I think I could write a whole new entry about how important it is to find the right hostel to stay in, but I won't bore you. I will say that thanks to staying here, I've gone to someone's going away party, was shown the ocean and Lima's cliffs at midnight, and am now Facebook friends with all of the front desk staff.
But instead, I want to tell you all how hard it is to cross a road in Lima. Or maybe in all of Peru. Or South America. I don't know yet...
I knew yesterday that it was going to be my last day in Lima, so I had to make the most of it. I woke early, had breakf
ast with a Dutch woman who was just ending her South American trip, and made my way to the beach. It was then, as my backpack was stuck to my back, that I realized I grossly misunderstood what the fall season's weather is in Peru. Thank god I packed an emergency sunscreen in the daypack for such occasions.
I got towards the end of the street and could see the statue in Parque de Amor -- 2 lovers in an embrace, apparently a popular place for wedding photography. Yay! My first touristy thing! All I had to do was get to the other side of the street. To be clear, look at the photos. It has only one lane of traffic in each direction.
"Can I cross now? No. Now? No. Now? (I start to step down) SHIT! No." And so this continues. For
7 minutes. Doesn't sound terrible, just 7 minutes. You try it. It feels like an eternity and the whole time, you know the people driving by are thinking, "Stupid gringa, just cross the fucking road."
Anyway, getting across the road 7 minutes later felt like a game of chicken. I ran, I dashed, I made it. Whew. The other side of the road was worth it -- the park is filled with flowers and of course, has a great view of the Lima coast and ocean. After taking the obligatory photos because my parents will kill me if I don't take any, my first thought? How long will it take me to cross again? :)
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