South America, My Heart

   We came to Lima after four connexions, and almost no sleep. Another 36-hour day, to which I am now accostomed. Dreamy and displaced, we stepped out onto the street, hailed a cab, climbed in, and took it in. Looking strangely clean and spare, we headed through the industrial district to the Plaza de Armas. Blocks upon blocks of brightly painted houses, with banners, laundry flying and trees exploding in flowers seemed to thumb its nose at San Fransisco.

   Passing through the historical Plaza de Armas was incredible. The Colonial architecture is crumbling and fantastical, painted wild colours that are in direct contrast to the orderly fleurs and prowed terraces. We were dropped off at the bus depot, and boarded a packed bus for Pucusana, a small seaside town south of Lima.

  After a crazy debacle of missing our stop, and hitchiking back, we arrived as El Mirador. It is an old, family-owned hotel on top of a wide dirt hill, overlooking Pucusana. We arrived at night, and fell into our bed after the most amazing grilled chicken I´ve ever tasted. Walking back up the steep stairs to the hotel, the city was nothing but a pool of lights scattered against the hills, with the Pacific Ocean a deep, velvety darkness beyond.

   We woke at 4 am with Reggaeton, and I felt I had arrived.

 We are the only ones at the Mirador right now, besides the boisterous family that lives there. There are several balconies with umbrellas and hammocks, and is so high up that it catches the wind off the ocean. The view from our terrace is incredible; almost 360 degrees, overlooking big, bizzarely featureless sand hills, the wharf and bay, full of colourful fishing boats, and the ocean. The houses look like something from Tatooine- many are made of sand brick, and set into the surrounding hills, making them look otherworldly. It is perfect for a mid-day rum and mango juice.

   Tonight we tried the ceviche. Out of this world. Ceviche is esentially raw seafood, soaked in lime juice and chiles. It was raw fish, clams, sea snails, calamari, crab, shrimp, lobster and scallops. I´ve actually never had calamari before tonight (scared off by the dry- fried calamari rings I had as a child at school) and it proved to be my favourite. It was so bloody tasty, I decided that I will definetly be eating the cuy (guinea pig). I don´t want to miss out on something else that is so delectable.

   We walked all around, checking out a beach reached through a tunnel in the dirt, and hiked up the barren hills above the ocean cliffs, swilling on rum and coke, only to be rewarded with a vast cormorant, pelican and Inca Tern rookery. Score!
  
   Tomorrow we are heading back to Lima, in preparation for Eli´s arrival. Then up to Huaraz...