Day Five in Peru - Cuzco to Lima (Miraflores)

 I wake in the morning worried about our flight and am cautious about going to the ruins. So we opt to pack up and head to the airport early.

We get to the LAN ticket counter and snake through a line for 45 minutes to check in and find out that once again we will have to come back later to get our seats. Our flight is at 10:10 and they will not close it until 9:00 and so back up to the food court we go to wait -- dang I should have let us go to the ruins. Now we are stuck here just killing time, ugh.

At 9 we go back down to the counter and they tell us we just need to stand down there and at 9:15 they will start calling stand-bys right there at the ticket counter. Okaaaaay. We are called, get our tickets, head to security, and then up to the gate and board the plane. Once again, LAN gives us treats that we pocket for unexpected hunger moments.

We arrive in Lima a short one hour later and go the information booth for the scoop on the taxis here. We hire a taxi and head to Miraflores (a nice suburb of Lima about 45 minutes away) where our hostel is located. The drive is nice and the ocean is on our right as we near Miraflores, with cliffs on our left.

Everything is a lush green and there is a mist in the air from the water. We are staying at the Tinkus Hostel and we love the location. Excellent choice Mister.














We check in, drop our bags in the room, and head down to the corner to a little local restaurant/cafe called Tropicana for the lunch special which is a drink, appetizer, entree, and dessert for 9 soles. Seriously?? That is about $3.50. The place is packed and you have to grab a table when they open up or someone behind you in line will. I think we are the only tourists in the place and share a table with two young men, one of which speaks a little English and helps explain some of the menu items. The food is good and filling and we take our time as the line has ended and the lunch rush is over.

We go back to the hotel (all of about 3 doors down) and plan our day.  We are just going to wander the city for awhile.  I tell Mister about a park near the ocean and so that is the direction we go.  We marvel once again at the cabs as we walk -- we are amazed that they do not get in accidents as they dart in and out amongst each other.  Soon we can feel the mist in the air as we approach the cliffs overlooking the beach.  We come to a busy divided road and in between the streets, they have built a very posh tennis club -- terraced all the way down to the beach.  And then we are here.  Way up on the cliffs overlooking the waves.  (Check out my hair -- Wow, what the humidity did to it -- looks like I have enough for several people.)

We watch the surfers for awhile and then head down the road to the Parque del Amour -- that's right -- the Park of Love.  There is a winding, tiled wall there and a romantic statue in the center.  Mister and I weave our way around the wall and stand overlooking the ocean, just enjoying the moment.

We continue down the road and come to another park where para-sailers are just taking their shop down for the day.  We find a bench in the park that overlooks the ocean and sit and enjoy the view and watch the people go by for awhile.  It is starting to get dark and so we weave our way back through the streets and come upon Parque Kennedy in the center of town.

It is absolutely bustling with activity.  We walk through and find a craft market set up in the center, popcorn and other treat stands scattered throughout, and families everywhere.  Work is over for the day and the neighborhood is out.  Children can be seen playing in the playground (although barely heard as they play so quietly) and cats EVERYWHERE.  It is amazing.  They are like pigeons standing in front of people quietly waiting for a treat.  People scatter cat food in various places and the whole place has a festival atmosphere.  It is wonderful.

We cross through the park towards the business area and Mister finds a cute little espresso place so we rest for a few minutes while he energizes.  We continue wandering the streets and find a great little pottery shop that we stop in and visit with the owner.  The alleys are full of great little shops and local people going about their daily lives.

We decide to go to a restaurant that was  recommended for their ceviche, but after finding it, we discover that it is only open for lunch so we decide to go to a restaurant right near our hotel.

And what a wonderful decision that turned out to be. Saqra is this cute little nook that has a patio on the Avenue and so we sit in the corner on these little "ottomans" that hold your personal belongings inside.  Great idea.  Our waiter is so great and moves the outdoor heater near us and makes us feel so comfortable.  Our food is amazing - Mister has the Octopus w/Mushroon Risotto and claims it is the best octopus ever.  I have a wonderful Gnocchi (homemade from the many wonderful potatoes in Peru) with Huancaina  sauce.  It is delightful and we sit and visit and enjoy the evening air even as it starts to chill and the mist surrounds us again.  We finish off with a banana creme brulee with chocolate truffles and coffee ice cream. A great end to the day and we head back to the hostel to shower and crash.  We are beat again but it was a wonderful day.