Tour 10:40 Arequipa-Lima 12:10
Lunch Danica
Tour Dag Lima
Dinner Alfredos
Hotel Ibis Larco Miraflores
Lima
Time for our flight to Lima. We had the afternoon to explore the center. We had no time to visit any museums.
Our hotel was in Miraflores, the upscale part. We walked around in this wealthy region and we noticed that all people look like Argentineans, and we almost did not see Indians. So Peru has that distinction.
We wanted to lunch in Malabar but that was closed. And the night was fully booked. We went to Danica (crowded with non-indians), and had a good lunch.
When we arrived in Lima center we immediately understood what had happened in Lima. All the rich people, the shops, the chains, restaurants and hotels, all had moved to Miraflores, Barranco and Isidro. The center has been left to the poor, some enormous banks still operating, and some monuments that look deserted. We entered some churches, which were ugly. The square also was a disappointment after having seen Arequipa and Cusco. The city is full of printing companies, cars and trucks. At night the center is dangerous. We have walked around and could not believe that this was once the center of a capital.
We had a good dinner at Alfredos, a crowded bar-restaurant.
Conclusion
Peru is quite expensive for tourists. Tourists are exploited. All entree fees are too high. Seeing a simple ruin will cost 10 to 50 soles. Transport tickets can be expensive. Just entering Colca Valley will cost you 70 soles. Peruvians pay much less for the same tickets.
For example: an official taxi at the airport will cost you 40 soles. The return organised by your hotel will cost only 10 soles.
We considered it to be tourist tax and we hope the money is used well.
Supermarkets have the same price level as Brazil, but non-food products are much cheaper than Brazil.
People
The Indian Peruvian people are wonderful. They are kind, happy, honest, respectful, and hardworking. They treat animals well, we saw only happy cats.
Alpaca
Lamas and alpacas are cool and fun. Alpacas supplied the wool of Claudia´s favorite socks, so you can imagine that it ranks high on her list of great animals.
Gastronomy
Peruvian people are great cooks. Food here is really as good as the French say. We had nothing but good food these 10 days. The Cuscuena beer is fine, the pisco sour is great. We had coffee so good we still cant believe it. At Asturio we had coffee that is made like tea (on your table, and it looks like tea), and it is really smooth. Every morning we drank tea made from the local leaves of coca and muña, and these are great. Chocolate is full of taste and melts perfectly in your mouth. The country is the source of many types of maize and potatoes.
All staff at the restaurants is professional, and cooks are as naturally good with local food as with fusion, as with molecular cooking.
That is a way to our heart.
Scenery
The country is beautiful and large. The cities are ugly, but some have a beautiful center. Lima is different, the southern parts are modern and beautiful while the center is deserted and even if it would be renovated, we guess it would still not be very attractive.
Peru is different and unforgettable.
Return home - Dag 12
08 Nov 12:10-19:55 Lima-Guarulhos JJ8067
09 Nov 10:53-12:42 Congonhas-Brasilia JJ3700
09 Nov 14:21-14:35 Brasilia-Palmas JJ3286
Returning to Brazil, after a holiday in Peru is a bit of a shock.
But being back in Palmas is nice.Labels: Peru 2013