Lima!

In the past few months I can't even count the number of people who advised Sara and I to completely skip over Lima - we were told that it is dirty, ugly and boring and to not even bother. Yet such bad reviews only made us curious, and to our delight, Lima is pretty darn sweet! For one, Sara and I love Lima as we would any bustling chaotic city for the people watching, history, and architecture. Our first day in Lima we headed straight for the center to check out the Central Plaza (Plaza de las Armas) and the beautiful government buildings. We also spent hours traversing the downtown streets simply to check out the scene and found it both cleaner and more beautiful than expected. Also, the food in Lima is amazing - we have eaten everything from some good chinese food, classic ceviche, and a variety of tasty sandwiches. In contrast to Chilean cuisine, Peruvian food just has a bit more spice!

The Presidential Palace

Our hostel is located a neighborhood called Barranco, an upscale and beautiful area overlooking the ocean about 30 minutes by bus from downtown. One of the weird things about Lima is the constant haze that hangs over the city, admittedly making the views of the ocean sporadic but gorgeous when they appear.

The square just a few blocks from our hostel

Also interesting is the timing of our stay in Lima in that tomorrow are municipal elections in the city. There are campaign flyers everywhere and a strange antiquated ordinance in effect barring the sale of alcohol for like four days during the elections...

I wonder if Obama knows he supports this guy?

Finally, I want to emphasize how incredibly friendly people here have been. At one point we had an entire bus of people helping us get to where we were going downtown. Such kindness is extremely encouraging as we prepare to make Peru our home for the next six months or so. Tonight we head up to Ayacucho to begin our new life as volunteers with FINCA Peru.

Tourist!

Wish us luck on our ten hour journey through the Andes and settling into our new home!

Besos y Abrazos