A Day in the Life: Walking Around in Lima

I’ve been wanting to visit Perú for a long time. I want to visit Cusco, see Machu Picchu, and learn the secrets of the Andes. So that’s why I am at an airport terminal at 11 p.m. on a Friday night on the eve of Independence Day. Because our redeye flight to Lima, Perú, leaves just after midnight. I’ve noticed when flying internationally from the United States, airfares are much lower when departing on July 4th. Today is no exception, and it is one of the main reasons we chose to fly on this date.

Our flight to Lima is a non-stop aboard a 767-300ER, a wide-body plane with a little legroom for a change. Everything was going smoothly — we arrived at the airport on time, fast and problem-free passage through TSA, and we got to the gate with plenty of time to spare. The flight began boarding on schedule and we quickly found our seats. And just as quickly, we found someone sitting in them.

She was an older lady and seemed to not understand when we told her that she was in our seats. So, I repeated in Spanish that those were our seats she was sitting in. She still pretended not to understand and basically refused to move.

Since by now we were holding up other passengers trying to board, we asked the flight attendant to help. Instead of moving the lady immediately, the attendant had us stand in an adjacent row to let other passengers board. (As this was a nearly full flight, you can probably guess this arrangement didn’t work out well; we had to move several times to let other passengers sit in the seats we were blocking.) It soon became clear the attendant knew that the seats the lady was in were not hers. It took some time before the attendant finally got the lady to move. I’m not sure where she ended up.

Thank goodness the rest of the flight was uneventful. I actually got a little bit of sleep on the flight.

Arriving in Lima

I awakened as we flew along the coastline of Ecuador. The sun had already risen. A while later, I glanced at my watch and figured we had crossed into Peruvian air space. Once we reached the Port of Callao, we turned inland, and landed at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima soon after.

Our on-time arrival at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in Lima was welcome. We quickly found our luggage at the carousel and proceeded to follow the signs for customs. The people working at the airport did not show much enthusiasm and seemed kind of distant when I spoke to them. I tried speaking Spanish to them, hoping to help break ice, but that didn’t work, either. Maybe this is how some Limeños (people of Lima) are.

Spying a currency exchange, I figured we should convert our US Dollars to Peruvian Nuevo Soles now while we had a chance; one less thing to worry about later. We probably paid a higher exchange fee but to me the convenience was worth it. We passed through customs with no problems.

Pro tip: If you are converting US dollars to soles, make sure you use crisp, new, unworn bills. Some exchanges and vendors will not take old or worn bills and some won’t take smaller denominations like $1 or $5 bills. My cousin warned me about this before we even came to Perú and I heeded her advice. Yet, even after making a point of bringing newer bills with me to exchange, I still found out the hard way when I tried to exchange $60 for soles while in Cusco. The bills I tried to exchange looked fine to me — relatively new and not worn — but the vendor refused to accept them.

By now it was a bit after 10:00 am local time. We walked outside the airport and found our shuttle waiting for us. The driver was waiting for a couple of other passengers that happened to be on the same flight we were on. They showed up a few minutes later and we were soon on our way.

Traffic and Weather

Francisco, our driver, told us a little about Lima as we were getting our first taste of Lima traffic. To get through the city, he made a lot of turns, snaking his way out toward the coast. We drove south along the coast for a little bit while Francisco showed us a few points of interest, told us about the unique cliffs, surfing, Lima’s world-class cuisine, and few other things. Turns out, this ‘detour’ was a ‘shortcut’ to avoid traffic, while simultaneously giving Francisco a chance to show us more of Lima than just traffic.

One of the first things I noticed was that the weather was cloudy and drizzly… and stayed that way most of the day. The sun maybe peaked through a cloud here and there for a few minutes, but for the most part, it was grey and gloomy. We learned that the temperature remained in the mid-to-upper 60’s (around 16°C) during the day, and dropped by only ten or so degrees at night.

Because Perú lies in the Southern Hemisphere, July is wintertime. We learned that even during summer, temperatures barely crack 80 degrees F (27°C). And, believe it or not, there is no rain to speak of. Most of Lima’s moisture comes from fog and drizzle. That fog even has a name: La Garúa. La Garúa covers the city for five months out of the year. The actual rain normally falls in the mountains. Our tour guide joked a few days later that if it actually rained in Lima, Limeños wouldn’t know what to do. Weather and climate conditions in Lima lead to Lima being one of the driest capital cities in the world.

Believe it or not, Lima, the City of Kings, has been called “the saddest city in the world”. Even Herman Melville, in his classic tome Moby Dick, had Ishmael, the book’s main character, describe Lima in this way: “[I]t is not these things alone which make tearless Lima, the strangest, saddest city thou can’st see. For Lima has taken the white veil; and there is a higher horror in this whiteness of her woe.”

I did take heart knowing that Lima is not always grey. Over the course of my time here, I would learn there is so much more to Lima than just La Garúa.

