I’m closer to a goal of getting to each continent. (Emperor Penguins I will see you one day!) And I added a country to my list. I can’t say this was the smoothest start to traveling internationally again, but it’s going to be good.
One goal for this trip was to pack lighter than ever before. With overnight buses and jungle excursions we didn’t want to be weighed down. Talk about a challenge! Can’t wait to wear the same outfit each day. So after editing down what I could bring, and shooting down my mom trying to add to my list, I was ready to go! Unfortunately, Rebecca’s first flight was delayed and I was in a bit of a panic that I’d suddenly be alone at 1:00am in Lima, Peru. Thank goodness she showed up and we we spent the next seven hours trying to sleep. Since that wasn’t happening I enjoyed some Ted Lasso. “Be a goldfish!”
After landing and an easy trip through customs I was sure things would be ok because a driver with my name on a sign was to meet us outside the airport. But no “Jessica” was to be seen. Of course the taxi drivers are prepared for this and jumped on us like seagulls to French fries. At this point it was 1:30am and we just wanted a bed. A nice driver talked to us and off we went. Turns out you have to be very specific when asking how much something is and make sure you clarify if it’s dollars or sol. Lesson learned. But we arrived safely and learned the rules of the road. There are none! Stop signs are suggestions, speed limits are nonexistent, and police just watch as you run red lights. So glad we aren’t driving!
After a few hours of sleep we spent our day walking through Miraflores. Thank goodness for Rebecca and her love of maps! Of course our first stop was a park full of cats where we learned that you can adopt the kitties you see! I think that would be the perfect souvenir. But I should wait until the end of the trip I guess. Then we walked down to the ocean and enjoyed our first ceviche.
After our self tour we had a guided tour through several districts. Our fantastic guide gave us history and fun facts. We saw murals, statutes, parks, churches and more. I loved the thousand olives trees that all started from just three that were brought to Peru.
Our second day we decided to pretty much walk all of Lima. Our food tour was across town and didn’t start for hours, so hey might as well see the city and work our way there. We went through several beautiful parks. Sadly not the fountain one I wanted, but hopefully when we return at the end our trip. We started noticing a trend of long lines outside of banks. This turned out to be for several reasons, including of course Covid. Then we saw a protest near the palace, but everyone seemed very calm and police were there if needed. They let us into the courtyard since once again our attire screamed tourist. We were able to wander and visit a chocolate shop and church. Everything was great until we went into the crypt and a bat flew in front of my face. Then I was done.
Our food tour was phenomenal! The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and our group was small and happy to chat. We tried delicious foods I’ve never heard of and had the best version of a churro ever. In the end I was beyond full, but very happy. Our guide even stayed with us to make sure we got an Uber. Thank goodness for kind people!
After a quick two days we are heading to La Paz, Bolivia for a bit. For some reason the flights are at odd times, so it’s currently midnight and we are taking off in an hour. Tomorrow is sure to be interesting!
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