Lima, Peru
Our heads on a swivel, eyes wide open, and beads of sweat coating our brows, it is no mistake that we are in a far off land. Our keen senses of comfort are lost and new ones develop to accustom ourselves to a different culture. Welcome to one of the biggest cities in South America....Lima, Peru. Immediately, your first gut check is survival in a taxi cab. In a city of 10 million where only 20% of the streets have stop lights or stop signs, a recent meal may be lost. Eat light as they say. And only here, have we noticed not only the frequency of horn use but we are bewildered as to how many different horns exist. There is one that whistle's, one that sings, one that plays a different tune, one that does the cucaracha and many different forms of the regular plan old honk. It's simple, sell horns in Lima, make millions.
And as with any big city, some places are good and some are not so good. Also true, times are good and not so good. We have found many good places but have arrived in a time where we find the country bubbling in angst. It is tense and for good reason. If you are in a country that is on the edge of third world problems, smiles are sparse. The deck is stacked against them for the country has 33% unemployment, a dollar that is not so strong and 14 candidates running for the Presidential Election which is April 8th, less than 3 weeks away.
Sunset
on Lima with downtown in front. Lima's coastline.
14 candidates running for President leaves people in dismay. From the locals standpoint, 3 candidates have a chance at winning the election but none are to be trusted. A friend said, "They are all liars, they are promising to do this and that and they will never do it!" We explained to him that it was no different in the United States just that the stakes were higher. At least he will know who is winner right away...
Lima, Peru has much to offer culturally. It is a place that struggles with its global positioning and is on the verge of economic recovery. The newly elected President will have a monumental task and will be successful if he or she (Loudres Flores) can keep the country working. The people here seem to grasp that underlying theme, and they pray that the leaders can execute what seems to be pretty common sense.
From a tourism point of view, it is a great experience and should be well respected. The people here will welcome you with open arms, just watch out as to where their hands go.
*Feature written and photographed by Phillips, March 2001. Specific information regarding the political election system was provided to us by Jeanne Simons a sociologist from Canada. Other facts were confirmed first hand by Phillips.
GUIDE NOTES AND DIRECTIONS:
Lima is about a $750 flight from Miami, Houston and Atlanta. For folks arriving from Europe expect to pay about double, depending on the season. Other world cities can vary. Once in Lima, there is much to do, including a myriad of museums, paragliding, and enjoying other sites.