At the hotel

We arrived at our hotel just before 11 a.m. Breakfast service had already ended. Check-in went smoothly. Once we got up to our room, what did we find in the mini bar? A Cusqueña lager beer. On the bottom part of the bottle, the glass was molded into a representation of Inca building stones like those found in Cusco (link to Cusco tag). To me, this signified a nice welcome to Perú. But, because it was part of the mini bar options and we would be charged extra if we drank it, I left it alone, aside from using it as the subject of this photo. But now I had an idea of what to look for when it came time for lunch or dinner.

The tour we are taking while we’re here in Perú is called Highlights of Perú. Trafalgar set it up so that you could take a month-long swing through South America, or take any combination of four (I think) connecting segments in Brazil, Argentina, Perú, and Bolivia as optional extensions.

The way the tour we will be taking works is today we “meet the tour”. We check in with a representative for the tour and have the rest of the day to relax after our flight, get acquainted with the hotel, and if we choose, to explore Lima. Our guide would arrive later in afternoon, giving him a few hours of well-deserved rest. For our guide, this would be week three of leading the four-week tour of South America. The Perú part of the tour officially begins tomorrow. That is when we sign in with the guide, get instructions, and set out on our first activity.

Before we get to that, I know it may seem strange to start off a post about touring Lima by talking about water, but here we are. I would soon learn some things about the water here in Perú — both the easy way and the hard way — which you’ll read about in a couple of my other posts from Perú. This may help some of you reading this.

The information we were given during our orientation suggested we not drink the water. (Now they tell me. I already drank from the faucet at the hotel.) The info suggested that we drink bottled water instead. The next day as we headed to Pisac and Sacred Valley, I learned why those warnings were given.

Ever wonder why residents of particular countries can drink their own water but others can’t? It’s because there are certain microbes in the water that the residents of that country are used to, but our bodies are not. When our guide told us this, a lot of things suddenly made sense. This was the first time someone explained to me the truth about why you shouldn’t drink the water in certain countries.

With that bit of background about the water in Perú out of the way, let’s get started on our walk around Lima.

Our first taste of Lima

After unpacking and resting for a bit, we asked the hotel’s concierge for recommendations on places to eat. Since we were a little tired and hungry from our flight down, a late lunch is just what we needed. The hotel staff recommended a place called Tanta.

We headed out on foot and found Tanta immediately, but kept walking to see if we could find someplace that would instantly grab our attention. Nothing did. But we did find a large park, apparently one of several in the city. We later learned it is called Bosque el Olivar (Olive Grove Forest), also known as Parque Olivar de San Isidro (San Isidro Olive Park). It was declared a national monument in 1959. We might have to come check this park out later if time allows.

With our stomachs grumbling, we turned around. We discovered there are many restaurants within a couple of blocks of Tanta. After debating which one of them to try, we decided on Tanta, the original recommendation. (Yeah, we could’ve gone there first, but then we would’ve missed the park and other possible dining options for later.)

On the way back the hotel, we took a detour. That found us walking through the residential section of San Isidro, past some very nice homes. We wondered, “What would it be like to live in one of these homes? What are they like inside?”

The ‘detour’ took us past a restaurant simply named Quinoa. Interesting, because the Sunday before we left, we were talking to some friends at church about quinoa and how prevalent it is in Perú. Including our meal at Tanta (see my review of Tanta), we would end up having quinoa in some form or other almost every day we were in Perú.

Another walk around Lima

A week later, we returned to Lima. We had some free time here after the Highlights of Perú trip ended and before our trip to Marcahuasi.

One of the things I love to do when visiting a new city is to take a walk, to get down on the street, as the Shakatak song goes. To see life as it is on the ground outside, away from the hotel. To take in the sights and smells and sounds of the city.

My morning walk led me around the San Isidro district of Lima. It was still gloomy and grey outside, like it was when we arrived in Lima last week. My unplanned route this time took me in the opposite direction from the hotel. Walking through the neighborhoods, I eventually made my way over to Avenida Javier Prado Oeste. What surprised me was seeing all of the high-rise apartments lining the street. Not surprising was the traffic, which by now I had gotten used to. For a moment I thought I was in New York.

As I finished a loop around part of San Isidro, I saw a vendor selling pastries. I tried to speak to him in Spanish. He was not impressed; in fact, he showed very little emotion. As it happened, a customer — a friend of the vendor, it seems — overheard my lackluster attempt to sway the vendor and started a conversation. Turns out he speaks English. I asked the vendor, very politely, if I could take a picture of his cart. (One of the products he sold happens to be made by a company that has the same name as my sister.) He declined. Oh, well. I tried. However, he did eventually relent and allowed me to take a photo of the product only, not of him. I spoke to my new English-speaking friend for a couple more minutes, then continued my walk south along Calle La Republica. I still had no idea where I was going.

Miraflores

Soon I found myself in the district of Miraflores. I noticed more businesses now, at least on the street where I was walking. And a couple of things caught my attention. Have you ever seen a gas station in middle of the street? I also noticed the traffic signals have about a 2-second delay. Bet there aren’t many accidents caused by drivers running red lights here.

