Day 136 of international places giving smiles – Remembering our first steps in South America at Lima in Peru
After months of planning this day has finally arrived… Our plane descends quickly at a continent that is visited by very few Indian tourists – South America!
We are welcomed by boards mostly in Spanish, lucky that daughter has some knowledge of this language which helped to convey some of our basic needs to the locals! After a well-deserved rest in the hotel to get over the long flight jet lag, we ladies decide to explore the city on our own.
The beachfront and mall was where we head to, we asking a respectable looking man for directions who turned out to be a local police. We are told it is safe for us ladies to venture out alone at night in this area. We have our first vegetarian South American meal at the lively beachfront café. We marvel at the road side art display and the colourful items at the night street market outside the church.
And then close to midnights our boys arrive after a grueling almost 44 hour time difference from the start at Bangalore to Mumbai to London to Miami to the end at Lima, yes and flying over five continents in two days to reunite as a family!!!!
Lima is a party place and it was good that we happened to be there on the streets on a Saturday night. The cafes with food tapping music, the colourfully dressed locals, we do not know which direction to see.
All our senses are awakened on this first night in Lima…the sights, the sounds, the smells the tastes. Family enjoys the local food speciality called sevicha and a drink called pisco and even the live Spanish music, though we couldn’t understand a word of it.
Next morning is time for a brisk walk around the hotel and a heavy breakfast We then take a city sight-seeing tour. We drive tour through Lima’s streets and plazas. Starting at the Love Park in Miraflores, with a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean, and then heading to the Huaca Pucllana, ceremonial center of the Lima culture. Later we go to San Isidro, financial center of the city. After this, we go on to the Main Square where the Government Palace and the Town Hall are located. We then visit the Cathedral and explore the Santo Domingo Convent, along which corridors San Martin de Porras and San Rosa de Lima used to walk around in 17th century, and where their remains rest today.
While we were too tired and hit the bed after dinner, the children went for another night out… Sone was partying with the locals all through the night and came back just in time to catch our early morning flight out of the city.
With this Lima visit, my clear vision of visiting at least one country from every continent before my fiftieth birthday has actually come true!
So which place made you smile today?
Be grateful for the places that make you smile!
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