I wanted these images at the end of the blog, but just can’t figure it out, so here they are.  If you click on them, there is a short description.

Plaza San Martin

Another image of the shopping mall overlooking the Pacific

My very sweet and knowledgeable guide to the Historic Center

Historic Center

My arrival in Lima was without drama, which was nice.  Can’t really remember how I got a taxi – oh, now I remember.   The airport was overwhelming, with taxi drivers approaching from all directions and people with signs meeting those who were lucky enough to have names on the signs.  Thank heavens I had my  helpful wheelchair pusher, who shook his head the many times I was approached until a driver that he approved of appeared.   From there it was to the hotel, which turned out to be quite nice.

No problems with the accommodations, but as is always the case, a single traveler’s room does not have the usual amenities – no hair dryer, no glass for rinsing your mouth, no view, insufficient towels, blah, blah, blah.  In fact, my room looked out on the area where staff parked their motorcycles, bicycles, and dumped the garbage.  Luckily, I worked up some courage and asked for a different room four days in and was moved to a room with a much better view – just a wall, but it had greenery on it and small trees in the tiny courtyard.  Bathroom was much nicer, with hair dryer, etc.  From now on I’m not going to be afraid to ask.

So if I had the choice again to be in Lima over the New Year, I’d probably opt out.  Okay if you have lots of money and can afford a nice restaurant, I guess, but most of the usual less expensive places were closed; all the museums were closed for a four-day holiday, which I found out only after an expensive taxi ride to a museum I wanted to visit.  Kind of thought maybe the taxi driver would have known that, but he made double the money taking me back to the only thing that was open, which was the mall.  Enjoyed the ocean view, but am not much of a shopper.  I did pick up a dictionary which I needed for school, or so they said.  Guess I forgot I have a dictionary on my phone!  I dumped the dictionary on my desk after lugging it around the first day of school – very heavy for a “pocket” dictionary, but it has proved useful while doing homework.

That brings me to another subject.  If you’re reading this you probably know that I make most decisions very impetuously.  It has to do with my inability to make a reasoned decision after weighing all available factors.  So I am trying to overcome that and make some rational decisions.  Today I sat in a cafe and wrote down the pros and cons of staying in my home stay for another week of classes or returning to my previous hotel and taking another week  or two of classes.  I feel I’ve made great strides in only three days, and really don’t want to break it up with a side trip to Cusco, so think I will continue in Lima for another two weeks.

Then I have to decide whether to stay at the home stay or pay slightly more for a hotel.  I won’t go into all the reasons, but there are many cons to the home stay and many pros for the hotel.  However, I like the host and hostess here at the home stay very much.  The main problem is that the tub/shower is very difficult for me to get in and out of (tub is very high and slippery to boot), and I’m sharing the bathroom with two other people, although there is at least one bathroom that doesn’t appear to be used by anybody in the household…..  Also, I’m not used to being in such a tiny confined space.  There are other reasons, but here’s the kicker!  The bathroom has a HUGE mold problem.   You might remember one of the reasons I was able to break my lease at my apartment was mold.

Anyway, all these decisions are rather sapping my energy, not to mention the heat.  If anyone has some input, I’d appreciate it.  Am I just a spoiled American, or do my expectations have some merit?

On a more positive note, on Saturday I am signed up to go on an excursion to (I think) the Ballestra Islands or something like that, where I will see penguins!  Penguins!  Not in a zoo!  It’s an all day trip starting at 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., since it’s a four-hour drive, apparently.  Hopefully there will be many pictures and many penguins and sea lions.

There is a little story behind the picture of my tour to the historic center.  The first day at school, I was delighted ( and still am ) that both my classes are on the first floor.  Also delighted by the fact that both my teachers, one for grammar and vocabulary and one for conversation, are very nice.  The only con is that yes, I am a little shy – I know some of you don’t believe that – and I’m the only student on the ground floor.  So after the first day, I was sitting in my classroom getting my bearings while all the other students were upstairs laughing and mingling.  I think my conversation teacher felt a little obligation for me and she and the receptionist agreed that the receptionist would take me on a tour.  Suddenly they appeared in the doorway and said “Vamos – we go”.  Well, I thought they meant the school was closing and I had to leave.  No, indeed, after walking a few blocks I asked where we were going and they said to the historic center.  It was wonderful of them, and as they said, I got to see the “real” Peru.  We took the Metropolitano, which is a high speed (relative to the traffic, which is horrendous) train from the school to the historic center, and Jovannes took me on an extended tour of the main squares.  Then it was back on the Metropolitano to the school, where I left Jovannes and stopped for a glass of wine before heading back to my home  stay.

Let me tell you just a little bit about the Metropolitano.  Imagine you are on MARTA after a ballgame and a big convention and a big musical event downtown.  You know what I’m talkin’ about, right?  Crowded.  A lot of people standing up.  Seats full.  Now multiply that by about five times and you’ll have an idea what the Metropolitano is like.  I have never seen so many people jammed into a train car in all my born days.  Elbows in faces, butts in faces, heads in armpits, pure misery.  However, spot a person with a cane and space magically appears and seats are given up, no questions asked and you better not refuse, because they will be offended.  Really, the people here are the best thing about Lima.  Every day I meet and talk to someone new, and it is always a pleasant experience.  As I’ve said before, I think travel for me is more about the people than the sights.  It is so exhilarating for me to talk to people from different cultures and places.  Gives me a new appreciation for humanity.  Sounds dumb, but it’s true.

Enough from me.  Miss and treasure you all.