Lima is for Drinkers

9/15/09 – 12:17 am. Mike and I land in Lima, Peru.

Teresa and Milagros meet us at the airport and lead us to a taxi. We hop in and Teresa immediately hands me a beer. I think I´m going to like South America. And so my first impression of Peru – there are no rules.

We spend the first night getting to know each other over Pisco sours and cancha, the popular Andean snack made from a special variety of corn called maiz chulpe. The kernels are salted and toasted but don´t pop and burst out like traditional popcorn. They are the Peruvian equivalent to American bar nuts. The first word I learn in South America is ¨borracho,¨ (drunk) which appropriately sets the theme for our first week. After a day of stress, airplanes, beer and Pisco we  retire to bed.

The next day we go to Bembo´s and sample Peruvian fast food. I order a burger topped with chorizo and some sort of fried flakes that look like frings (onion ring slices). I come to the conclusion that 1) Fast food is universally disappointing 2) The food barely resembles the pictures on the menu 3) When hungry, fast food always seems like a great idea but I always immediately regret eating it.

They do sell beer, however, which Mike brings along while we check out the mall and supermarket. Upon entering the grocery store an employee stops Mike; not to take the beer but to give him a sticker to show proof of purchase. Apparently in Lima it is perfectly suitable to sip a beer while grocery shopping.

The girls show us different sections of the city via cab, which is an experience in itself. Driving in Lima could and should be considered an extreme sport. The taxi drivers are hands down the worst drivers I have ever seen – and I´m from New Jersey. They treat traffic laws as mere suggestions, driving four vehicles across a three lane street, darting in front of one another, all without glancing in a mirror. Forget about yielding for pedestrians. If 6 Flags opened a ¨Lima Taxi¨ ride it would probably be the most popular attraction. The drivers are that ridiculous.

At face value the city of Lima gives the impression of being crowded, fast-paced, and slightly dangerous. From April to December garúa (coastal fog) plagues the city, making the weather grey and chilly every day. The city´s gloomy tone started to wear on me after four days so it´s no wonder everyone looks miserable. Most neighborhoods look like the developing world but there are a few diamonds in the rough worth a visit. The Barranco district is one of them.

Teresa and Milagros both work at a Barranco bar called Santos. The foosball table, outside terrace, delicious food, potent drinks and bohemian decor give Santos a stellar combination that lands it on my list of top 5 favorite bars in South America.

Our first night at Santos we try Coca Sours. Made with coca-leaf-infused Pisco, the drink has a slightly darker green hue than a traditional Pisco Sour and a more complex flavor thanks to some herbal overtones. Later that night we party at a disco called Tequila´s for someone´s birthday – I´m still not sure whose it was. Mike and I get a bottle of Johnny Walker Red, a bottle of rum and a bunch of mixers, all for $25. When we finally leave we step out into daylight – it´s 7am.

Another day we seek out the popular cuisine Cuy (aka guinea pig). The waiter gives us the option of ordering the whole rodent or just a section. We opt for the whole damn thing – head, teeth and claws still in tact. I must say it was quite disappointing. There is very little meat on it. It tastes like chicken, only worse; it is tougher and gamier. The dish´s appearance is unappetizing, to say the least, with its menacing head still attached, baring teeth. And it was expensive. It cost around $20 for the plate!

We were only in Lima for 4 days but thanks to our wonderful tour guides we saw a ton. In a glimpse: drank pisco/coca sours, ate cuy, enjoyed arroz con pollo, took siestas, chilled at Santos, walked around Miraflores, rock climbed, partied at Tequila disco til 7am, watched Alf, ran through fountains, played soccer futbol, visited the oldest bar in the city, and saw the president´s house.

[Background: It was our first time meeting Teresa and Milagros but we quickly became good friends. Thanks so much for everything!]

The Circuito Magico del Agua is an aquatic exhibit made up of 10 or so giant water fountains and is a surprisingly cool attraction that I recommend visiting given the chance.

