5/21/15: Day 2 in Lima, Peru: Miraflores

Today felt like a forever kind of day. I didn't leave until late morning, talking again with Tess and her parents. We had cantaloupe, papaya, yogurt, and granola for breakfast (yum!) and then exchanged stories about dealing with credit cards and banks after I received an email from Barclay Card notifying me that my credit card was going to be replaced with the new Aviator MasterCard and therefore would be canceled before I could get the Aviator. Ugh, money problems.

Anyways, when I left, I headed towards Miraflores, which is considered the more classy/party borough of Lima. I met with two travel agents about tours of Machu Picchu, and they both quoted me around the range of $270 (with a student discount - get this if you go to Peru because almost every attraction honors this) for ONE DAY. Granted, this includes train tickets from the city to the town near Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes), bus tickets from Aguas Clientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu, and an English-speaking guide, but damn, that is expensive and doesn't even include accommodation. I mean, that cost would essentially sustain my cost of living in Bolivia for an entire month, everything included (room, food, transportation, etc.). Since it's a sight worth seeing though, I think I'm going to go back tomorrow and book one of the trips.

I saw on Trip Adviser that there was a collection of markets, so I decided to stop there first. On my way, I stopped by a little shop to put money on my phone to actually activate it (yesterday I apparently had something like 1 sole on it, which is about $0.30 and accounts for why I couldn't get it to work). It was a seemingly simple process but again, it was a struggle not speaking Spanish because the cashier asked me several things that I couldn't understand. It worked, though! Good for me for booking an AirBnb so the host could guide me a little bit through the first city, even if it cost more than double a cheap hostel.

I loved so much of what was sold (mostly artisan items), including the scarves and jewelry. A lot of the items looked very touristy, but common themes I saw were silver jewelry and "100% baby alpaca" scarves and shawls. They felt like cashmere, which I love the feeling of, but were extremely expensive. Additionally, the sheer number of people that were selling them told me that they probably weren't very special, not to mention I probably would not have the room in my backpack/carry on to lug around extra clothes for the next three months. Before I leave Peru, though, I will get Peruvian turquoise, something with a llama, and/or the tumi (symbol of medicine and good luck). Can't leave a country without something that is distinctly from there! I unfortunately don't have any pictures because I know people sometimes get angry if you try to take pictures without purchasing something.

I continued on to Huaca Pucllana, which is an adobe/clay pyramid in Miraflores. It has a very long history, and it quite expansive. When I first saw it, I didn't realize what it was until I got to the entrance (5 soles, a little over $1.50 for students). I loved the contrast of the large, historical site in the middle of the bustling city around it, which reminded me of Central Park in New York City. The site is tranquil and has its own story and kind of provides a sanctuary for people who want to visit, standing in stark contrast to the industry around it. The juxtaposition really puts it into perspective for me. On our tour, we originally had 3 women including me, and a tour guide. When another staff member brought along someone else, I was extremely skeptical because he looked to be in his late 20s but was dressed like a complete frat star, including sandals. I was thrown off a lot when he spoke accented English (not British or Australian though), but who knows? Some awesome pictures of Huaca Pucllana below.

(Yes, they had live guinea pigs and llamas! Apparently they eat both of those though, which is definitely a contrast to how they are treated in the US.)

After that, I started making my way back towards my apartment. I walked to the Miraflores Boardwalk and Parque de Amor, which are some of the most beautiful parks along the coastline (although with the view, almost every single park is breathtaking). 

I also finally found the mall that Tess told me about, Larcomar, which was hidden under one of the parks that was right on the edge of Miraflores and Barranco. Its location explained why I was so confused trying to look for it. I went to La Lucha, which is apparently a pretty well-known sandwich place, where I got a hamburger; banana, papaya, and apple smoothie; and fries. They were delicious! I went home after that because I was seriously tired and it was getting dark.

Another great day in the books!