Exploring Lima

Holaaaaaaaaaaa friends and family. Where did I leave off? I was getting onto the plane for Lima from  Fort Lauderdale. Well, after it being delayed, I finally got to Peru around 11:30pm. The plane ride wasn’t terrible. I ended up getting an aisle (I always do a window) and the middle seat was empty so the other girl in the window seat and I kinda shared the space. I slept and I read a lot. It was like 5 or 6 hours. Anyway, I get Lima. My driver wasn’t holding up my name so I was like danggggggggggg I hope he didn’t give up and left, hopefully he saw it was delayed. I went to the information desk and called the program woman and she said just to hill by the desk till he arrives. I hang up and I turn around to find a spot to chill and there he was, a short sweet little Peruvian man holding up my name. I said yo estoy Ryli. And he hugged me. So sweet. It took a while to find the other two girls but once we did, the girls and I started to talk and connect. Taiwoo (unsure how to spell)  and Anna. From New York City and Boston. We all ended up being in different home stays but relatively close. Anna and I are in the same complex or gates. She is literally right around the corner. Taiwoo is like a 15 minute walk. We all met up and saw our homestay  and met our host moms. Anyway, when I got to mine that night, past 1am, I met Cecilia and she didn’t know very much English at all. But BOY OH BOY,  did I understand her Spanish. I was shocked with how much I understood. She gave me a tour and told me rules, schedule, etc. So sweet. Awesome WiFi here btw. And it’s so cold and damp here. I knew it was 60 degrees Fahrenheit average but it feels like 50s because of the dampness.

Woke up and forgot I where I was. Oh right, Peru. Hahahahha. I went down for breakfast at 7am and the other three girls haven’t come down. I waited like an hour and nope. So after I was finished I slept for another hour or two before Anna and I were going to meet up to explore. The three girls ended up knocking on my door later. They were good for getting to know the place and how to do transport and what to do around here. They invited me and Anna out to Miraflores to do the Inca markets (I was so indecisive about things I ended up not buying anything), an art museum (contemporary pretty cool), and lunch at their favorite spot (I found to be way to Americanized and expensive, had a burger and Pisco). Pisco is like a Peruvian liqueur here. Very popular and good.  Hannah wanted to do all these things because it was her last day. Charlotte and Sarah are teachers and I think they all were here three weeks. San Francisco (Hannah) and South Carolina (Charlotte and Sarah) I think.

Later, I showered and had dinner. Dinner was good. Rice and salad and some sort of potato and corn orange stuff. Their corn here is HUGE. Like the kernel. They have like dozens and dozens kinds of corn and potato’s. Can’t drink from the tap. Later, I went over to Anna’s homestay for a party. It was a  holiday for some saint. They made me pisco sours and we danced and salsa danced for like three hours. The family speaks good English. It was amazing. They are like brand new fresh with the program. Whereas my Cecilia has been doing it for three years. They also played Afro-Peruvian music and showed us how to dance. Anna’s host mom’s name is Cecilia too.

Taxis......need to have their license plate number on a yellow sticker on all sides of the car to be legit. If not, badddddddddd.

Casinos every where here.

Yesterday, Anna and Taiwoo and I went to Central Plaza to explore. Went to a chocolate shop (cocoa beans are popular here), I got two sweaters (bargaining is fun!), had some pizza for lunch (finding a good local spot that also has WiFi to translate the menu and has vegetarian options was difficult, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it), went to the super market (like a HUGE farmers market for everything and anything u need). The markets kind of have sections for the vendors. Like all the fruits will be on one aisle and then suitcases have a row and the meats and the kitchen supplies etc etc. We also saw Chinatown. Tried gelatin cups fresas, super popular. Tried chichas morado, a purple drink made from purple corn, it’s cold and tastes good. Inca Kola is a thing (drink). We also all tried dragon fruit and a apple thing and some sort of red fruit known for dieting. All the funny looking fruits. There is a snack that is corn warm  kernels. Fluffy and a little salt. Very good.

Bazzaro (sucks and expensive) and went to Tequila rocks (sucks) last night. Bar publico first tho and cheap and nice. We met up with a bunch of other volunteers. Like 9 of us. Safety in numbers. Me and my two friends (Anna and a new one that just arrived, Oxana from Russia, were not liking the bars or clubs. Covers and expensive and AMERICAN MUSIC, like no.). Once we left them, we didn’t stay till bar close, us three decided to find local bars that has Spanish music and salsa dancing and cheap good drinks. Safe.

Birds are crazy here. The house is so cool and Peruvian style and I’m in a small hut on top of the y’all house (cool view and balcony) but the birds! Scratch and coo a crap ton.

Pisco is also known for having egg white foam on top of the drink. Sounds weird and looks weird but pretty good.