Lima...

Not an Easy Place to Live

But living there can be exciting. Lima is one of those cities that get consistently mixed reviews. Many travelers want nothing more than to get the hell out of Dodge as quick as possible. But, if you give yourself the time, it has some interesting and even fun characteristics. Not an easy place to live, you have to be on your guard, but even that becomes second nature after a while. It's often said there are two Perus...Lima and then the rest of the country.

Background

Historically, it was once one of the richest cities in South America(in fact the world) during colonial times. The Spaniards used it as their base while plundering the wealth of the Andes. They didn't fare well at high altitudes and so when ever possible lived in sea level Lima. Colonial Lima was a small city of rich churches and palatial homes...and the lesser quarters of those who served the elite. It was only after World War II that the city really began to grow....particularly after the mid-70's thanks to the abolishment of internal passports. Today it has a population of over 8 million. Of these, the majority live in poverty...many in Pueblo Jovenes....a semi-polite word for slums. Not really young towns any more...some are now with basic public services...but many areas still lack. Often formed in the early days by paracaidistas...parachutists. Groups of squatters would descend upon an area and set up crude shacks. Possession being 9/10s of the law, whole neighborhoods grew this way. So why do it? Imagine yourself a peasant in the mountains..living in a small village. What is your future? You grow a few basic crops. The village offers little else in the way of employment. These folks see Lima on TV....a huge metropolis with things they can only begin to imagine. There are obviously 1000's of different kinds of jobs. Surely, they think...there has to be something for me. Reality is they come to Lima...only to find that things aren't really that much better. But they keep coming. 1/3 of the country lives in Lima. It can't support them...but.

Location

Located on the coastal plain, Lima is a dry city. Rains are at best a heavy mist. Water comes from the mountains via the Rio Rimac. Don't plan on swimming there. Besides the large amounts of sewage, the river is also rife with heavy metals from mining operations in the mountains....drink bottled water in Lima. The ocean keeps the temperature tolerable...high 80's are usually the worst you will experience...but humid. From June to October the city experiences La Grua....a period of cool, very cloudy and humid weather. Folks who can afford them have dehumidifiers in their closests.You won't see the sun during these months.

My Stay

So what was there to keep me around? Although I had read a lot about the city...not much of it good...I didn't get a lot of personal info about it until the early 80's when I was traveling on a lengthy trip from the US heading south overland...this in pre-Darien monorail days. I'd run into backpackers heading north who had been in Lima. General consensus was that except for being a good place to pick up girls it was not somewhere to spend a lot of time. I'd settled down in Quito and was having the time of my life. I knew that eventually I'd head that way. But I thought of Lima as being someplace to make a short stop over in ....handle mail and supplies...before heading for the mountains and Cusco. Gotta remember this was pre-Internet days when mail was somewhat problematical and phone calls were something done best from capital cities. After my somewhat abrupt...and unforeseen deportation from Ecuador....I found myself on the road to Lima. OK...figured I'd see what it had to offer, spend a couple weeks looking for a job and if that didn't pan out I'd head to Cusco. I pulled into town one morning from Trujillo. Arriving at one of the numerous bus companies behind the justice ministry I humped my gear over to Jiron de la Union. Now a pedestrian mall connecting Plaza San Martin with the Plaza de Armas, in those days the conversion was just beginning. I got a collectivo room in funky old hotel overlooking the street. For them what's never experienced 'em, collectivos...far more common in those days...were rooms with 4 or 5 beds...usually private beds. Your next door bunky was whoever checked in next. Kinda fun in a way. I set up shop...found my way to the Abancay market..and dug out my stove. I was home. Cooking my meals, laundry done in a tub, and the fun of lining up in the morning for showers that trickled luke warm water. But...the local liquor stores sold a wide variety of cheap booze...most of which you can't find anymore...too many synthetic chemicals. The local pharmacies were also an endless source of amusement. Gradually, several of my friends from Ecuador found their way to Lima and we picked up where we had left off. I started looking for work and almost immediately picked up part time English teaching at a small downtown school. I was only there a short while before getting hired on full time at an outfit called Translex. Translex has since folded. Probably had something to do with the highly substantiated rumor that it was a front for laundering drug money. But it was in Miraflores...one of Lima's nicer neighborhoods. I got an apartment only 10 minutes walk away. I was making the big sum of $300 a month. That was what a beginning doctor was making. In those days several things were happening that greatly effected life in Peru. The big thing was the revolt by the Sendero Luminoso. These were...and still are in a diminished way...folks with a somewhat Maoist interpretation of Marxism. Some other time I'll go into details and a few of the fun occurrences I had. What this all meant was that besides the fact that they ran the Pueblo Jovenes at night we also had periodic black outs as they blew up power pylons. Bunch of folks getting killed too. The economy was in the shitter....surprise...it still is. Inflation was rampant, the currency devalued on a daily basis. At least my salary was dollar pegged. How did I make it on $300 a month? Well....rent was $100 a month...coulda got something a lot cheaper. Food worked out to about $2 a day. Entertainment...of all kinds...was cheap. Much of the formal economy was dominated by government corporations. Big import substitution drive going on. This meant that imported goods were expensive and a pain to get. At least the smuggling went smoothly. I did my part. That's the big change today. Peru has gotten over that and you can buy most any imported item....not cheap but available. At least in Lima. Elsewhere you tend to hunt.

