Hola, Peru!

Peru has always been on my travel bucket list, mainly because I've longed to tour the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu. Since this location didn't interest the husband, I asked my travel-loving friend Robin to join me for a nine day jaunt down to South America. We upgraded to business class and so the 6.5 hour flight wasn't too stressful or butt-numbing.

Since our nonstop from Texas arrived at 11 pm, we chose to stay in the airport hotel and transfer to our official tour company's hotel in a tonier part of town the next morning. Since our itinerary with the tour company didn't kick off until the following morning, we opted to arrange a tours by locals trek through the historic old town of Lima (total population about 10 million now) with Alfredo that first full afternoon. 

It was a lock your taxi doors, keep your purse across your body and your mobile phone in your hands at all times sort of location, and yet it was really interesting. Lima is a contrasting mix of everything from millionaires to middle class to shantytown dwellers. And the traffic... Lord have mercy! All road signs and traffic rules appear to be merely suggestions in Peru. There is lots of horn honking and straddling lanes and way too many cars clogging a roadway system whose only concession to the large population is a bus system. No subways or light rail systems. Just you, taking your life into your own hands when you're driving or riding in an automobile.

The oldest buildings in the heart of the city had these beautiful original wooden balconies. Many of them had very busy and detailed fretwork. This was not only ornamental, but also purposeful because it allowed modest women of centuries past to view passersby on the streets without being seen. 

We visited a city park near the old university where they had a pretty large cat population. Our tender-hearted daughters would have had a fit if they had witnessed the homeless cats and dogs we saw all over Peru.

The post office was interesting, as now its open arcade areas serve as a little market. I thought the old bronze lion letter drop on the facade of the post office was eye-catching.

Like all good predominantly Catholic countries, you're apt to find a church on every corner and Peru didn't disappoint. 

After a hair-rising taxi ride back to the hotel, where it appeared we went through some sort of commercial area with pothole-filled streets that rattled our teeth, I arrived back to hotel WIFI to receive news of the 17-yr-old's first college acceptance for Decision 2019. That's one down and another six to go!