FromAegean: LIMA - PERU 2018 - 1 - GETTING USED TO LIMA, SOME CULTURE SHOCK...

My second visit to Peru: Last May, I had just flown through Lima to Cusco for a marvelous 6 day trip in the Andeans with Machu Picchu being the unforgettable destination. I knew I had to come back to Peru for at least a few days to dedicate to Lima. I hope I can come back to Machu Picchu with friends, whom I know will enjoy the challenge and beauty before it gets closed to visitors, as rumors have it... Little do I know what another unforgettable trip this will be making me fall in love with Peru, more so Lima.

From unforgettable Machu Picchu in 2017

I am staying at an AirB&B apartment, the location of which I will appreciate much better as the days go on. It is on the 20^th floor of a middle class neighborhood apartment building, which is inhabited mostly by young professionals, looking at the people that I will need to share the elevators with over the next five days I will spend in Lima. I will also learn soon that just as in Bogota, in Lima also, the temperature is pretty much stable around 60-70s. As a result, it neither justifies heating or cooling in the homes! But it is also very humid even in this arid part of Pacific Ocean. Hence, I will have to wear all that I brought in five-six layers to keep warm and on day 2 eventually, my hostess will provide me with a dawn comforter and a space heater to be comfortable in the house!

Looking at Lima from the highest point of Barranco, the southernmost part of Lima proper, it is mostly hazy like this...

As soon as I enter the apartment, I check the view after discovering that I am on the top floor of this high rise! The living room looks to the south, thus, all the way to Miraflores is before me in bright city lights. The kitchen balcony is to the north, thus, the lights in that direction must point to the city center. It is interesting, in my travel book, there is no old town description, because, apparently, before the government recognized the touristic importance of the “old town” concept, capitalism had already risen its high rises through all veins of the city suffocating most of the old colonial architecture let alone old old Wari structures. I am still looking forward to going to The Plaza where the Cathedral will be along with other worth-to-visit structures.

Looking at the Government Palace from the Cathedral at The Plaza

Bad news about the apartment is there is no hot water. I start my expedition through the hosue and discover that there is a mini water tank above the sink in the kitchen balcony, which has been turned into the laundry. The tank seems to barely hold 5-6 gallons of water. I notice a red handle on the pipe extending between the sink faucet and the tank, which is perpendicular to the pipe. I turn it to parallel the pipe assuming that is when it will allow water to go into the tank, which should allow water from the tank to arrive at the shower head. I know this type of old electric water heaters from Turkey. I check the switch, its handle is down displaying the green above the handle. That must be on. Yet something is wrong, since, although now there is water in the shower, it is cold! I try to have a positive attitude, cold water refreshes the body…

THE Cathedral in the Plaza de Arma

Cold shower, relatively cold and damp apartment, and relatively light bed covers are not conducive to good sleep, I discover. I put on socks, a clean pair of tights under my sleep wear and finally drift into sleep. Of course the first thing I do when I wake up is to text my hostess, she is not necessarily quick to respond. At least I learn that the electric switch has to be pushed up to show red, not very intuitive, but I do as I am told. However, half an hour later, there is still no hot water. After a second cold shower, I realize I have to be a bit more demanding. It helps, the next day, I have a space heater, a down comforter, and I learn that it takes hours to heat the water in the tank. After a good hot shower on the third night and sleeping like a baby under warm comforter, I can be much more thankful for all, my hostess has done for me!

First time scene in any big city I have visited: City workers are washing the fences of a park with detergents!

Despite the cold shower of the previous night, I wake up energized and enthusiastically curious on my first morning in Lima. I know that the city center is in walkable distance from where I am. Avenida Arequipa is a north-south bound throughway, I will discover in the coming days carrying working class people to and from the city center, from where they disperse to their neighborhoods after having worked in the touristic businesses of Miraflores… The park with Magic Waterworks borders Arequipa. To my surprise, a team of city workers are washing the green metal fence with detergent at the early hours of the day. I wish I had had good enough command of Spanish to be able to talk to them to understand why that is…

My server Carol at Mango Café happily poses for me in front of the delicious fruits some of which goes into my delicious juga de fruta for my breakfast overture...

