Swimming with sea lions in Callao

At 7 a.m. I went down for breakfast and had a good rest. I think next time I'll make sure I choose accommodation without breakfast. Because if it's there, then I'll treat myself to it. And it tastes good too. But it's nothing special. Otherwise I could try different breakfast places elsewhere. Breakfast is always worth it for me just for the coffee. I went to my room at 8 a.m. and my taxi driver picked me up at 8:30. We had a little traffic but were in Callao by 9:15. Since the tour with the sea lions doesn't start for another half hour, I explored the area. And I have to say: it's damn cheap here when I look at all the restaurants. I could imagine booking accommodation here next time. And it's also close to the airport. Then I went to the meeting point and we were allowed to wait in a restaurant. There was free coffee and tea there. Since it's the off-season, it's just me and a couple from England traveling through South America for five months. It's really great that we're just such a small group instead of 20 or more people. Then we and our guide went to the harbor and got on the boat. I had a good chat with the couple and they also took photos of me in the water. Super nice of both of them. First we had a boat tour. At some points our guide explained something about the two islands. There used to be a prison on the smaller island. Really cool. Like in the movie Shutter Island. Then we saw lots of birds, penguins and sea lions. We were able to take lots of photos and then we were allowed into the water. We could have put on a wetsuit but didn't as the water wasn't cold. The first moment in the water is of course cool, but after a few seconds it is pleasant. And I forgot how salty the sea water is. Then we swam near the island and the sea lions came very close to us. Our guide told us to stretch our feet towards the sea lions. The sea lions got really close and let themselves be touched. Really cool experience. We were in the water for half an hour and just getting so close to the sea lions made the trip worth it. Then we got back on the boat and drove back for half an hour. We got our snacks (small bag of chips and a drink packet) and were then back at the harbor. Then I said goodbye to the couple and sat down in the sun. I'm so glad I booked this trip after all. After a short break we continued...