Saturday 11.10.14 – Lima, Intrepid tour begins.

Suzie located another hotel in Santiago this morning, when she was awake earlier than me. She has been looking for something better for our last few days and found a good value 42% off price in El Golfo barrio of Santiago. So we cancelled Galerias and booked it.

Downstairs to print off confirmation, before breakfast and packing then off to check out.

We headed out of find Parque Kennedy in Miraflores. Found 7 de Junio Parque – which turns out to be a cat park. We saw small cat stalking through a flowerbed and thought it quite cute…only to find heaps more lazing about the lawns, flowerbeds and concrete seats etc in the park. Evidently some volunteers come each day and leave containers of food and water under the trees (there was plenty of food, so they do a good job) There were tourists and locals patting them, nursing them on laps. Quite amazing to see, as we haven’t seen many cats. 

Lots of dogs here in Lima, with owners, lots of Schnauzers, plus many other pampered pooches. 

Two cats in the cat park.

Curled up in the flowerbed.

A backpacker with some to kill
between busses, was keen to get in
a little cat time.

This guy looked a little Burmese, so I took this
shot for Bronwyn.

A bull sculpture in the park, we wer
to see many more bulls later in the
trip.

 So having checked out Parque Kennedy, then walked a long way down to the beach past Rosa Nautica, which wasn’t open, so we bought an Inca Kola at a street stall – just like creaming soda – we quite like it!

To get down to the beach, we walked past a whole area of tennis courts and gym etc, then we found roadworks right along the road along the foreshore, which was cutting off access to the beach, we watched a few others venture through the roadworks, amongst the working graders, rollers, trucks etc, so we followed, a bit muddy and rocky, but we made it down to the beach.

There's Suzie, picking her way across the rocks and
mud.

Down at sea level here.

A pair of large gulls on the rocks.

I touched the Pacific. The beach here is really large pebbles, of many colours, and makes the most amazing drumming/clunking sound as the waves roll in and out.

The pebbles were big, lovely colours and many
urchins skeletons among them.

Me down getting wet.

There were a number of surf schools along the
coast, with some funky old Comby vans just sitting
there rusting away.

Looking towards the Rosa Nautica pier. Didn't
open till 12, so we couldn't get a drink.

Looking up to the suburb above, through the dry
and dusty cliffs.

About to enjoy our first taste of Inca Kola, which
Suzie had read tasted similar to creaming soda.

We were running out of time prior to check out so caught a cab home, it took a long time, as the beach road is one way and with the roadworks, it was a long way past our suburb, to get an exit and get back around through many one way streets. Anyway we made it to check out with 5 minutes to spare, then a quick last look at Kuna for Suzie, before catching a cab to our next hotel, where we start the Intrepid tour. There are only 3 of us to start the tour. 

The Tierra Viva logo, which I really liked.

Here we are with the logo.

We caught another cab for 4 soles (about$1.50) for lunch at an Artisanal Bakery – el Pan de la Cholo. Brilliant vegie sangas (made with large focaccia like bread) we shared a Feta and Libanes – beautiful and fantastic quality bread. Coffee then back to hotel Monte Real, for our 3pm tour meeting. Another lovely and last day in Lima.

Enjoying the lunch at el Pan de la Cholo.

Catching up on journal, facebook status, with
coffee and half a nutty caramel slice.

Met in the foyer, our third person is Bruce from Newcastle – our guide Paloma Picasso. We are 3 till tomorrow, when we meet the rest of the group in Cusco. Not sure who is trekking and who is not.

Paloma took us on a great walking tour of Downtown Lima, to the square, where we saw a wedding (Suzie, likes to get a wedding photo in every country) the markets, the churches, the shopping, the river, the pet section of market. Unfortunately, we saw some illegal stuff, like smuggled Amazonian lizards and parrots. 

We caught the Metropolitan Bus system home, which runs along the centre of the Expressway. Walked again through Miraflores, where Paloma left us for dinner at Punto Azul, Suzie and I shared Peruvian Ceviche – raw fish cooked in ceviche sauce (the lemon cooks the meat) – pretty good, then Bruce, Suzie and I shared Parmesan Scallops and Garlic bread, with the obligatory Pisco Sour. Home to hotel and bed.

Great skill in the woodwork. 

Door decorations.

Getting ready for a wedding, we think these would
be pew ends.

Selling her pots at the market.

You could pay money for a photo
with the llama.

Hard boiled quail eggs for sale.

Street scene at the market.

Illegally smuggled Iguana for sale.

Halloween clothing...for Dogs!

An example of local buses, these were usually packed.

This playpark area, runs alongside the river in Lima.

Here is Bruce, Suzie and Paloma.

One of several brides we saw at
the same church during our walk.

that's a fair load to push with the treddly.