Nine Pics of LIMA!!! 9 of 9

Yes, it is the last of the Lima pictures that I am putting up and blogging about. Don't cry... Or if you do cry please let me know in advance so I can come over and take a picture! This little girl was crying at the zoo. I don't know why... who doesn't like the zoo. Maybe she had been denied some ice cream or a little stuffed monkey. Oh well. She was tremendously cute though!

If you want to see more shots from Lima or any shots, please let me know and i will describe exactly what I was thinking, feeling, and doing the day I shot it! Pictures somehow allow me to remember entire days from a singular captured moment! Talk to you soon I hope!

Nine Pics of LIMA!!! 8 of 9

Have you ever wondered what two turtles humping looks like? No you know exactly what it looks like. My last few hours in Lima were spent at their local zoo. It was fun to see a host of local wildlife as well as some international favorites. I feel sorry for zoo animals, but enjoy the opportunity to see them. I am conflicted... But one thing about zoo animals is that they get ridiculously horny. Being caged up does something to an animal and they just want to do it! Maybe they get bored and need something to take their minds off their captive status. But to see two turtles go at it in slow motion was pretty funny and embarassing. Their shells really get in the way and they slide off frequently!

Nine Pics of LIMA!!! 7 of 9

This happens to be one of my favorite pictures of my whole trip. There is nothing too spectacular about it. Its pretty standard... sunset, lights, ocean, cityline... yeah. There are probably a whole bunch of photos just like this on flickr or smugmug. But this picture speaks to me. I had had a long day of walking and seeing the sites. I had gone to a photo exhibition that was as powerful as it was beautiful as it was depressing. I had just come from taking a bunch of skateboarding pictures at a park and people watching. The cab had dropped me off here because he didn't know where I wanted to go and I was frustrated of pointing it out on a map. But thankfully it all worked out... I was here... at this spot. Looking out at the beauty before me. Awestruck and thanfkful that this was where I ended up. I set my camera up on a mini tripod and tried a few exposure lengths until I got this shot.

Nine Pics of LIMA!!! 6 of 9

Even though I did not see too much of this up close and personal, this picture screams Lima to me. I saw Lima as a beautiful, rich, and vibrant city. I saw breathtaking landscapes, inspiring architecture, and gorgeous and friendly people. This is the other side that we were advised not even to go into. Even though it may not have been "safe" for gringos to go into and take pictures with big cameras, its still like the rest of Lima. With the houses built right into the mountain, I couldn't help but continually look and be fascinated by it. Though the architecture would be considered blah and boxy, the colors, the height, the proximity of the buildings, and my imagining the roads and paths that lead all the way up are really enough to be burned into my mind for life. And I am sure that the people in there are just as gorgeous and friendly as anywhere else... I wish I could have gotten closer... I am thankful for a telephoto lens!

Nine Pics of LIMA!!! 5 of 9

While I was in Lima we were treated to a rather large military parade. It wasn't in our honor though.... just in case you were wondering!!! As we were dodging the parade routes and blocked streets we stumbled across this statue just outside of the main square. I dont know what it commemorates or honors, but it is obviously meant to be noticed and has something to do with dancing. Dancing is by far one of the preferred past times in Lima. Since the statue is bright red it is immeadiately noticeable and cries out to have its picture taken. I laughed at the little boy in the bottom right poking his head out and adding a little more personality to this shot!

Nine Pics of LIMA!!! 4 of 9

This guy was one of my favorite models on my trip. We were going to see the presidential palace and all that good stuff in the heart of downtown. There was a very heavy police presence due to all the diplomats and important people for the APEC conference; so there was a lot to see and watch. Nonetheless, this guy was the center of attention. Every person who walked by or even caught him in the distance wanted to know if he was still alive and what was up with him. He was pretty beat up, but this picture shows him happily resting.

Nine Pics from LIMA!!! 3 of 9

This happens to be from the same park as the Nazca symbols. Throughout the park there was a beautiful cement checkered path that just led me to imagine it heading off the faraway places. It felt like I was a little like Alice in Wonderland or Dorothy heading to Oz. (Do only girls take cool looking paths?) You can see condos in the background overlooking the Pacific. Ummm... yeah.... anyone want to timeshare on one?

