Keke keke, hawan igiyar ruwa da rayuwar yau da kullum

Life here in Lima is beautiful!

We spent the holidays wonderfully and enjoyed life to the fullest. In the days before Christmas, I spend my time making gifts, painting cards, and visiting markets. On Christmas Eve, we were invited to the family's house where we live. There were also some other people there. Sharing is the most important thing for Anna (the mother of the house) on this day, which I think is really nice. At midnight, there were hundreds of fireworks outside and everyone hugged each other to wish Merry Christmas. Then, there was a huge turkey and a table full of delicious delicacies including olive rice, applesauce, pasta salad with pineapple pieces, an orange sweet potato puree, and many more. After all the eating, we had a glass of rum before we stuffed ourselves into bed.

I'm enjoying the plenty of time I have here, I've become a mandala painter, and I do a little bit of sports every day. Starting next week, it's time for surfing. I can work at a surf school here on the beach and in exchange, improve my surfing skills.

The new year is also getting closer and we decided to hop on our bikes and cycle to Barranco to celebrate the new year there. So, at sunset, we ride along the beach. Every now and then, we take a little break to enjoy the view into the distance. Cycling is already an adventure on these fat roads with the speeding cars, but well, the view of the sea makes up for it. In Barranco, we first have a couple of beers in the main square. Among blinking Christmas trees, Michael Jackson imitations, and breakdancers, we enjoy the evening. At midnight, we head to the beach, where hundreds of people have already gathered with tents, bonfires, drinks, and of course, a bunch of fireworks. We sit on the sand next to our bikes and watch the wild activities. The atmosphere is heated up and you can feel the energy racing around. I have never experienced such a close, loud, and abundant display of fireworks in my life. It's booming and sparkling all around us, and with a good mood, we slide into the new year! In the bonfire behind us, wishes are still being offered to the fire, and a nice young man even pours some rum over them. So, this can only be a great year ;-)

For a few days now, I've been working at a surf school. Every day, I ride my bike to Miraflores beach. The first thing I do is surf for an hour...it's getting better day by day, but I must say, it feels like I've never done it before. But well, a few more days and I'll be riding the waves too. Otherwise, the day consists of looking at the sea and preparing the boards and wetsuits when someone comes to surf!

Constantly, you see people falling into the water, boards flying through the water, but also people who are really good at it and ride the waves. I'm really excited to have found this 'job'!!!

Wishing you all the best from Lima and see you soon amigos ;-)