Peru

After a nasty shock with the departure tax at Quito airport (US$40 each!) We made it to Lima. We’ve been here in Peru before and had an amazing time on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and then the Amazon Jungle at the Manu national park. This time it’s quite different and we’re rushing through, bussing right down from Lima to Arequipa in one big bus ride.

We’re actually staying in Lima, something we shyed away from last time. A quick search of hostelworld.com back home turned up a place called Backpackers Family House in the Miraflores area of Lima. A great place and the Miraflores area is brilliant. And Lima has a beach and pier! I never knew that! It shows how little attention we paid to it last time.

This hostel deserves a mention for sure. These guys literally went out of their way to make us feel at home, show us around, give us info and call us cabs. It’s small, so not a place to remain anonymous by any means. Although you could certainly be left alone if you wanted we were welcomed into the place with introductions and beer and info/maps galore. We missed the Pisco Sours unfortunately but the next day everyone was invited out to a local restaurant by the hostel owner for Cervicha (Raw fish marinaded in lime juice which has the effect of cooking it – see Hugh Farnley Whittingstall for more!). I think it said a lot that almost everyone staying there went out to this. Of course we had to pay our bill but apparently this was a common thing about once a week.

I guess Miraflores is the posh residential area of Lima. It’s got loads of good restaurants and an amazing supermarket. It seems completely save and I think that’s for a good reason, there are police and security guards everywhere for the wealthy residents as much as for tourists I’d say.

Miraflores is a great base to use in Lima and a good place to relax and get supplies from food to electronics and outdoor gear.

There are even some ruins, right in the middle of the city but I can’t the pics right now!