Excursion to Lima

I will try to make this one shorter than the last (sorry it was 3 pages long…)

This weekend we had our first trip to Lima. We were in our language groups and had to go walk around and ask random people in Lima Centro about random topics (security, and some tourist attractions- we had the Naval Museum that pretty much nobody knew about). After that we went to Miraflores (the tourist section) where we had to ask people how to get back to our town. Then we reconvened and the tutors made tried to make sure we knew how to get home, and then they left us to our own devices. A group of us went to LarcoMar, the touristy mall in the cliff in Lima where we ate lunch. I spent S/.15.50 soles, about USD $5.00 for lunch. This is like 2 days pay, so it was a lot! I had bought a donut and a breakfast sandwich earlier and spent another S/.6. I also bought some queso fresco and pita breads (which were DELICIOUS!) for about S/.3. After we walked around forever and went to the beach we decided it was time to leave. Lima is too expensive for our PC budget and after being in a very tranquillo town for 2 weeks, it was a lot of people and a completely different atmosphere.

Crazy things in Lima:

- Our first bus got pulled over. I think because the door was open while we were moving. The driver took S/.5 from the guy who collects the fares (cobrador) and paid off the cops.

- We got off at the wrong stop (the right one if we were taking the colectivo taxi like I thought we were) and had to ask around for how to get where we needed to go. We had to get back on the same bus and keep going pretty much.

- While figuring this out, we saw a car being broken into. In midday with tons of people around.

- Got off in sketchville, where the first thing we heard was Robalos!! Which means Rob them!!

- Had to ask where to get the bus, again. A nice lady told us, and also cautioned us to be very careful, because it was very dangerous. We hauled ass to the bus stop.

- Finally got a bus to home! It got pulled over after about 15mins. Not sure why, but this time it took forever, and the bus was packed and hot. I think the driver finally paid off the cops and we left.

- At some point, my amigos in the back of the bus saw a taxi get robbed by 3 teenagers. I was sitting next to the cobrador’s girlfriend near the door and didn’t see this happen.

- Later the cobrador got off to let someone on, and the driver took off without the passenger, and without the cobrador. Even with people yelling to stop, he went 2 blocks before stopping and letting the cobrador catch up.

- After 3 hours, we finally got home. Had we taken the colectivo, it would have been 1.5hrs max and poor Evan wouldn’t have had to stand half the way home. But we got home safe, and that’s what matters. I even took my first mototaxi ride up our mountain since we were all so worn out from the day and from the trip home.

Saturday night was the BIG FIGHT! I think you have to have been in Peru the past weeks to have heard anything about it… The super-pluma (super featherweight) female world champion boxer is Peruvian (though she has her title for some other country). She was defending her title Sat night and was fighting for Peru AND the fight was in Lima. It was kinda a big deal around here. Well, 29 yr old Peruvian Kina Malpartida whooped the 19 yr old Brasilian’s ass. I’m not much for boxing but it was one of those hay que aprovechar things, and I promptly passed out after the fight.

Sunday was Father’s Day and we went to my host dad’s parent’s house. We (me included!) made anticucho, which is heart kebobs. I helped defrost the heart, marinade it and put it on the skewers. It wasn’t too bad and I have yet to get sick from it. I also tried one piece of ceviche, and I’m not yet sold. I was uber full and there were lots of flies, which made me nervous about sanitation. Also, host grandma kept wanting to cut the lemons with the same knife we were cutting heart with. At least my mamá rinsed the knife before cutting fruit…

I think that’s about it exciting going on. We have 2 youth groups we’re supposed to form (one for YD and one overall), and my language group is supposed to be doing chats (charlas) with kids at a local school next week. So in my free time that’s what I’m supposed to be doing. And homework.

Here are some pictures (for you Uncle Bill!—which means you’d better leave a comment! Haha)

(ok, so they popped up in the wrong order-- apparently what you add first goes to the bottom..)

Police guard in front of the National Palace during the changing of the guard ceremony. They are actually nice and will talk to you. They'll even hit on gringas. Emily knows about that one...

More police. Minutes before this they were all propped against a wall playing on their cell phones/MP3 players..

my language group (minus Evan, plus the PCTs from intermedio-medio)

John, Emily, Dario, Vann, Me, Alana, Karim

My little 5 yr old sister Vivi and I playing with the hats we got at the quince that first weekend.

My room. It's huge. I had my luggage under my bed, but it was pulled out and is now hung on the wall and my duffle is on a chair. I can guarantee that through that window I will hear a cat fight, dogs barking like crazy, someone elses music, or roosters crowing, at any hour of the day.

Hasta luego!