I continued on around the Óvalo Gutiérrez, noting all the shops here (and all the American ones like Starbucks (surprised?), Little Caesars, Fridays, Chili’s, and Mickey D’s). The Cineplanet Alcázar movie theater came into view, along with Bembos.

By now, it was nearing noon so I decided to head back down Avenida Los Conquistadores, passing Parroquia Santa María Reina along the way.

When I returned to the hotel, my wife was rested up and ready to explore Lima. (Unlike my wife, only the second of those descriptions applied to me.) In case you’re wondering, the morning walk you just read about covered about 10 kilometers.

We asked the concierge what there was to see and do in Lima that was not too far from the hotel. He pulled out a map and rattled off a couple of places. Huaca Pucllana sounded interesting to my wife. When the concierge pointed to it on the map, I asked how close it was to Miraflores. Turns out I had walked just two blocks west of it during my morning walk.

Bosque el Olivar

Searching for Huaca Pucllana, we walked back toward Miraflores again. This time we deliberately walked to and through El Olivar and were able to appreciate its size and serenity. It seemed to go on for block after block. Between the trees, ponds, and open spaces, it seemed a be a world away from the bustling city just a few blocks behind us; a very welcomed change of pace. And while we were there, not many people were around. It was almost as if we had the entire park to ourselves.

Apparently, the park started with just three olive saplings. These were the only three out of over 100 that Antonio de Rivera brought with him when he sailed from Sevilla, Spain, to Lima. Atlas Obscura has a nice story about how Olive Grove Forest grew from three to three thousand trees, and why now there are only about 1,600 of them left.

Unfortunately, there is another issue facing the olive trees: Many of the trees are in danger of dying; their roots are showing signs of rot. It basically comes down the olive trees, which thrive in drier environments, being surrounded by lush (read thirsty) green grass.

Since we were headed elsewhere and had a schedule to keep, we kept moving. But it was certainly nice to explore the parts of the park we did not get to walk through last week.

After missing the street we should have turned off on, we eventually made it to Huaca Pucllana. The site was an administrative and ceremonial center of importance in its day. It is a credit to the leaders of Lima and of Perú that this important ancient complex has been preserved, even as it sits completely surrounded by the modern city of Lima.

The route back

Exploring Huaca Pucllana left us hungry. Fortunately, on our way out of the site, we saw a couple of places to eat. We settled on a restaurant called La Bodega de la Trattoria. (See my review of La Bodega de la Trattoria.)

On the way back to the hotel, we took a different route. I was 90% sure the street I elected to walk down led back to Avenida Los Conquistadores, the main avenue that I had covered twice by now. Jokingly, I asked my wife what would happen if we got lost. She was not flustered at all. At that moment it dawned on me the amount of trust she placed in me to get us back to the hotel. As I hoped, the side street did lead back to Avenida Los Conquistadores.

Just past Óvalo Gutiérrez, we came across Wong supermarket and decided to check it out. The one we visited at Óvalo Gutiérrez is the second of the 18 in the Wong (now Cencosud) chain. This place has everything I could possibly want foodwise: Meats, vegetables, all types of beverages, a deli… And especially chocolate. Lots of chocolate. We bought a couple of snacks and some chocolate to send back by our cousin, Alexis, to her host family as a token of gratitude for the lunch in Cusco (link to Day in the Life – Cusco).

Soccer

As you know, Latin American countries love soccer. This became very apparent as we strolled down the street. All of the stores that had televisions inside had them tuned to the Copa América soccer championship, with the volume cranked way up. Perú was playing in the match today. You could walk down the street for miles and not miss any of the action because everyone had the game on. Of course, we cheered for the home team. Unfortunately, they were defeated. I think Perú has only won the championship twice since 1916.

Random observations

Wanting to try some Peruvian fast food, I stopped in at Bembos for lunch and got a burger combo. Their hamburgers are cooked on a grill and are seasoned with Bembos’ own special spices. A couple of bites in, I noticed the burger had a different flavor than what I am used to. The best way to describe it is it had the same consistency and mouthfeel, but with a bit of a gamey taste. I attribute that to the spices they use on the meat, and the preservatives they don’t use.

There are quite a few Popeyes around Lima. We heard their ads on the radio and saw them on television. And we passed by them on our tours. It’s the same Popeyes we know in the States, but in Perú they pronounce it “Poh-PEY-yes”. From what I understand, Peruvians really love that chicken from Popeyes because Popeyes’ chicken is spicy.

Another familiar brand heard on the radio was Colgate toothpaste. Again, same product, but in Perú it is pronounced “Col-GAH-te”.

By now we’ve explored quite a bit of Lima. We’ve discovered new foods, an archeological site, nice neighborhoods, and parks. The verdict so far? Yeah, I think I could stay here in Lima for a while. And after having been here for a few days, I must say that Lima is most definitely not the saddest, strangest city thou can’st see.

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