Lima, Peru - A Blend of Old and New Worlds

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With nearly seven million inhabitants, Lima is one of the largest cities in South America, and is the undisputed business center for the entire country.  It has been the nation's capital since being discovered by the Spanish in 1535, and boasts an infrastructure on par with most modern cities.  As with its counterparts around the world, Lima also has to fight the challenges of urban sprawl and an increasing population.

We arrived at Jorge Chávez International Airport; a very modern and efficient facility.  Later we learned they fund the airport infrastructure improvements through a sizeable exit tax paid just before leaving the country.  Unlike many other international airports we flew into and out of, it had a variety of familiar eateries including McDonalds, Papa Johns Pizza, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.

After clearing Customs and Immigrations, we found a cab and headed to the hostel we had booked online.  It was located in the Miraflores District of Lima, which was considered a safe area with all of the modern conveniences.  After our trek through Central America, we were sorely in need of a few modern conveniences.  The District was established in the mid-1800s and is perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  The main street is lined with many upscale shops and eating establishments.  Where the street ends at the park, there's a multi-level mall built into the side of the cliff hundreds of feet above the rowdy-looking Pacific.  Hang gliders can be seen catching updrafts from the winds off the ocean, which provides regular entertainment for diners enjoying a meal at one of the many restaurants in the mall.

The hostel we checked into was basic, very basic.  The rooms were so austere; a monk's cell would have looked like something out of Architectural Digest.  The shower was nothing more than PVC pipe coming out of the wall with a couple of strategically placed elbows.  None of that mattered, as some of our previous accommodations lacked many of the creature comforts - plenty of creatures, just not much comfort.

However, at night we discovered something else the hostel had in common with the monastic lifestyle of the poor and deprived.   Our rooms were adjacent to a voluminous, multi-story stairwell that echoed like the cloisters at a monastery.  None of us slept that night, as other guests (I use that term loosely) came and went throughout the night.  Two more days of the relentless noise was totally unacceptable, so we relocated to a much quieter hostel a few blocks away.  It even had a shower with a proper showerhead; an innovation that was much admired by all.

A common site throughout Miraflores and other parts of the city were the moneychangers.  The shear number was overwhelming, as in some areas they were standing only a few feet apart.  They are called Cambistas and will happily change almost any currency into U.S. Dollars, Euros or the Peruvian currency Nuevo Soles.  Their profession is legal and licensed and all of the legitimate moneychangers carry official identification.  It was never clear who actually used them, although based on the number we saw there must have been a big demand for changing money.  Most guidebooks and web sites suggested using banks and hotels to exchange money and cautioned against using the Cambistas.  We preferred using ATMs.  Even after paying the bank fees, the exchange rate was slightly better and there was less risk of getting counterfeit money.

I cannot speak for all of Lima, but the streets in Miraflores and the well-established historical areas were the cleanest of any city we visited.  There was (literally) an army of street sweepers patrolling the streets throughout the day collecting every spec of trash that fell on the ground.  This was somewhat offset by the incredibly dirty building facades that were easily seen from the double-decker city-tour bus.  A heavy downpour would have no doubt help wash the buildings, but would have also resulted in the streets tuning into black rivers.  Even so, the street sweepers would have been there to clean up the residue.  Maybe that was the plan all along.

In addition to a wide array of modern architecture, there were many Old World buildings throughout the city.  Some were original while others had been rebuilt over the centuries as a result of devastating earthquakes.  Anyone keenly interested in history and architecture should visit Lima.  They will not be disappointed.

During a day of sightseeing in the historical center of Lima, we learned pedestrians have very few rights.  And that includes the right to cross a street even when all of the signals indicate it's (allegedly) safe to do so.  The traffic and pollution can be overwhelming, which also helped explain the extremely dirty building facades.  However, the people are very friendly and helpful, which we experienced when trying to find a bus to the airport.

Five Caucasians walking down the streets of Lima do not blend in well.  One or two maybe, but five walking together generally created a fair amount of attention.  This became painfully clear when we approached the bus terminal and three locals saw us coming and yelled to ask where we were from.  We proudly confessed from the United States, and they shouted for everyone to hear that the U.S. was number one (or numero uno in their case).  They asked where we were going, and we told them the airport.  After consulting several bus drivers, they told us to wait and that our bus would arrive any minute.  In addition, the trio made sure we got on the right bus, and even missed their bus in the process of ensuring we were headed in the right direction.  Just three more nameless strangers who helped make our trek a little easier and more enriching.

The bus was very dilapidated, had holes in the floor, doors that barely closed and it belched more exhaust fumes than a locomotive.  We were entertained during the 45-minute bus ride by a character that serenaded all the passengers, told jokes and then passed around his hat to collect a gratuity.  After collecting his fee, he disembarked and caught another bus going in the opposite direction to no doubt repeat his performance. Since we could not understand anything he said, it was unclear whether people were paying him for his talent or to shut him up.  Either way, we added a few Soles to his hat.  Always glad to support the Arts.

The next destination was Cusco and Machu Picchu, the heart and soul of the once formidable Inca Empire.  Cusco over 11,000 feet above sea level while Machu Picchu is more than 8,000 feet.  Although we experienced many of the unpleasant side effects of the very high altitude, it was all worth it.  Next week's article will be about our amazing experience in the land of the Incas.

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