City ruins and sore feet

Day 3 in the tropics… and once again I find myself in my favorite hammock enjoying the breeze as a light rain sprinkles down.  This morning again the internet “no esta”, so will putter away on word.

Another catch up post… as I last left you at the tail end of day two.. and, unbelievably it is already day eight.

Onward...  Days three and four in Lima were spent mostly walking around the city areas adjacent to the hostel.  Notes and highlights:

Breakfast is a reminder every day that the whole “no wheat” thing is going to be a challenge here.  Standard offerings are coffee, fruit and a scrumptious selection of baked breads.  Supermarket purchases to supplement this are walnuts and yoghurt.  Could get very old, very quickly.  

Star Peru, one of the many domestic airlines, comes through again with availability to Tarapoto at a non-gringa price.  I seriously think I should join their frequent flyer program, as I think this makes flight 17 in the past 5 years. 

Day 3 in Lima had my sights set on walking around one of the ruins being excavated and reconstructed right in the heart of this metropolitan city of 10 million inhabitants.  It is a remarkable sight to be driving down a major thoroughfare and to pass a large lumps of dirt, some almost 2000 years old, with areas of slightly discernable adobe brick ruins.   Huaca Pucllana is the closest to Hostel El Patio, easy walking distance.  A stroll along the road circling the site revealed areas under excavations, areas being restored, bare untouched ruins and areas that looked as if they are being prepared for the time tours are available on the site itself. 

Managed to get turned around nicely at some point, and after eventually realizing this a very nice gentleman helped point out the right direction.  After a long, hot, blazingly sunny pedestrian exploration, lunch was sorely needed.  As was a siesta.  Woke in time for some blogging, and forgoing a heavy dinner headed off to the casino to kiss $20.00 goodbye.

Morning brought time and inclination to head to the district of San Isidro, and being it was not too great a distance the decision was to have another pedestrian day.  On the  hit list was a boutique shopping area, another set of ruins and a large park area.  Let’s just say at this point that most maps issued by local tourist organizations suck.  So do streets without signage… if you catch my drift.   Also on my list of things that suck are multilane roads and traffic circles choked with vehicles of all shapes and sizes driven by crazy, pedestrian loathing kamikazes.

On to the days outing…  first (and closest) was the large park area known as “Olive Park”, a long strip of green dotted in perfect orchard style is what remains of a historic Olive grove.  Trees bent and twisted with age, they are still bearing fruit even though they be urban dweller now.  There is a lovely long and wide interlocked walkway straight through the centre of the trees, with benches set about to encourage sitting and viewing the bounty of tropical birds that now call the green space home.  I caught glimpses of yellow, cobalt, sky blue and purple-black cheerily chirping specimens in addition to the hundreds of mundane looking pigeons and morning doves.  This place deserved a slow saunter, and that is what it got. 

Next was (following the directions of the nice gentleman practicing his English in the tourist info booth at the side of the park) the second urban ruin, Huaca Huallamarca.  Dating from slightly earlier on the historical continuum than yesterdays’ site, this one has undergone much more excavation and reconstruction, is open to the public, and has a very small on site museum showcasing small funerary items as well as mummies.  The total site area is much smaller, and sits so close to the other ruin that I can’t help wonder about the vast amount of archaeological information sitting under the residential neighbourhoods and congested roadways betwixt them. 

There are plenty more ruins dotting the Lima area, and more detailed historical info about them and the two I visited can be found following this link… scroll down past the ads to find it.    http://alianzaamerica.com/LastMinuteLima/Ruins.htm   This is probably not the most authoritative or exhaustive list, but it did come up at the top of the search results and gets the job done (more or less).

Two blocks away from the ruins is an area touted as “the most upscale shopping in Lima”.  I fail to see the justification for such a claim, as the area (and another one a few blocks away) just didn’t seem to have a huge amount of stores, along with what looked like some upscale restaurants.  Maybe you have to be “in the know” to appreciate it.  The City Tour guide had called San Isidro the most exclusive and expensive place to live in Lima, and judging by the well tended homes (with glorious gardens) and many  sleek mid to high rise buildings (with fabulously treed and gardened terraces) this is probably so.  Definitely well off my price point.

After 6 hours of walking I have hot, sore tired feet… so I hobble back to Miraflores for a very late lunch.  Stopped at a restaurant that a couple of days previously I had ordered a Spanish tortilla, which my waiter explained was vegetarian and came jam packed with all sorts of veggies.  Upon my return I happily ordered a Spanish tortilla and was presented with a platter of mystery meats cooked into it.  I called over the waiter (different fellow this time) and politely asked where my vegetables went… no, he says, I should have asked for a vegetarian tortilla.  Hmmm… I look and nope, no such animal listed.  When I asked for a replacement I was served a tortilla consisting of runny eggs and frozen vegetables, seasoned with chicken soup mix.  It was awful.  No return to this restaurant planned.

Short walk back to the hostel (thank god) and a lovely long nap.  My feet felt recovered enough for a wander to the ocean bluffs for sunset,  and a return trip to the casino to kiss another $20.00 goodbye.

Next day it became apparent that I had overdone it the past couple of days, and although I wasn’t in pain there was simply no umph left.  Back to bed and a solid sleep until 1pm.

Revived by a shower, I went around the corner to a local eatery and enjoyed a delicious 3  course vegetarian lunch for about $5.  Hit some local department stores and picked up a couple of t-shirts and a small kettle to take with me to Chachapoyas.  I do love my tea before bedtime.   Back to the hostel to blog, some window shopping and then returned to the casino to make back the $40 and a wee bit more. 

Time to pack… and a realization that the laundry did not drop off my clothes like they were supposed to.  Perfect.  I have a morning flight and a cab booked.  Grrr.

Nothing like a little aggravation to keep one from sleeping well, so I am NOT well rested, NOT in the mood for airport aggravation and definitely NOT feeling at all in an agreeable mood.  With basically no time to wait, the laundromat opens late (thanks, Mr. Murphy), keeping traveller and cab driver waiting 20 minutes. 

Love leaving for the airport late.  (heavy sarcasm intended)

Thankfully traffic was light, and the driver knew the shortcuts, because we made it with time to spare.  Check in was efficient and friendly (a Star Peru standard), and it was off to Starbucks for some mint tea to try and find some Zen.   Watched a facebook posted Tom Thomson video on living conditions in Attawapiskat, it is worth a watch…  I`ll try and post a link later, once the internet returns. (or you can google it)

Another round of airport security… boots need to come off, but putting a bottle full of water through is ok.  International regs. Vs. domestic regs.   Managed to set off the alarms because I inadvertently touched the sides of the metal detector (oops), but got coordinated enough to make it through the second time while we all laughed. 

Wandered and poked about the various shops (see LAX… everyone seems to do it better) and tried some samples of dark chocolate covered jungle fruits, heavenly at only $11.00 per small pouch.  Maybe on my way home so I don`t eat them all in lieu of healthy food.  I have been known to do this. 

Flight`s late, but waiting room is air conditioned so it is all good.  There is rainy season cloud cover, but there were good clear breaks along the route so I got the (for me) rare opportunity to see the High Andes.  And the inland mountains, small settlements, rivers and roads, which slowly gave way to the tropical mountains, rivers and vegetation. 

Got off the plane to the welcoming punch of the scorching, full sun, afternoon heat of this Jungle town.   Finally my hammock is but a short moto-taxi ride away.