Second/Third Week: Lima

Somehow there is not much to tell, especially since I hardly have any photos, because sometimes I hesitate to take out my phone to take pictures. Although strangely enough, I feel even safer in Lima than in San Francisco, I haven't taken my camera on trips or anywhere else yet. In San Francisco, I sometimes felt a bit insecure, especially in the darkness, due to the high number of homeless people. On the other hand, I haven't had a situation in Lima yet where I didn't feel safe. This is certainly also because I live in Miraflores, one of the wealthiest areas of Lima. But even downtown, near the Plaza de Armas, there is no reason to be afraid. Of course, one must not become careless either.

I am still getting used to the city. I love places like Kennedy Park, Plaza de Armas, and Barranco. I also like having my own apartment, so to speak, even if it's only for 6 weeks and even with roommates. But I get to decide what I want to eat, I have to cook for myself, I can come and go whenever I want, I don't have to coordinate with anyone, etc. I also like that I can walk on the street without worries and stay alone in the neighborhood, even at night. I find it interesting to go shopping or just take my laundry to the shop and have a short conversation in Spanish with the woman at the laundromat.

However, I still need to get used to the fact that I am approached everywhere and that it is rare to turn down men. Probably, it is too obvious that I am not from Peru.

Also, it is extremely loud at night because I live right next to a "highway"/expressway/construction site, so I wake up several times at night.

Since this week, I no longer have a "private lesson" on Fridays. I am quite happy about that, as the day somehow feels quite long. Also, on Fridays, the school cooks for the students, so we eat Peruvian food together. Since the shared meal was always during my private lesson, we decided to extend each day by 10 minutes so that we can make up for the 5th private lesson during the week.

Every Friday, the students and the young teachers go to a bar or a nightclub, so we were also in a bar and a nightclub this Friday. So I have a fixed program every Friday evening. During the week, there are always various activities organized by the school, so last week I went to the "Museo Nacional" and also had a workshop in a chocolate museum. However, the chocolate in Lima is quite expensive and not very good 😄. But the smell of the cocoa bean is interesting, because I didn't know that it smells like oranges.

On Saturday, I met up with Noortje, a classmate, for a coffee and in the evening we went to yoga in "Parque del Amor" with a view of the sea. I miss doing some exercise a bit. However, I only have a few shoes with me, which unfortunately are also white and I don't necessarily want to wear them for sports.

Yesterday I went surfing for the first time. With a wetsuit, the water is not really cold. I had a lesson that lasted 1 1/2 hours for 15€. It was really a lot of fun, even though I maybe only stood on the board for 4 seconds 😂. Today, my arms are incredibly sore from paddling. I hope every beginner feels the same 😂. I think I will go surfing again, but this time I will only rent a board and wetsuit for 5€, because now I know how it works 🙈.

Today I went downtown again with Noortje, as I really like "Plaza de Armas" and "Plaza San Martin". I think I will go there more often 😊. I am very excited about tomorrow, as there will be a friendly match between Peru and Scotland in Lima. On the "Plaza de Armas" there was already a big screen set up today with trumpet playing, etc.

I like Lima, but it is still not the highlight, which is why I decided to go to Cusco one week earlier, so now I will only be in Lima for 4 more weeks.

I am so excited about the time after school (only traveling 😳), that I can hardly wait. Nevertheless, I try to learn a bit of Spanish every day at home, so that traveling becomes easier. It is also good to have some time in between to do some research on what I want to see in Peru and how it is possible.