Peru 2014 - Part 1

August 15,

After some flight delays, we finally made it to Lima about midnight. Customs went quickly, and my friend Giancarlo was waiting excitedly for us. He had a friend with a private taxi to take us the hour ride from the airport. I was surprised we held a conversation in Spanish all the way to the hotel. We stopped to pick up some water (still don't drink the water applies here), and I thought I would get some grape juice. Afterwards I realized it was chicha morada - a famous drink made from corn. We checked into Hospedeja Benavides that is close to Giancarlo's  house. It costs $20 per night, has wifi, a private bathroom with hot water and a full sized bed and a TV. It was perfect for the price, and we have not come here to stay in a room much anyway. I was up early to get a strong coffee and contact home, letting everyone know we were here.
Giancarlo came to pick us up at 9:00 and we took the big suitcase with the things I only needed in Lima to his house, and met his in-laws. Then off to get breakfast and cold medicine for me. We stopped at a little place and I got what seemed to be a type of Shepards pie called "causa" made with mashed potatoes and chicken salad with peas and carrots.  I tried to order Mark a ham sandwich, but he ended up getting a potato and meat of some kind sandwich. He also got fresh squeezed orange juice, but I drank most of it because of the delicious pulp.
I had never seen grassy areas like in the photo, some with smaller squares. It is so they can park without destroying the small areas of green space they have. It seems that most people in Lima have dogs to walk, of all different breeds.
At the farmacia G insisted we buy a small bottle of rubbing alcohol to sniff for altitude sickness. (It works). Then we went back to his house and he asked if we wanted to go with him to take the dogs for a walk - SURE- we said. Five miles later, we returned with two tired yorkies, a tour of the neighborhood, and much information gained from conversations with my sweet friend.

Then it was off to the train station and then taxi till we got to the bus station.

We were glad G guided us through. We were still trying to get our traveling sense about us.

More and better photos to come in the following posts.