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Sonja, if you remember from past posts, rang me about 0945 to see if I wanted to go out with herself & James, one of the singers. Of course I did! We agreed to meet about 1100 & that was just enough time for Jaco to join us as well. We hopped on the shuttle & sat back for our 30-40 minute bus ride into Lima. The shuttle dropped us off at the Marriott hotel. The Marriott is right across the street from the Larco Mar shopping mall.
Larco Mar is built into the cliff side & is quite impressive. It is very clean & modern, offering the usual shopping luxuries. Jaco was particularly excited, as he had been here the year before & purchased a bunch of t-shirts from this little hole in the wall shop. The gal who worked there taught him a bit of Espanol & to his surprise, she was still working there this year! Again, he bought a bunch of t-shirts from her. Thank goodness the pink/hot pink t-shirt didn’t fit! The rest are very nice!
He enjoyed a gelato & then caught the shuttle back to the ship, in order to be back in time for his clinic. I joined James & Sonja at Starbucks, yes, Starbucks, and we made our way to the Indian Market.
I had been to the Indian Market the year before & enjoyed the handicrafts the Peruvians they make. It is quite inexpensive too! I picked up a new scarf, sweater & toque – it’s going to be bitterly cold! Btw, for those of you who are wondering what a toque is… it’s the Canadian word for winter hat. :o) It’s pronounced too-k.
We purchased our goodies, enjoyed some wonderful conversations & then ventured back to the ship. James & Sonja were making the most of their overnight on, or rather, off the ship. They were headed out for dinner & then to the clubs for a little latin dancing!
Once back on the ship, I caught Jaco in the cabin with another woman. Just kidding, just making sure you’re paying attention! :o) ‘He’s no Tiger Woods. He can’t play golf.’ – From the horse’s mouth. Jaco was headed for the gym, so I said I would get ready & by the time he was finished, we could go out for a nice supper.
We ended up hiring a taxi for $15/hr & then had him take us back to Larco Mar. There was a lovely restaurant on the waterfront & we enjoyed fresh squeezed juices, a brilliant salad & wonderful main courses. Maracuya (passion fruit) gelato was in order for dessert. It was a fantastic meal! Today was the first day I cheated on my diet, FYI! Don’t worry, I’m back on track today. Loathing every minute of it, but I’m back on it!
We didn’t visit the Old Town or main plaza, I’d been there last year & the light today wasn’t any better than last year! There are many other amazing things to see in Peru, however, I chose to spend a little more quality time with my husband, as his times off the ship are far & few between. I would love to spend a proper holiday in Peru, as there is a lot to see – Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Nazca Lines, Lake Titicaca, Cuzco, and of course, the other sights of Lima – catacombs, ruins, the Gold Museum… The list goes on & on!
The next morning, I woke up early to head back to Miraflores to pick up a few souvenirs I hadn’t been able to get back for the day before. I had only 2 hours to make my rounds, so it was a bit of a rush.
Interestingly enough, the taxi driver outside the Marriott wanted $5 USD to take me 12 blocks to the Indian Market. I overheard a German Spanish couple negotiating with an ‘unofficial’ taxi driver for $5 soles – equivalent to about $1.75 USD. I asked if I could hop in with them! Yup! Thank you very much! I paid $1 USD for my fare! Additionally, I needed 40 postcards. The ones at the pier were $1 USD each. At the Indian Market, they were $1 Soles each! Granted, they are not the prettiest postcards you’ll ever receive, but the price was right! :o)
On our shuttle ride back to the ship, the driver was thoughtful & drove us along the beach. We saw many surfers, the vines growing on the cliffs & La Rosa Nautica, an upscale & the only restaurant right on the water.
Apparently the city has 41 mayors. They compete amongst each other for popularity. It’s not a bad strategy, as some parts of Lima are definitely cleaner & better cared for than others. The area near the Marriott had beautiful flowers & gardens, there were many massive Christmas trees, lit up around the city. And of course, believe it or not, the park by the Marriott had the colorful cows, much like the ones you saw in Calgary, or the whales in Vancouver… I guess Cowtown follows me around the world! I’ll never escape it! :o)
Have a great night & while you’re googling Nazca lines, pop on that old song by 54-40 – Cheer Up Peru! :o)
Dulce suenos!
Maria y Jaco
xxxx
Pretty Cow! Just like I'm back in Cowtown!
Milla Rose - the T-shirt Girl!
James & a very pretty Bellaclava! Coming to a bank near you!
Jaco scanning the menu...
Giant Christmas Tree near Larco Mar
Coast line along Miraflores/Lima
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