Exploring Lima makes for an education, because Miraflores where my hotel is, is on the coast it comes with a different kind of environment of surfers, shopping malls and parks.  It’s pleasing on the eye and enjoyable to wander, and must be a pleasure for locals to walk the Miraflores boardwalk where you are able to feel the soft ocean breeze on a warm sunny day.  Moving on down the coastline is Barranco; another enjoyable place to visit with street art, bars and restaurants.

All this was a walkable adventurous distance, but from here I wanted to travel into central Lima, and this brought me to the Metropolitano which is the relatively new (since 2010) Lima bus system.  There is also a separate old bus system, but I cannot even begin to understand, explain or fathom.  The Metropolitano is an experience, Lima has 9.7 million residents, so it is understandable that the bus system is busy, but this is a little crazy busy.  When I say busy, you cannot move, as you are packed in like sardines, and I am being literal.  What is pretty cool is no one cares, no one raises eyebrows as people fight to keep their balance when the bus sweeps around the curving streets.  I’m sure this would be inappropriate contact in many countries, but it is all good in Lima.  I like them for it.

The center of Lima provides a complex backdrop to the city, the main square houses the cathedral, palace and leads off in all directions.  I was told ahead of time that to be careful as you wander around Lima, but this was not my experience at all, not for one minute was I concerned about safety.  Yes, the streets are a bit mad with traffic, and drivers here have their own set of rules for navigating the city, but it works.  Police are seen frequently to steer and commandeer the daily process of making sure Lima does not implode, or come to a standstill.  It’s a well-oiled crazy machine, and I liked it all the more for it.

Exploring the food is a required experience when visiting Lima; trying ceviche is a tourist must, it was decent but nothing to write home about, maybe just a blog.  I tried my ceviche experience at Casa Azul which is a seafood restaurant on Berlin Street in Lima.  It is well rated on Trip Advisor and had its own quirky Peruvian style which was different but good.  Not sure it was as amazing as some of the reviews I read, but good all the same.  In particular, the crab empanadas were outstanding, I could have ate them all day 🙂   We rounded out the choice of food with a nice sea bass dish, and felt well and truly stuffed.

On the first day lunch sucked us to Tanta, which is a cool restaurant down by the water in Mirafloes.  Where you can watch the ocean and view paragliders and they fly by the window as you tuck into your exquiste lunch.  On recommendation from my Peruvian friend and the restaurant waiter I tried the Lomo Saltado, which is a beef based dish that comes with rice and fries, and interesting dish that was beautifully cooked with tender beef making it an enjoyable meal near Larcomar.

Finding good beer has not been a problem, Tres Curches, Cusquena and Pilsen and  have all been rather enjoyable beers, some local and some from other areas of South America.

My favorite spot in Lima though is Salazar Park, yes a nondescript park in Lima near the ocean, but Paddington Bear is here 🙂 🙂 🙂

More to come from Lima tomorrow, and then I am off to Argentina.  This is going to be FUN.