of Peru. We enjoyed quite a few during our stay.
Lima is a modern city with all of the comforts of home. We shopped at the artisan markets, explored art exhibits, and gawked at the beauty of this wonderful city. There are malls, McDonald’s, Radio Shacks, and even a Hooters. We enjoyed the mild climate, strolling through the Miraflores district, sampling the cuisine, and gearing up for our impending excursion into the mountains.Zman had a blast with JimBob, climbing on him and peppering him with questions. In the late evenings we made our way back to our penthouse suite, played some cards, and speculated on the upcoming attractions.
It was a stunning start to a magical trip. There were some rough spots along the way due to political uprisings and basic Latin American service (or lack thereof), but in the end it couldn’t have been better.
MJR
posted by Bronx to Timbuktu at 2:45 PM
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