Lima for the First Time

After leaving Chile's capital behind, it was time to continue north to the next capital. Namely the capital of the Andean state of Peru - Lima.

Approximately thirty percent of Peru's population lives in Lima, making it the largest and most important city in the country with its approximately nine million inhabitants.

Arriving in Lima, I took a taxi from the airport to my hostel as usual. The hostel is located in Miraflores, which is like the modern center and tourist hotspot. On the way to the hostel, I was quite shocked by the poorly maintained streets and run-down neighborhoods. However, these districts near the airport probably have this characteristic, and the impression would change dramatically in Miraflores.

I checked into a bed at the KACLLA Hostel near Kennedy Park, and after a relaxing nap following the tiring journey, I took a stroll in the evening to explore the area. Fortunately, due to the neighborhood's reliance on tourism, safety is assured here. I passed by Kennedy Park, walked through a very touristy Inca market, and reached my destination, Wong Supermarket. Actually, I just wanted to quickly buy the classic pasta with tomato sauce, and this supermarket was the closest one. I expected more of a Chinese backyard garage rather than this first-class shopping center. Downstairs, it was full of fancy restaurants, boutiques, and other shops, and upstairs, there was a two-story supermarket that could rival any German supermarket. So, for about two euros, I was able to buy 500 grams of pasta and a tomato sauce, ensuring two dinners.

But tonight, I didn't feel like having pasta and I fell in love with the grill platter that one of the hostel staff was eating. He briefly explained where that restaurant was, and I couldn't resist a quarter chicken, salad, and fries for five euros. Especially compared to Chile, the food here is incredibly cheap.

The hostel was cozy and the beds were very comfortable. At first, I was alone in the dorm room with a Brazilian girl, but during the evening, the other four beds also filled up. To my surprise, they were all women, so I thought I had accidentally booked a women's dorm. That wasn't the case, but nevertheless, I was the male counterpart to all the women in my room for three nights. And to add to that, almost all of them were from Germany. However, the situation was not problematic for me, and the group of women quickly accepted me as one of their own.

Together, we ventured into the historic center the next day, which was a good half hour away by bus. The bus system here works quite well, but I still didn't quite understand the ticket system. In theory, to take the bus, you need to have a rechargeable plastic card that allows you to pass through the turnstiles. However, since this card costs 5 soles and a bus ride is only 2.50 soles, it doesn't make much sense to buy one. That's why there are usually large groups around the ticket vending machine, trying to hand 2.50 soles to someone who has such a card, so that person can let them through the turnstile. The employees and security guards just stand there and watch.

Once we arrived in the city, we first went to the Plaza de Armas, the central square in most cities here. Similar to Santiago, this square is impressive with a huge church and the Palacio de Gobierno. The Palacio de Gobierno is the government building and also serves as the residence for the Polish head of state. Like in London, there is also the Cambio de Guardia (Changing of the Guards) to be observed there every day at noon. This one-hour, in my opinion, completely unnecessary show is probably meant to satisfy the hundreds of photo-hungry tourists.

We then went to the Convento de Santo Domingo, a huge church, and to Rimac, the 'historical center of Lima'. But we only stayed on the outskirts because it supposedly is not as safe in Rimac. Finally, we visited a market that used to be a post office, and I had my first Pisco. It's actually a shame because I had heard a lot about Pisco in Chile. Chile and Peru both claim Pisco as their national alcoholic drink, and the stories of its origins differ depending on whether you hear them in Peru or Chile. Pisco is made from grapes and has an alcohol content of around 42 percent in its pure form, which is why Pisco is often mixed in a Pisco Sour or other variations. The best tasting Pisco for me was in a chocolate mixture. Unfortunately, I forgot the name.

All in all, Lima's historic center is truly worth seeing and in very good condition. Cleanliness and order seem to be particularly important here. Maybe I was just lucky.

Since we met some people from the Piriwana Hostel during the day, Lynn, my roommate, and I decided to visit the hostel. The Piriwana Hostel is one of the many party hostels in Miraflores and can be reached on foot in a few minutes.

On the terrace, we were greeted with a salsa dancing class, which I politely declined to join. I was positively surprised by the atmosphere and the layout of the hostel. The large terrace and attached bar are definitely inviting.

Fortunately, the salsa class didn't last long, and it was followed by a table tennis tournament. I managed to register as one of the 16 participants and played table tennis for the first time in a long time. Luckily, I hadn't forgotten much and despite strong competition, I won the tournament and the complimentary drinks that came with it. A good start to the evening. After a few drinks, a lost round of beer pong, and a won round of foosball, we decided to move on. As is well known, people bond even better under the influence of alcohol, and so we formed a larger group of Germans, Iranians, and Brazilians who went to a club nearby together.

Unfortunately, it was Monday and the hope of a big club party was rather low, but we still found one. The two Iranians knew of a club, and with the help of a photo of my ID, I managed to get in. However, it turned out that the party tonight was more geared towards people with a gay orientation. But that didn't spoil our fun, and we stayed there until five o'clock in the morning and partied extensively.

The next day was a result of the previous evening, and as a result, I didn't really manage to do anything meaningful. But since I won't be in Lima for the last time, it's not a big deal. Luckily, there was a New Zealand girl in my room who also had a significant jet lag, so I wasn't the only one being lazy in the hostel.