Lima - Flashpacking

It's 6:30am on Wednesday morning and I just woke up.  Maybe I can get a few minutes on the blog before Val wakes up.  We've been here since Monday morning and I haven't written anything because we have been so tired and then busy.

Ok, back to Monday. 

We arrived at our hostel (Inka Hostel on Larco) which is close to the water in Miraflores, the tourist district of Lima.  It is a humble abode.  Crappy beds, no elevator, no little shampoo bottles.  But it is cheap for such an excellent location.  I am in the 'bedroom' with two single beds and Val is in the 'living room' with the double bed.  Now that I think of it, sleeping Val is between me and the bathroom so the length of this post may be dependant on my bladder. 

After spending way too long with the desk person (we asked where is a laundry, no no, I will call them, they are on the way, we asked where we can buy water, no no, I know someone, let me call them...) eventually, we made it outside to wander around Miraflores.

We had very low ambitions for the day since we were very tired after our flight.  We went down to the water to Larcomar park (shopping centre?).  We didn't stay long. 

The beach is way below the street.

long zoom of surfers

Then we walked along the road the runs parallel to the water.  I want to say sea wall but it is really just a road,  to the Parque de Amor to see "The Kiss (El Beso)'.  It is a giant statue of two people kissing.

The Parque Del Amor (Love Park) is basically a tiled wall surrounding the Kiss. It is Gaudi-esque.

Just some people enjoying the Love Park

We headed up the Malecon.  The Malecon everywhere else I have ever been is nice amble by the water.  In Miraflores, the Malecon is a street along a dry gorge with a street running along the bottom.  But it did get us to some restaurants where we had a non-Peru lunch.

Then to Kennedy Park!!  Why the two exclamation points!!  Because Kennedy Park is famous for its resident cats.  I didn't touch any (or stuff any in my bag) but it seems like a nice place to relax.I will spare you the million photos of cats.  Well, here are a couple, of course, (for Alisma)

We had done two sides of a triangle, with Kennedy Park as the connection between the Malecon and Avenida Larco where our hostel is.

This shows the hotel to Larcomar to Parque Amor to
Parque Kennedy back to Inka Hostel

Av. Larco is a main street in Miraflores, which as I mentioned in the main tourist area in Lima, so you know what that means - SHOPPING! 

Gift shop cat playing with puff balls

We went into all of the little crappy souvenir stores and touched all of the alpaca scarves and mitts and hats and shawls and stuffed animals and puff balls.  And looked at so many nativity scenes.  I have never seen so many nativity scenes.  Racism is alive and well in the nativity scene craft world.  

Here are (from the left), I don't even know how to label that first set,
then 'eskimo' I guess, then Peruvian.  These are only
a few of the many, many racist options of nativity you can choose from.
They are enticingly cute for all of the lack of awareness contained within

Lots of puff balls for sale

Please note: I didn't buy anything!  Nothing.  Not a single puff ball.  Even though I found a pair of vicuna gloves that I love, LOVE, but I did not buy them (I do remember where they are so take my bragging with a grain of salt)

As per usual, it was a cloudy day and I forgot that I as in South America in summer so I didn't apply any sunscreen so I was walking around in a t-shirt the whole day and ended up with a nice burn in farmer tan formation.  Excellent.

We bought a giant bottle of water for our room and some empanadas and cajete (caramel but better than our caramel) stuffed churros for dinner.   Then, we were in bed by 6:45 and I was asleep by 7.  I didn't quite make it to my 8pm rule but I slept until 7am so I am on Peru time now.

Val is still asleep and my bladder is holding out so let's try to fit Tuesday into this as well. 

Tuesday morning we woke up around 7.  I mentioned the crappy beds.  Well, mine was extra awful with a massive dip in it.  I have switched to the other bed in my room (it is much better).  We took advantage of the free breakfast (the same as a typical Mexican breakfast, scrambled eggs, a bun and coffee, but unlike Mexico, it was good coffee).

Well, that didn't last long, Val is awake.  More later.

Slightly later (Val is in the shower)

We started our day with a Free Walking Tour run out of the Tourist Info Centre on Av. Larco.  It was for 'historical old town' Lima.  We were hoping they would get us downtown, and they did.  Lima is huge.  Centro is a two hour walk from our hostel.  I like to walk but that is too much.

As we were waiting for the tour to start, we chatted with some Americans (Emily from Idaho/Iowa? and Marcus from Washington DC) both of whom were traveling alone.  And then we met Greg and Dora from Australia (actually Dora is from Columbia, is a Canadian citizen and now lives in Australia).  Greg and Dora are 'The Peaches' for reasons I won't explain but they were so cute, they can get away with it.  (Who is this Joanne who is striking up conversations with random strangers?!)

Talking to people is nice but it meant I didn't take any pictures of the bus or note where the bus station is and don't have a clue how we managed to get to town.

Except this one, not helpful

Greg told us about the term Flashpacking.  I had never heard of this before but it describes me and Val perfectly.  I think I basically described this in my first post about planning for the aged.

From Packsmith:

Flashpacker: A Definition
Loosely defined, a flashpacker is a backpacker with a slightly larger budget. Someone who still travels with a backpack, is budget-conscious, and travels independently, but at the same time is willing to spend a little more on comfort or to make the best use of their time. Flashpackers tend to be a bit older, may have kids, and in most cases were probably a backpacker at some point in their early travel career. Often, but not always, they’ve already traveled around a bit. Sometimes, they’re also known as “champagne backpackers.” Flashpackers are also defined as tech-savvy travelers who carry electronics like laptops, nice cameras, smartphones, etc.

