Page I: Saborear La Vida- Lima, Peru

Day 1, August 3, 2013

I stepped out of the airport and knew I was at the right place at the right time. My feet felt like they were familiar with where I was, they didn't really need much coaxing in spite of being just off from a red eye flight. Carlos, the Gate 1 guide assigned to pick us up from the airport, pointed us to the sign above. 

"Welcome. You are in the best place to savor life."

Yes, the sign is a beer ad but what it said was reflective of how I felt during my 10 days in Peru. I have never felt so alive.

We got in the car to take us to the hotel and I was wide-eyed and doe-eyed over the streets of Callao. We were on our way to Miraflores where our hotel was at. Callao and Miraflores were districts within Lima. Carlos explained that Miraflores used to be the summer haven of Lima and, in spite of the overcast winter day (yes, these are the winter months in Peru), it was not hard to see that.

Our hotel, the Hotel Antigua Miraflores, emanated traces of a Colonial home, of an era of artistry, richness and brought up sophistication. We then boarded a bus took a city tour and saw El Parque del Amor in Miraflores, close to the water, a statement to the district's old reputation as a summer spot.

The bus drove to downtown Lima and then we strolled from the city center to the Franciscan Monastery. As we made our way through the streets of Peru, the locals were cheering on Peru’s girls in the Volleyball semi finals. The pride and the earnest in their faces was enough to show the pride and the support from their fellow Peruvians. I wish these girls could have seen the faces of their people, listening in on the game on the streets, striking up random conversations with strangers for the score—it was heartwarming.

Heartwarming, yes, that’s the best way to describe Peru.  We walked amongst the stone, cobbled steps, below the protruding balconies and the overcast sky, but, the feeling you get walking the streets of Lima was anything but the seeming coldness of the setting.  It was like you entered into the vortex of a perfect contrast between warm and cold, light and dark, modern and ancient.

We had lunch in a Peruvian place close to the hotel called El Embrujo, a three course meal we barely understood but filled our stomachs happily. The Senora and the waitress were more than accommodating and introduced us to Chicha Morada, a purple corn juice that have captured Angele’s taste buds.

We ventured to Huaca Pucllana, a pyramid archeological site located in Miraflores, later that afternoon. This place portrayed a perfect contrast between the past and the present. It is surrounded by tall buildings and warm houses. When you get to the top, what you see is history surrounded by what the city has now become.

We went to mass that night and stumbled upon a wedding. The priest (in my limited understanding of Spanish), explained that our being there at mass, at that time, during that wedding made us a part of their story and that they are a part of ours. That thought, that sentiment, lingered in my mind as we walked into the Artisan Market (that was only there until the 5th of August) and right into the center of Park Kennedy where the people of this foreign yet familiar city have gathered to enjoy their Saturday night.

 I felt as if I was swallowed by different moments, walking within multiple occurrences happening at the same time. As I was engulfed by the smell of picarones and popcorn, the laughter of children and the chiding of teenage girls, it felt as if Peru was embracing me and welcoming me into the story. Then and there, my story and Peru's story has synced. The adventure has definitely begun.

 
 For more photos go to my flickr.