Happy springtime in Nebraska! Family and friends, I trust that you all had a very happy Easter weekend! Although I spent the weekend in the company of my host family, I really missed not being with my own family for Easter this year and I think that Alex coming to visit only added to my feeling of missing my loved ones that much more. Yesterday morning, I couldn’t help but laugh and cry after opening the Easter card from my parents. More than anything, I am ready for a big, genuine squeeze from my other best friends, Madre & Papa. That’s OK, though; I feel so blessed to have been able to explore the city of Lima with my best friend by my side this past week! Alex’s time here was short, but eventful, and I’d like to share with you some of the fun moments/highlights we shared in his stay. He came on my lucky number week - 11!
Alex and I’s “home base” for the first few days was Miraflores, because it is my favorite district in Lima and I have been there countless times. Miraflores is right by the ocean and there is always something to do there! After breakfast on Sunday (the 20th), we caught a bus to get to another stop and had no idea where we were going. At Puente Benavides, we asked for information on when the next bus would come to take us out of town to our next stop. The lady we talked to was unsure of when the next bus would come, so she set us up with a driver for the day. Our driver’s name was Agli, he didn’t speak any English (but that’s where I came in), but he was incredibly accommodating and kind. Agli wasn’t sure where our destination was exactly either, but he asked many people and thankfully we got there much safer and faster than the public transportation route. Our destination, you ask?
Lomas de Lúcumo, a nature reserve (and much more) just outside of Lima! We made our own path, climbing rocks and finding shells along the way, and if you want me to be honest… I was really scared to be off of the beaten path. BUT we made it to the top and the panoramic view of the city, from the mountains to the ocean, was incredible and worth every mini heart attack I may have had! ;) There wasn’t a ton of wildlife, but we did manage to see a pair of large hawks, their giant nest, and a Viscacha - which is a large rodent, kind of like a cross between a bunny and a squirrel. At the bottom, Agli had waited for us, and we made a stop for lunch in the nearest pueblo of Pachacamac. Alex and I ate nearby the plaza at a small restaurant (in a family's living room), had chicken with rice (a staple here), and sampled pisco infusions within the square. We really lucked out with Agli! He took a selfie with us before we left him, so I think that he enjoyed our presence, too. Ha! That night, we ate tacu tacu (yum!) on the coastline and brought a gorgeous bouquet of flowers back to Surco for my host mom’s birthday. I even gave her a plate of Girl Scout cookies (yes, Alex brought me two boxes!) and I’m really proud of myself for sharing…
On Monday morning/afternoon (the 21st), I took Alex to see the art in the streets of Barranco and hang out on the beach. Lucky for us, it was the first day of school so we didn’t have to compete with anyone for a spot on the sand. We played in the waves (my first time truly getting into the ocean), found some more shells, and discovered a (live!) conch rolling around in the water – a first for both of us! For lunch, we found a hole-in-the wall vegetarian restaurant in Miraflores and enjoyed a really nice and super cheap meal… a tasty, veggie surprise.
Come Tuesday, it was time for me to show Alex central Lima - I really wanted Alex to see the Church of San Francisco and the catacombs for himself! From there, we visited Plaza de Armas and Plaza de San Martín, where we stopped at Gran Hotel Bolivar for Alex’s first (and best) pisco sour in Peru. Time passed so quickly and before we knew it, it was time to catch our sunset dinner reservation at Mango’s! Alex and I caught a gorgeous sunset that night (although every night’s sunset was beautiful on the coast) and had a great meal to go with the view. After dinner, we grabbed a cab to Parque de Aguas, the light and water show in central Lima. This was another first for the both of us and we had a lot of fun, ice cream included! :)
My favorite (above) & Alex's favorite (below)
Wednesday was by far our busiest day together. Following breakfast at Manolo’s, Alex and I went back to Surco. Norma made us lunch before school and I was happy to get Alex through the doors of my university without a problem! Right after class, we met up with some of Alex’s friends and went to the Arabian restaurant that we had been wanting to try. We loved it, but his friends were less than impressed and ate a plate of fries instead (ew, I know!). Nonetheless, it was really great to meet them! A few hours later we met up with a mutual friend of ours and met the others at Help!, where a paint party was in store for us in celebration of Semana Santa (Holy Week). I danced without my favorite shoes (I didn’t want paint all over them!) and smiled all night long at my favorite club with my best friend and his (our) Peruvian friends.
Gorgeous flowers on my campus!
By Thursday, Alex was on his way back home and it was easier to say goodbye to him than I thought it would be… it was more of a “see you later” – I will be home in less than five weeks now and I can hardly wrap my mind around that. I’m not ready for this experience to be over, but I am ready to see my family and friends again! I miss you all so very much and I am missing a lot of things about Nebraska this week, too. Quickly (without going into too much detail), I’d like to share 11 things that I miss about home/Nebraska.
1. Family – I can’t wait to see my parents again and my eyes get teary every time it crosses my mind! I’m ready to share my time and stories with my awesome grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and, of course, Charlie. I seriously can hardly wait to play with my dog that doesn’t have fleas/mites/rabies/etc. AND I get to meet my hedgehog, Luna!
2. Friends – I’m ready to get back to seeing my friends again and sending letters to the ones that I don’t see nearly enough. You know who you are!
3. Spring migration – I miss the Sandhill cranes & all of the other amazing birds that stop in Nebraska on their journeys… a whole, whole lot.
4. Fresh air – A life free of gas fumes… I’ve forgotten what it’s like!
5. Clean water – Grabbing a glass and filling it with cold water - without having to boil it first, that is - is going to be a shock and a half, I’m sure.
6. Safety – Not having to check my bag and my backside while I’m walking around when I’m back in Nebraska will be nice… I have to be aware 24/7 in Lima.
7. Sunsets – They’re just better at home, better than any sunset I’ve seen on the coastline.
8. Big sky & stars – I’ve seen maybe two stars here in the city. Cusco has some! Home has more!
9. Peace & quiet – Being able to drive for 5 minutes and end up in a spot free of noise and people entirely… Boy, do I miss that. (There are way too many people here…)
10. Thunderstorms – I’m going to dance in the rain when I get home, because there is no such thing as rain in Lima.
11. Mexican food (& others…) – I miss pickles, pizza, peanut butter, Mexican food, and more; these are all foods that don’t exist or are simply not the same in Peru.
I’m sure that there will be 11 or more things that I miss about Peru once I am gone, though... & although I’m excited to be back to enjoy these things again very soon, there is still much to enjoy here. In two weeks, I will be heading to the Amazon and I’m so so so excited to experience that! I finished my Neotropics book yesterday, too, and I feel pretty prepared for my journey to Iquitos. This is one of my dreams… to finally see the rain forest. :) Counting down the days to the Amazon!
For now, my wish for you (and me) is another awesome week! Enjoy that Easter candy for me… apparently I’m getting a late basket when I get home (thanks, Madre). Score! Love & light from Lima! Chow chow! - A
Well aren't you cute
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