Nine Pics from LIMA!!! 2 of 9

This shot is number two on the list from my little visit to Lima.

Lima is a bustling city with all kinds of things going on. It is not some sleepy little South American town. However it is very picturesque with grand views of nature and architecture. This one is a little bit of both. In a different part of the country they have these "crop circle" things but are in the form of animals. They are called Nazca symbols and this one happens to be a little monkey (big monkey i guess). This park is high up on a cliff with the ocean pounding below. People bring the dogs to play. Others bring their lovers to make out with. Do not confuse the two.

Nine Pics from LIMA!!!! 1 of 9

So I have some shots of Lima that I would like to share with a little explanation for each.

So this first one was taken at the beach in Miraflores which is just a little section of Lima. It has a lot of nice restaurants and bars and is a somewhat touristy place to visit. Its a great place though with a lot of culture and a place to meet tons of different cultures. SO this beach offers some surfing opportunities and they guaranteed you will stand up by the end of your first lesson! Unfortunately I was on a tight budget and couldn't hang with them... but they were great to talk to!!! Next time I am in town I will definitely take them up on it!

roller coaster in the barillo...

So I experienced the most intense roller coaster ride in my life.

Today we got a later start to our day because we wanted to go to a photo exhibition downtown Lima which opened at 11am. So we headed out by cab as we have been for the past couple days. Our cab driver didn't seem to know where he was going. He had no idea actually. We took out our map and he stopped to ask directions 3 times. But we ended up going through the worst part of town. Our host had specifically recommended to stay away from that area without a group of locals being our bodyguards.

We did not go the usual way to get into town and we quickly realized we were going through the poor of the poor. It was fascinating and eye opening to go through there. To see how the rest of the city lives was sobering and soon became scary. All of a sudden the tension just shot through the roof. Our cab driver started getting jittery and kept looking over his shoulder. I felt like i was in a spy movie and we were being followed. We knew the seriousness of the situation but still wanted to push the envelope and take pictures. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and these pics had to be taken! This being said, I was not so quick to pull up the camera and snap away. The stress was palpable... the driver rolled up the windows and told us to put away the cameras. He was worried about us, but more importantly about him and his car.

It was a very surreal experience. We felt privielged to view a part of Lima that screams reality and a side that most people don't see. There was a little excitement to be doing something different and dangerous. However, our logic kicks in a now we want to get out. We notice that we are being noticed!!!! The car is bouncing all over the road due to potholes and craters. The driver is tense and the traffic is hemming us in. We were actually bumped a couple times by other cars. With the windows rolled up the heat is now oppressive. We are following a bus who's exhaust is black and toxic. I can't tell you how nervous I was. The first chance we get we are out of that car and heading to a "safe zone."

I am glad to have made it out and really happy that Lima is safe!!!

they stormed the city!

Hey...

I am still in Lima... thankfully! Still loving it here and with each minute that passes by I want to pour myself into its culture.

Today was an early morning start for us. We headed out for a little desayunos(breakfast) in the heart of downtown. Once we had had our cafe con leche we went walking again and got to the main square where the presidental palace is. As we looked around we could tell something was going to happen. There was riot police everywhere and there was a slight edge in the air. We waited around and were rewarded with a military band playing some really good tunes. It was big band meets salsa. It had such a nice kick to it, it caused people to dance in the street in front of swat police in full riot gear. It was really impressive and fun!

Our day continued with walking and a little bit of shopping for souvenirs. However due to a big conference going on and the arrival of the Chinese delegation the city was blocked off in a lot of areas and we were not able to move around as freely as we would have liked. However this allowed us to catch multiple regimens of the armed forces march and parade around the square. It felt like the entire army was there and we just kept snapping away(pictures are to come, but since I did not bring my laptop, you will have to wait to see!) When the parades stopped we finally were able to make our way back to Miraflores (look at the flowers!)