I walk eastward before entering the park. It is beautifully trimmed, the locked up part must be where the magic waterworks must be. When I get out of the park, I see a café named Mango Café and stop to have breakfast. A huge glass of fruit juice is my first breakfast in Lima since none of the sandwiches appeals to me. Nothing could be better than the “juga de frutas” that I am already in love with in both Colombia and Peru…

Peru and Lima specifically make well use of gastronomy tourism

As I walk up on Avenida Arequipa, I come across a fenced in area, clearly being prepared for some festive activity, which turns out to be a gastronomia fair. There is a gentleman standing before the gate that is locked, trying to get the attention of men, who appear to be guards. He informs me that the fair will be starting in about half an hour and people will fill the fair ground soon and music will be playing all day long. His name is Elver and I will learn later that he happens to be one of the servers/cooks at one of the booths inside.

I will soon have a delicious slice of this pork belly in a sandwich already grilling in semi-vertical grills

However, the guards will not allow us get in, they want us to walk around the block to get in. Then comes in the force of nature a woman, probably my age, although her hair is as black as it gets. The woman’s fiery argument with the guard melts away his resistance and soon the gate is being unlocked and in a minute all three of us are in! By now I have understood, Elver and the woman are workers at this fair, but Elver is kind enough to invite me in as if I am a worker, too!

Colonial remnant architectural structures like this are scattered all around Lima: most used for public services...

All the vendors are just setting shop, but one of them is earlier than the rest. This gives me the chance to get a brunch sandwich, which is called chicharron consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds, no wonder it was so “delicioso”. I savor the roasted sweet potato that comes along with it. First time in my life I am eating pork and sweet potato for breakfast! I will learn in the days to come that they make chicharron out of any meat and poultry…

One of the most impressive pieces from MALI

Before I leave the park, I come across the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), art museum. One of the museums I was planning to visit. It is a pleasant surprise that this weekend is independence-day celebrations weekend for Peru and state run museums are free! In addition to numerous pieces laying out the Inca and Colonial history, there are pices, celebrating the diversity in Peru from urban life to rural, from European ancestry to indigenous cultures. They have dedicated an entire section for the silver heritage of the Andeans, specifically. Interesting piece of information I learned at this museum is that, for the Incas, gold and silver were equally precious metals. Hence, the Plata del Los Andes exhibition is a rival to the Gold Museum I had seen in Bogota.As I leave the museum and walk toward the exit of the park, I come across what looks like multiple bulletin boards put up side by side. They are full of announcements related to art classes for various age groups anywhere from elementary school ages all the way to adults. Que Bueno!

From the Plata de Los Andes exhibition at MALI

I gradually walk my way up to the city center, the closer I get the more I come across surprising, hidden samples of Colonial architecture rising humbly but confidently among the high rises almost resting peacefully in their shade. At some point, I come across a bus station very similar to that I had seen in Bogota just a few days ago. The Metropolitano bus system and Tren Electrico are more akin to a subway system above the ground, which works very effectively in Bogota, and here, too, it seems. Although, all travel books will tell you the rest of the big buses, midi-buses, and mini-buses make up a chaotic public transportation system that foreign visitors cannot fathom, my experience will prove otherwise, stay tuned.

The words across the side of this bus indicate its route is between Chorillos and San German, and it travels on Avenidas Arequipa and Bolivar. It is very easy to conquer the bus system in Lima...

Finally, there comes a point, car traffic is blocked around the blocks leading to The Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Armas, which is reported to be the birthplace of the city of Lima. It is not as warm as that of its twin in Cusco, which I visited last year, but surrounded by the Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima, Archbishop's Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace, and the Palace of the Union, it has both significant grandeur and some charm to it.