Tip: Visit at night when the exhibits are illuminated.

Although Lima isn´t likely to win any beauty awards, its generous conversion rate and laid back tone make it a fun city for partying.

Next stop: Machu Picchu via Cusco!

Did I Really Just Quit My Job and Move to South America?

9/13. My last night in the US was surprisingly calm… until OCD got the best of me.

12:07 am. I pull up the web page for Peru´s entry requirements just to make sure I am not forgetting any obvious documentation. Passport – check. No immunizations necessary – sounds good. Evidence of return or onward travel – what the?! I am going to Chile but I don´t have any ¨evidence¨ and, according to the Peruvian government website, in order to enter the country travelers must show proof of continued travel (ie. a plane ticket,  ie.  something I do not have). Considering my flight leaves in less than 8 hours this could potentially be a problem. I scour travel forum after travel forum, Googling ¨peru entrance requirements¨ and such, reading peoples´experiences with this dilemma and I learn…

-If customs doesn´t allow you to enter the country it is the airline´s responsibility to fly you back to your country of residence

-Customs won´t necessarily give you a problem but the airline might deny you a boarding pass unless you purchase a return/onward travel ticket -  to ¨cover their ass¨

-Some people purchase tickets on the spot and then refund them later

Too tired to think of a good solution I close my eyes and sleep for a few hours.

8 am. At the airport Continental offers to bump me for $300. I pass. I get my ticket to Houston, no problems. Phew, I breath a little easier. Arrive in Houston and board a plane for Lima, Peru. Alright, another hurdle down. Land in Lima and walk up to the immigration counter. An elderly Peruvian man glances at my paperwork and says just one word – ¨Tourist?¨ to which I respond with an exasperated ¨Si!¨. He pounds my passport with a stamp.  I am in South America. A weight is lifted. I  stop stressing about entrance requirements and am hit with a completely new feeling…

I just landed in South America and don´t have a ticket home.

I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes from the movie The Beach:

From mine it’s a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven’t tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It’s probably worth it.

Bursting with excitement, slightly nervous, completely liberated, I step out of the airport and into Lima…

Back in Business

After two months of traveling and exploring it´s time for some reflection and documentation.  I have been writing in my journal every few days or so, but I haven´t had access to a computer for enough time to update the blog. Here is the trip so far…

Background details

Clothes: 2 hiking t-shirts, 2 cotton (v neck) t-shirts, 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 polar fleece shirt, 2 button down hiking shirts, 2 hiking pants, a pair of long johns, pair of jeans, pair of puma pants, 1 pair of shorts, bathing suit, 4 hiking socks, 1 reg ankle socks, hiking boots, sneakers, sandals, camping towel, warm jacket and gloves.

Hiking Gear: sleeping bag, leatherman, 2 nalgenes, water purification tablets, sunscreen, 2 bandannas

Electronics: Canon Digital Rebel Xti, wristwatch

Entertainment: Life of Pi, a notebook, a surf mag, Fodor´s guide to South America

I fit it all in two bags; a big backpacker´s rucksack and a small day pack.

I have used and worn everything, but I wish I could swap some of my hiking apparel for some of my ¨normal¨street clothes. Yes, I have worn Northface to the discos. If I had the chance to repack I wouldn´t change anything, but there are a few items I wish I had now – a guitar, a wetsuit, a netbook and my ipod.

Game plan: The original plan was to get an apartment in Santiago, Chile. Why? It´s safe, affordable, close to the mountains, close to the sea and has a decent reputation. Tickets straight to Santiago were expensive and I had heard good things about Machu Picchu so Peru was then added to the agenda. The plan then became to spend a week in Lima, fly to Cusco, do the Salkantay 5 day trek to Machu Picchu, then cross into the north of Chile and continue down the coast by bus, stopping in coastal towns for a few days at a time upon landing in Santiago in mid October.

Now the plan is…