Peru: the first days in Lima

After a relaxed flight from Amsterdam to Lima (I got three seats to myself thanks to KLM steward Auke! 😉 ), I arrived in the early evening last Saturday at the Quincha House guesthouse with no plans for the first days other than…resting and making my travel schedule!

Day 1&2, Lima

I got up late Sunday morning after a ’round-the-clock’ night sleep (yeah, I guess I was pretty knackered…the added bonus is that I lost the jetlag in just one night! 😉 ). I spend the Sunday afternoon sniffing up some of Peru’s historic culture in the National Museum (Museo de la Nación) and wandered around the historic centre of Lima. The city offers nice mix of colonial architecture, street entertainment/artists and churches, loads of churches…I accidentally stumbled into the lesser documented parts of Lima, the ones you would rather not go to…you know, those that are recognized by a distinct urine smell and hardly any people on the streets (probably hiding in a place I don’t want to be! 😉 ).
All in all it is quite easy to get around Lima; just grab one of the 325.000 taxis 😉 that are driving around, empty most of the day it seems and costing just a couple of euro’s for distances you don’t want to walk!

The craziest thing I experienced was getting back to the guesthouse in the evening; I literally had to guide the taxi driver using the map in my Lonely Planet!! A piece of cake of course; my spanish is non existent (though I am fluent in my dreams;) ) and obviously I know the city by heart after a full day! 😉

Today I completed my (ever-draft) travel schedule, which for now leads me tonight to Huaraz, high up in the Andes mountains (I just booked the bus!), Trujillo (Chan Chan), Cuzco (Machu Picchu), Puno (Lake Titicaca) then on to Bolivia: Copacabana, La Paz, Salar de Uyuni (Salt lakes), Coroico in The Yungas. Then back to Peru: Arequipa, Nazca, and Lima once again to fly back to Europe on September 23)…verrrrrry exciting!!!

And now…picturessss! 😉
My room in Quincha House

 

Museo de la Nación

 

Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor)

 

 

Iglesia de Santa Domingo

 

Chinatown

 

Lima city with the Cerro San Cristóbal hill in the background

 

The real Lima?! 😉

 

Giving the taxi driver directions where to go…?!?