So, we have finally arrived to Lima, after a loong and above all boring flight. It took 11,5 hours from Heathrow to Sao Paolo and another 5 hours from SP to Lima. Since the plane had an onboard entertainment system loaded with excellent music like Britney, and movies like The Watch, I had no opportunity than to settle with Dark Shadows, from Tim Burton, starring (surprise) Johnny Depp and even more surprisingly Helena Bonham-Carter. I have to make the final conclusion that not every movie starring those two is even remotely good or even worth a farthing. Szabi had choosen Casablanca, but it was not that day when he could see the whole movie. So, the movie has helped me to pass 90 or so mins from the 690 mins. The rest was spent with either trying hard to sleep or simply freezing to death. The only thing which was good is that we crossed the atlantic and landed in SP in one piece. The flight from SP to Lime was better in terms of entertainment as I watched J. Edgar starring Leonardo DiCaprio and it was a brilliant movie with good acting.

So, on a sunny Tuesday morning (10.45 local time, which is 16.45 in CET) we landed in Lima. As soon as we left the safety of the airport customs, I hurried into a toilet to hide my valuables into a more safe pocket... I wont explain more.
It took the eternity of one nano-second for the local taxi drivers to spot the two soon-to-be conquistadors stading in the doorway with the radiant aura of determination, destiny and despair. The experienced travellers we are, we managed to hush away the first wave of hungry drivers, but we were fallen against the second, more persistent rush. Next thing we realised is that we lack a certain amount of practice in the fine art of negotiating, and after 5 minutes of bargaining we ended up in a taxi probably at 200% of the normal fare, but the important thing was at the time that we get to the hostel as soon as possible, and with that achieved, change underwear. I leave the description of the hostel to Szabi, but it was a kind of a shock to me, that I cant use the toilet to dispose the USED toilet paper, but i have to use the basket near it for that purpose, or the toilet would clog. Szabi said it is common in the Far-East, but i have never seen anyting like this before.

So, after we satisfied our hygienic needs, we went out to search for our first cheviche. Sadly I forgot to make a picture of it, but we took one of the meal Szabi ordered (blindly as not even him who speak spanish could understand the menu), and the most famous INCA KOLA. It tastes of the chewing gums of my childhood. The memory of the taste will haunt me in stormy nights.

The remaining four hours were spent with the exploration of the old part of Lima, which has a lot of nice and old buildings like the presidential palace, but also quite a number of semi-old and differently nice (aka ugly) houses. See pic.

The faint scent of a women... and man urinating lingers on the streets. Reminded me of Barcelona when i was there a decade ago.

The next day we visited Miraflores, the seaside district of Lima, which houses the rich and powerfull and buildings dedicated to the gods named PWC and Ernstandyoung can be found. Among those temples of power and money we visited the original temples of the pre-columbian civilizations of the area.

After the history lessons, we went down to the ocean. This is the first time for me to see the Pacific ocean, and I have to tell you, it is a magnificent sight.

On the beach, we were offered beginner courses in surfing, but we managed to get away with only one name-card given to us. Our next stop was at the Museo Larco with its famous erotic pottery. All you have to know is, that there is nothing new under the sun, what humans have not tried a couple of thousends of years ago, if there was a human and some other living or in some cases dead around. My favourite phrase from Terry Pratchett "Put it where the sun does not shine" got a whole new meaning. Ok, ok, i am exagarating, but it is extremely funny to see a pottery with a women having anal intercourse with a seemingly dead man. It means something along the line of cycle of life and such, if you wish to know.
We have one more day left in Lima, then we travel onwards to Nazca, but we may stop for one day at Ica.

Untill then
Adam (Sid)