Once arrived we met up with Jorge, our most excellent of hosts, and went out for some sushi. It was sooooooooo good. It was a Japanese-Peruvian fusion and it knocked my socks off! From there we just walked around a little more, because our feet weren't totally chewed up yet, and headed down to the water to have a nice coffee and watch rich people pay too much money for things that they didn't really need. Aren't I a cynical bastard?

Now we are back home and I am blogging... One thing has stuck in my mind from today though. There were a couple of people begging today. I am sure there were more, but I did see about six or seven that really hit me and have caused me to think. It was always mother's with young children and it hurt so bad to see a child not have the same advantages that I have and that my 6 month old has. There is a sadness in their eyes that I cannot begin to explain. However, I turn away. I dont want to look at the reality of things dead on. I want to believe that the mother is not really that hard up and she is bringing her kids, or anybodies kids, with her to make me feel sorry for her... and I harden my heart, ignore her situation, distract myself with just about anything else. I am a cruel for having a granola bar and not giving it to her. I am a liar for pretending that she is not doing so poorly. I am a selfish prick to hold on to my change to get something for those who already have (mainly me). I am a hypocrite for writing a blog about how much I care for those who need it and not making any significant change in my life.

I still love this city even though it can show me for who I truly am.

Lively Lima!!!

So first day done and my feet are aching!

Lima has vaulted to one of the top positions of favorite cities. Its beyond impressive, surpasses gorgeous, supplants interesting... I cant say enough good things about it.

We started off our day taking a stroll in our neighborhood of La Molina before heading off on a crazy cab ride to Miraflores which is a very desirable place to be. The houses range from run of the mill to spectacular Spanish-villa style to condos that are perched on a cliff looking out on the beach below. We walked down the cliff, snapping photos along the way and when we got to bottom we are tempted into surfing lessons by a couple of the locals. "You can't experience Peru until you have surfed it!" was their claim and was tempted to believe them. There are still a couple days left to the trip... who knows. I might just have to go try it.

We climbed back up the hill in search of food and drink and found it at a little restaurant called "Las Pizzas Bar." We were treated to free pisco sours and were so taken with them that we quickly ordered another round at $10 a piece... (uno mas!!!) The waitress was wonderful (weally?) and the food was even better! hmmm... a pisco sour would so hit the spot right now! Once we got up from our beverages we were off exploring and taking pictures again. We walked to different parts of town and were continually blown away by the buildings and the attention to beauty and their desire to inject it into everything.

We made it back to the cliffs, but this time at a huge green park with "Peruvian crop circles" placed in the grass. The cliffs were awe inspiring and we were able to watch the sunset into the ocean. It was obviously very beautiful cause there were about a dozen couples just making out to it all. We kept walking and walking and walking... but we did cross the biggest and craziest public skate park I have ever seen. Not only was it a skate park but it had a huge dirtbike track... with jumps, kickers... the whole nine yards! We ended up eating and people watching on a busy street and after a strong coffee we hailed a cab and took the roller coaster ride back to our part-time home.

Amazing place people! Make your way out here!!!

Mathieu Picchu????

Ok, so I am making this one quick... as I possibly can.

I am currently on a mini vacation in Lima, Peru. I decided to go last minute with a friend of mine to somewhere I have never been before so I can scratch another country off my list. The flight over was very enjoyable with the exception of a couple bumps and the fact that the woman sitting in front of me decided to travel the entire flight with her seat pushed all the way back on my knees... yeah...

Peru is amazing. It is really a bustling metropolis where as a westerner you could get whatever you need. We arrived at the airport at around 10pm and it was a hub of activity. Non stop action. People greeting you and pointing you in the right direction. McDonalds, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and Papa John were all waiting to treat you to the Peruvian experience! There are cell phones for rent, jewelry stories to splurge in, and Inka Cola to drink!

We are staying with someone i met through couch surfing and I am amazed at his place. I would definitely trade appartments in a heartbeat. He is very nice and accomodating and I know that this guy is a gold mine! I am very happy with our find!

So today I start my first full day in Peru... I am excited to explore and get out there! I hope to update on other days as we try and find a cheap way to get to Machu Pichu. Dont know if we will be able to...