Written June 3:
Today I arrived in Lima. At 5am in Nicaragua, I didn't even know if they'd let me in the country because I didn't have my vaccines. When I was sitting on the plane in Miami last week I thought about how I didn't check to see if I needed a visa for any of these countries. I didn't check to see what vaccines I needed. Nada. But you know what they say...the Lord watches over babies and fools, and I definitely belong in the latter category. I flew Taca to San Salvador y to Lima.
I arrived in Lima (finally after hours of delays) around 2:30, after getting a full bottle of water every hour and anything else I wanted from Herna'n, the flight attendant LOL...oh, and after being set up with the woman's nephew that was sitting on my row. She was a sweet old lady and told me that her nephew, a lawyer, is very patient and sweet and very tall and loves to travel like me. She invited me to her house in Chimbonte on Sunday to meet him and have dinner with her family lol. She lives in LA. Anywho, by the time I got to customs I totally forgot about my vaccines. The agent was so intrigued that I spoke Spanish that he didn't even look at my customs paper. I'm pretty sure he just tore it and handed it to me, so I hope I don't really need any vaccines. But I'll be fine...babies and fools, babies and fools haha.
I rode in the taxi from the airport a Miraflores con una mexicana muy amable. The taxi driver was very nice as well. Peru has runoff presidential elections on Sunday, so the driver told us all about the candidates and voting. Voting is Sunday, which I learned means this weekend is a dry weekend. No one can buy alcohol, so the bars and clubs are closed. There are two candidates, but you wouldn't know it being in Lima. All you see everywhere is Keiko: Seguridad y oportunidades para todos. There are about as many Keiko for president signs as there are Jesus wants to bless you signs. Kind of like being in the Bible belt without the "You're going to hell" message behind it.
We couldn't find the street the hostel was on to save our lives. We drove around forever trying to find it!
So what about Lima? I don't want to give it a bad review because it's winter time and everything is less appealing in the winter. There's trash everywhere. Some places just have piles of trash lined along the street. I honestly can't tell if it's cloudy or if it's smoggy. Or both. The Miraflores area is nice. Reminds me of Buenos Aires, and if you know me you know I think BA is one of the best cities in the world. There's good shopping, cheap waxing and pedicures, great food in Miraflores. I had an amazing Jordanian salad last night. And the best part about South America...agua con gas por supuesto! Ah, I love it. Like BA, crossing the street here is a game of life or death. Traffic rules just don't really exist. People stop at red lights, but that's about it lol. There's really no sense of PDA here, which is fine. Doesn't bother me. If people love each other why not show it, eh? The hostel I stayed in was nice as well. Had some great conversations with some folks from Kentucky, Israel, Germany, and the UK. One of the girls from the UK, Claire, lives about half an hour from York and might be working there when I move in the fall, so it was good to meet her so that I can know at least one person when I move to the UK. It was my first time staying in a hostel, but I'll definitely do it more often. Claire has been traveling for a while alone and she says staying in hostels is the only way to remain sane when you're traveling alone. Otherwise, you get bored. I can believe that because I was bored out of my mind in San Salvador. I have books, but I didn't feel like reading them and I couldn't pick up a good wifi signal on my whackberry, so I was just there. Bored. Waiting on the plane. One of the girls from Ireland joked about how the U.S. has more study abroad programs than every other country combined. She rarely meets people from the U.S. who are traveling just for the sake of traveling. We are always "on a program." She asked, "Well goodness. How many programs are there?!" We also had a pretty comical conversation about being kidnapped and traveling alone. She'd never seen Taken, but when I told her the story line she laughed like it was the most hilarious thing she'd heard all day. Essentially a big city is a big city is a big city. The same precautions you would take in a city like NY or Detroit are the ones you would take in Lima, or Rio or Paris. People don't just go around kidnapping women from western countries especially because their families are more likely to have the resources to find them. Of course it happens, but not as often as they make it seem in the States, and if you take the obvious precautions (don't go out in the dark in a neighborhood alone, don't tell strangers everything about your life, don't go to a stranger's house alone, follow your gut, etc etc) you'll be fine. Judging from this trip, I'd say she's right. I wouldn't walk alone at night in Chinandega, just like I wouldn't walk alone at night on Bankhead. In other places, I just act like I belong. In Lima, I looked at the map before I left the hostel and I walked with a purpose like I knew exactly where I was going. No picture taking, so I wasn't screaming "I'm a tourist. I'm alone. Please rob me." In cities with high petty crime rates like Buenos Aires, it's not a good idea to walk around alone speaking English to your friend on your brand new Iphone 4. Someone may try to snatch it out of your hand. Now these tips likely don't apply in say, Afghanistan where men and women have to vote in separate polling stations. But they'll get you through the developing/developed world. As soon as I find a way to make some money, I'll be planning another trip, but for fun this time. Anyone interested in tagging along just let me know! Serious inquiries only LOL.
The guy working the reception desk was pretty cool too. He's Japanese, speaks English, Spanish and French. He's moving to Australia in September. We're Facebook friends lol.
Let me tell you about the companies/brands that are making tons of money. I've seen them in at least 7 of the 11 countries I've been to:
1. Dior
2. Lancome and Maybelline...they might not have your color, but they're there.
3. Polo and Tommy Hilfiger
4. Doritos and Lays
5. Snickers
6. Cosmo, yup the magazine
7. Kleenex
8. Coke (well duh)
9. Starbucks
10. McDonald's and Burger King
11. LG
...The trip from Lima to Trujillo wasn't bad at all. The seats were roomy and reclined really far. For most of the trip we were in the desert. Now one thing I'm not good with is geography, so when I woke up and we were driving through the desert I was very shocked lol. The coastline was on our left. I planned on staying awake so that I could see the scenery, but it turned out the scenery was just desert and mountains and the occasional shack or restaurant. I'm pretty sure the ITTSA folks gave me the best meal I've ever had on a bus/train/airplane. A piece of beef, white rice, something else covered in gravy that was good that was kinda like a potato (but I can't really tell you what is was lol), and jello for desert! Yum. I don't remember what we had for breakfast lol. It must not have been that good.
We'll see what Trujillo has to offer.
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