Half time in Peru

We arrived in Lima very late on Monday 14 March having flown in and out of Santiago.  There is also a two hour time difference between Chile and Peru and so our body clocks were telling us it was 2.30am.  We are staying in Miraflores, a popular residential suburb.  On our first day we walked down to Larco Mar described as a popular, flash, cliff-top development.  If you look carefully at the photograph you will see cars parked actually on the beach.  I suppose it saves getting sand in your shoes. Yesterday we spent in downtown Lima where we saw some stuunning architecture and fabulous buildings with many of them having traditional wooden balconies.  We also saw the changing of the guard at the Presidental Palace and couldn't believe the amount of effort that went into a simple, daily ceremony performed in a courtyard behind bars.  First of all the two lane road in front was closed off to traffic and then the police came in (many with riot shields) to hold us at bay!  We also visited the magnificent cathedral and China town where we had lunch.  Talking of food, Peru is famous for two things: cerviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice) which is very delicious and guinea pig which HJ quickly learned the Spanish for so she didn't order it inadvertantly!
As you will see HJ has also been mixing with the rich and famous.  To finish our day downtown, we stopped at El Estadio Bar, a strongly themed football bar where she bumped into Ronaldo who joined us at our table for a chat.  The place was full of scarves, pennants etc from such well known football clubs as Real Madrid, Chelsea and Colchester United!



Cheers Gary, where's the crisps to go with my pint?



Whilst in Lima, we reached the half way mark in our trip.  We still have lots of highlights left, including Macchu Piccu, Ecuador and Colombia.  We are also heading off to the Rain Forest tomorow for three nights and will blog again, once we are back in civilisation (assuming that the aligators we will be out watching at night, haven't eaten us)!