Arriving in Lima

OK...you've read this far. So are you going to stay in Lima? Fair number of people decide to skip it. Main way if flying into Lima is hop a flight to Cusco. That is especially tempting to short timers. It's a long haul overland to Cusco...but lots of neat stuff to see on the way. But if you just want to go direct to Cusco then fly. One problem is that lots of flights arrive at night and the flights to Cusco all go in the morning. It's a ways into downtown or Miraflores from the airport. No you don't need an official taxi unless paranoid. Save a few bucks and deal with one of the guys hanging out in the airport. But...since you may only have a few hours between flights one option is to sleep in the airport. Here's what you do: Soon as you leave the arrival area there will be exchange offices about 100 ft. ahead. To your left is a flight of stairs to the mezzanine. Other stairs further on too. At the top of the first flight of stairs is a seating area and a bar. The bar has nice sofas and for the price of a drink you can hang out until closing. They serve food too. When ready to bed down follow the mezzanine all the way to the other end. You will pass a restaurant...cheaper than the bar. Next is a seating area. You'll see lots of gringos camping out. This is a safe area. Just join the group. Below is a Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast.

If you arrive in Lima by bus the odds are you will be in a shitty neighborhood not too far from downtown. Although its walkable I really suggest getting a cab for safety sake. Keep in mind that a hobby of mine is trolling for muggers...so if I give a safety suggestion it's probably a good idea to follow it. 3 main areas to stay...downtown area is the cheapest...smoggy and a bit stressful. Miraflores is the flash area. Couple of places in Barranco. Check under Travel Advice...but not now as nothing is there. Eventually I'm gonna put some of my suggestions for hotels. For now use your Lonely Planet guide. I've used them for 20 years now and find them the best...not perfect..but the best.

What to Do

So whata you going to see? Let's do the cultural things first. Museums...well...originally I'd have said the Gold Museum was top of the list. But...it now turns out that a lot of the artifacts are phony. Should you go? The weapon collection housed there is first rate. And I suppose the copies are what the originals would have looked like. The museum isn't cheap...it's a private operation. Taxi fare out there is high. But here is a way to save on that. You can go a large part by bus. Time for a warning. Avoid the big buses in Lima. They are famous for pickpockets. Smaller mini-buses and vans are only a few pennies more..and a lot more frequent. Much safer. So anyway..you take a bus out Javier Prado Este until you get near the race track (Hippodromo). You are now in the neighborhood of Montericco..probably Lima's swankiest area. Here you can get a cab to the Gold Museum. Coming back...walk a block or so from the museum to flag down a cab. The cabbies outside the museum charge way too much. Repeat the bus process. This is if there are only 1 or 2 of you. It's cost effective to use cabs if there are 4 or 5. Elsewhere in town use cabs...they are cheap. Always in ask in advance how much the fare is. Don't be afraid to bargain if it sounds too high. I've been pretty lucky with Lima cabs but stories abound of folks that have paid way too much. What other museums? As you went out Javier Prado you passed the Museo de las Nacion. This is the big anthro museum. Well worth a visit...but it doesn't compare with the anthro museum in Mexico City. Next on my list....Rafel Larraco Herrera museum. Here is a huge collection of pots...arranged more on artistic merit than anything. Don't miss the display of Moche erotic art in another building. That's why most go. The other kinda must see museum is the Museum of the Inquisition. This is downtown on the same square as the Congress. Check the hours...last time I went by there were certain times set aside for school groups.

The Plaza de Armas is the heart of downtown. Two things to see here..the Presidential Palace and the Cathedral. Go by 11:30 am to get a spot to see the changing of the guard at the palace. As with any mention of times...check to see if that schedule still holds. Photos of the Plaza. The main post office is also off the plaza. Best selection in town for post cards and posters. Follow the street to the right of the Presidential Palace. There is the old railway station. If they get it going the train from Lima to Huancayo is the highest ride in the world. On the corner across from it is the Cordano brothers restaurant. Supposed to be the oldest in Lima. Cheap meals. Around the corner and down the street is San Francisco. Take a tour of this monastery. The catacombs are filled with 1000's of bones. The building has recently been renovated. It's very much worth your time. Across the street is the Hotel Europa. One of the old backpacker hotels, it's about as cheap as you can get and still have you own room. Couple of cheap restaurants around too.