Limenos checking what art classes may be available for them in front of MALI

Since it is almost 2 pm and Peruvians usually take a long mid-day break, I find the Cathedral doors closed. In front of the cathedral is a local, who is trying to sell a tour to me to other parts of the city center including a tower. My apartment, very close to downtown and on the 20^th floor of a high rise gives me more than what I need, and I decide exploring the city center on foot in and around the Plaza is a better way of spending my time until 3 pm, when the cathedral will open. As I visit several colonial houses, most of which are now housing a variety of museums, I inch my way toward Chinatown to find Wa Lok for lunch.

One of the Colonial structures from The Plaza: The brown balcony covers are very similar to the covered bay windows of the Ottoman era, which were used for women to look out without being seen by outsiders!

One of the characteristics of Peruvian cuisine is Chinese influence, or rather Peruvian influence on Chinese cuisine that has created what is called Chifa. Chifa is a fusion of Peruvian and Chinese cuisines, brought to Peru by East Asian immigrants from late 19th to early 20th centuries. These Chinese immigrants that arrived in Peru in 1849 initially worked in coastal sugar plantations and mines and rail road constructions. They integrated South American ingredients such as pineapple and aji amarillo, a paste made from Peruvian yellow chili peppers to their Chinese dishes and volla, chifa was born, which can be found all over the city.

From Convento de Santo Domingo de Lima

Wa Lok is a huge restaurant with an army of servers running all around like worker bees. I order dumplings and… They are delicious and the sauces are to die for. When I return, not only the cathedral is open, but there is a mass that has just started. I walk to the front quietly and take a seat to observe the believers. Although, I am not religious a person, I always enjoy observing people in their humble submission to a higher power. If only that power could make their life conditions better, too. Who knows, maybe it changes their reality to such an extent, what seems to be suffering to me is not so much so for a believer; who knows where the truth is…

My light lunch dish at Wa Lok in Chinatown, delicious dumplings and sauces with Peruvian ingredients

The rest of the afternoon, I visit the modern art museum, Inca museum, Afro-Peruvean museum, Museum of Arica War, which apparently is very important in Peru's history, Convent of Santiago where the bones of many dignitary from Inca era was buried and are on display, where I also learn about the details of all ethnicities that one may encounter in Peru, Santa Maria Monastery as well as colonial homes open to visitation such as Casa O'Higgins and Casa Osambela. When it starts getting dark, I find a café just south of the Plaza, where I have my first pisco sour, which is Peruvian national drink, very similar to margarita in taste, along with yucca rolls to close my gastronomic exploration for the day. Ceviche is tomorrow. At the end of the day, my fitbit says I walked 12 miles, my back, knees and feet verify that it is true! I deserve a good rest and sleep.

Pisco Sour, Peruvian national drink and yucca rolls, the latter pretty filling, taste is mediocre..

I close my day by listening to Tara Brach’s talk on "Present Heart: The Universal Expression of Love". She talks about how even the roughest person we encounter has a gold heart deep within. The only reason, their soft core is hidden so deep is because of the amount of pain they have experienced in life. They have built that crust protect that soft core from further pain and suffering. I question myself, how many times I missed seeing that soft core, or even if I had, because of the need to protect my own soft core, how many times I might not have given them a smile, a hug, a word of trust and kindness that they might have desperately needed...

As a gregarious Mediterranean woman, I am learning from wiser friends and Rumi not to trust words that much...

I am thankful to Tara, who reminds me of Rumi's “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” As Tara invites us to meditation to look deep within and "Ask yourself, 'what is it, what are the habitual ways of thinking that blocks me from feeling deep love for those that are important for me?' Are you afraid, are you defensive, do you have a need to control others, without judgment, just recognize what the barrier is between you and love..." As I have felt freed so many times from all the above, in the last several years, her words hit in me a central cord, tears are rolling down my face, cleansing-ly...