Exploring La Cuidad

Checking out what Lima has to offer

Quote of the day: If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success. – Rockefeller

Something we did: Took an Uber to a park

Something we learned: Not to take an Uber to the park

Something scary: Running into the car in front of us while in the Uber

People we met: Thais. From Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is an extremely nice woman that we met. She helped us to see something we would not have been able to without a lot of confusion… Details below.

Update: This is our last night in Miraflores. Tomorrow we go to a new Hostel in a Town called Barranco. It is supposed to be more traditional than the Bougie, upscale town we are in now.

The Water Park

Yesterday there was a guided tour that we really wanted to go on. It was to a park in Lima that had all sorts of artwork made from water fountains. However there were not enough people signed up so the tour was canceled. We thought that we were doomed, never to behold the beauty of the park and all of its glory… Luckily for us, someone wanted to see the park more that we did. This is how we met our new friend, Thais. She also wanted to visit the park and was not going to take “NO” for an answer. She heard from the people at the front desk that we wanted to go also and went looking for us.

We were a little down about the tour being canceled but we were determined to go to the park with or without a guide. There was a slight problem, we had absolutely no clue how to get there. Walking was out of the question, we have never taken a taxi, and I would rather face a raging bull than take the bus… So we headed to the information desk for directions on how to get there with as little stress as possible.

This is where Thais found us, walking to the desk in the lobby. And we are so grateful that she did! Being from Brazil and having experience traveling in South America, Thais offered to get an Uber if we would split the cost. Amanda and I looked at each other like we were just given the best gift in the world… So, with ridiculously large smiles, we agreed immediately! Let me say this… Taking a taxi or an Uber in Lima is a stressful event. There is no real way to explain the chaos that fills the streets of the city but it is something that NY or DC could never hold a candle to. At least in the states there are rules, signs, and the chaos is harnessed. Here, it is a never ending game of war.

We made it to the park safely, but on the way back we ran into the car in front of us on the expressway. The really weird thing was that both drives got out, made sure that there was nothing really broken, and then got back into their car with less than 5 words said… and we just kept on trucking?!?!?! This is not something I would ever like to experience again! OHHHH!!! I almost forgot the funniest part, the driver gave Thais 4 out of 5 stars! WTF? After he smashed into another car, we tipped, and he dropped us off a block before our hotel… What a jerk! I hope she gave him 1 star… Anyway, I’m getting off topic, I wanted to talk about the park.

So We made It To The Park!

I am so happy that we made it to the park!!! It was so much nicer than we expected and the best part is that we met a really cool friend in the process! Without her helping us we would have not been able to make it there and enjoy it like we did. Our hope is to meet up with her and her boyfriend when we get to Sao Paulo. I think it will be really nice to see a familiar and friendly face by the time we get to Brazil.

Downtown Lima

Today we took a walking tour of downtown Lima and we learned a lot. The group took the bus (2 soles = $0.75) from Miraflores, where we are now, to the center of the city. All together it took about 30 minutes to get there. The busses are are intimidating to say the least and not for the light hearted. They accelerate and stop so quickly that it is very difficult to keep yourself upright but there is nowhere to fall because the bus is so full that there is no where to move! I felt really bad for Amanda because we had two completely different experiences. My view was awesome! Mainly because the tallest person down here is about 5 foot 6 inches… Amanda’s view was not so great, lots of shoulders and backs. The suspension systems are very similar to riding on a boat in lake Erie during a small wind storm… With that said, the bus was light years better than taking an Uber but I would not put it at the top of my list in regards to traveling “Safely”.

Our tour guide’s name was “Jose” and he was very knowledgeable as well as funny. I really enjoyed getting to learn about the city and the architecture is crazy awesome! We both had a really good time. Something that was really unique was that after the tour, they gave us a map and told us to find our own way home! We got lost and had to make a couple U-turns but we were in no hurry.

Check out some of the pics of the city below.

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