OK. You want to know about nightlife. Lima is a late night place.Friday and Saturday nights are the best times for nightlife but you can find something going just about any night. Lot's of places don't get hopping until 9 or 10pm. Many clubs are at their best after midnight. Of course like the club scene anywhere, places come and go.

A well recommended activity is to take in a pena. This is a cultural event that can be found in many countries in Latin America. It revolves around traditional music. Food is usually served. Many penas are touristy but still worth the time. Hatuchay is one of Lima's oldest penas. It's located in Rimac...just across the bridge from the Presidential Palace. Take a cab. This is not a place to be strolling at night unless you are armed and in the mood to off someone. It has a mixture of traditional music from Andean styles...of which there are several..to some African themed acts. A safer area for penas is Barranco. This has long been the artist colony area of Lima. Down by the ocean it's easily reached by cab or micro.

Downtown has been losing much of its nightlife. Main areas are now Miraflores and Barranco. San Isidro has its share of nice restaurants and a couple of clubs but the preceding are recommended as its easy to stroll from place to place. Barranco tends to attract more young folks. Miraflores...probably because of Parque Kennedy...seems to draw the families. Of course other neighborhoods have their spots...I'm just talking about the places that are easiest for travelers. Lima is the one place in Peru where there are gay discos and bars (this site also has some pretty good info for anyone in Lima). Some of these are still downtown.

Prostitution is one of those things that politically correct Lonely Planet doesn't really mention but lots of it in Lima (Surprise!) Ads in El Comercio...the major paper...under various obvious titles. Also, you'll spot hookers hanging out in many of the sidewalk cafes in Miraflores. No....not Times Square types. They usually look classy. Also...many of the clubs and discos will have their share. Yep...lots of AIDS..so take your raincoat.

Food

You can find just about any kind of meal at any price range in Lima. General suggestion for all of Latin America except Mexico...stay away from Mexican restaurants. Of foreign dishes, Chinese and Italian is done the best, although IMHO, I've yet to find really good pizza crust in Peru. But what about Peruvian food? At the cheap joints its going to be basic. You can eat as cheap as your stomach can handle. The real bottom end place is a comedor popular. This is a subsidized eating joint. I've used them on occasion. No one ever seemed to mind. My Peruvian friends swore I was risking my life. Usually in working class neighborhoods they aren't really convenient. You can get cheap food in the market restaurants. But, for a buck more my advice is to stick with the simple places. The real secret to saving money in just about any restaurant in all of Latin America is to look for the daily special. This is a set price meal, often served for lunch. In Peru it usually goes under the name "Menu". Though some places also continue it into the evening. It will usually include soup, a main meat course, veg, at least one starch-potato, rice, noodles or bread and some kind of juice drink. As the price goes up a salad or desert might be added. If I'm budgeting I stock up on fruit and bread for breakfast, hit the menu for lunch and then something light for dinner. Soups are good in Peru. Although the meat might look funny, they are usually thick with rice and/or potatoes. Some kind of aji(salsa) is usually on the table to spice them up. They will fill you...and in the mountains...warm you. One of the best I ever had was in Puno...quinoa(a very high protein grain mixed with cheese. You can find it in Lima. SAFETY: If you are just starting your trip you are probably paranoid about getting the raging shits. I've always eaten just about anything. I've paid for it too. Now a days I seem to be pretty immune to most bugs. That or sanitation has improved. If its hot it's probably safe. Any place catering to tourists might well wash veggies in chlorinated water so even salads are semi-ok. It comes down to your own immune system. Carry immodium just in case. Especially if you are about to take a bus trip.

Shopping

Lima is not the place to buy handicrafts for the most part. You will find high quality...and even higher prices...in Miraflores. Lots of little shops there. Best buys are in several side by side arcades on the 1000 block of La Marina. To get there from Miraflores get any micro that says La Marina on the side. You will pass the big military hospital and then cross a bridge. Get off on the next block. Most are on one side of the street, although there is one arcade on the other. Also, on that side is a nice little cerviche joint. This area has stuff from all over Peru. Lot of it is tacky but folks back home often can't tell the difference. As in any market, bargain. I did find some nice carved gourds there...at a little cubby hole way in the back. It's also a good place to shop for that really bulky item that you didn't want to carry all through the Andes. At some point on this site I'll put my ideas about how to deal with lots of gear.