Right?

We spent most of the tour with Greg and Dora and we may meet up with them again today.

Break here to fix my pants.  (rereading this later and I have no idea what this means?)

Oh my, I am back and I am drunk.  We discovered Picso Sours tonight and they are strong.  I had two which is easily one (or two) too many.  any way, this will be rambly (more than usual I suspect)

Where was I?  oh my god, only at the beginning of day two, how am I going to catch up, we have done so much.

Ok, back to the free walking tour of Historical Lima.  Let me check the photos:

Sandra, our tour guide

Marcus, Val, Emily

I have to stop here, I must go to bed.  There is not enough water in Lima to avoid my upcoming hangover...

Next morning, a very slow morning.

We made it to the Plaza de Armas in the middle of the changing of the guards but way too late to be able to see anything.

My view

The best shot I got, through the people and the bars

Someone getting a better photo than me

The Peaches (Dora and Greg)

Our tour lasted at least three hours.  Well worth the cost (Free!).  Plus an extensive history lesson on balconies (which I will spare you).  But here's a picture of one from the 16th century (I know that because is enclosed with no glass)

After our tour, Val and I stayed in Centro and had lunch.  Menu del Dia.  Have I mentioned potatoes yet?  I don't like potatoes, I have never liked potatoes.  But we are in the land of potatoes.  They originated in Peru and there are upwards of 2000 kinds of potatoes here.  So, I decided that I would use this month to learn to like, or at least tolerate, potatoes.

This meal was my first chance to give this a go.  I ordered Papa de Huancaina as my starter.  Those are lumps of potato in sauce.  Believe it or not, they were delicious. Totally different texture than our spuds.  Velvety smooth.  Yum. Not quite a convert yet, but working on it.

After that, we went back to San Francisco Basilica and Catacombs.  We jumped onto the English tour after they had already started.  NO PHOTOs we were warned verbally and by much signage.  You know how this is going to end... with lots of photos! 

Monks library, still used today

I need someone Catholic here, this is the room where they sit
and study?  Pray?  Beautiful carvings no matter to what end.

sneak photo of the cathedral over the railing.
we didn't get to enter the actual church.

Catacombs under the church was used for hundreds of years

If you were rich, you got a private tomb (at least for a while)

Poor people when into the pit.  Apparently this is 15 meters deep.
The bones were arranged by archaeologists in the 1940s

This is a famous painting of the last supper where
they are eating Cuy (guinea pig)
"The "Last Supper" painted by Diego de la Puente in the 17th century"

And then our first Peru beer. Cusquena Dorada for Val, Cusquena Triego for me.

It was about 4:30 at that point and I was keen to go to the Magic Water Circuit Park (which is not called that on any map).  I knew it was a ways away but we decided to walk.  We asked our waiter (from the beer place) and he said, just stay on this street (Lampa), it is 6 or 7 blocks.  So we started walking.  After 20 or so blocks, we asked the next guy.  Oh, stay on this street, it is 5 or 6 blocks.  A million blocks more and we ask the next lady.  Yup, stay on this street, it is 4 or 5 blocks.  At least the estimates were getting smaller.  

90 or so minutes later, we found it.   It was 6:15 by then.  We met someone from our tour and he said something was going to happen at 7:15.  He didn't know what, but we should wait for it.  So we did. 

This started as it was getting dark.  We thought this was 'it'
whatever 'it' was that we were waiting for, but no, not even close.

This is what we were waiting for.  It went on for 30 minutes, lasers, moving images projected onto mist, dancing water streams, there was a lot going on. 

I don't know if this video with work but I will give it a try. 

A flying condor!  

After all of that, we decided to cab it home.  We had been walking all day.  And that brings us to the end of day two.  

Hmm, you don't seem to have tickets....

"Hmm, you don't seem to have tickets" said Miriam the Westjet checker-inner.  Tippity, tappity, tippity on the keyboard as we rummaged for our itineraries only slightly panicking.  "Let me call someone" she is nothing if not a solution seeker, our Miriam.  So she did.  Murmur murmur, tippity tappity, murmur, murmur.  Then she hung up and smiled at us.  Whew!  But she did mention, sort of offhandedly, that she can't see the return Lima to Mexico ticket on there.

Plus, one more issue.  Miriam said we would have to pick up our bags in Mexico and take them through customs.  We had a very tight turn around but I remember this from Kenya so I assured Val it would be fine, we would deal with it in Vancouver with AeroMex.

Boarding passes clutched in our hands, we had a quick breakfast at White Spot and then through the security.  Val got the double go over. As we were waiting at Gate 12 (it still boggles me that wee Victoria has more than two gates) we ran into my friend Rachelle who chatted with us until our flight was announced.

Uneventful flight to Vancouver where we had a four hour layover.   We wandered around the airport and ate some snacks we brought from home.

Val, waiting in our posh seats

Our view

Happy to be leaving this for Summer weather in Peru

  Finally, the AeroMex checker-inners (I finally googled this because I am 57% sure that checker-inner is not an official title.  They are Passenger Service Agents but I think checker-inner is better).  So up we go to discuss our situation.  They put our bags right through to Lima, they assured us that we do indeed have tickets from Lima to Mexico, and they reaffirmed our seats on the next two flights.   Whew again.

Our flight into Mexico was uneventful.  We had to go through Mexican customs when we arrived.  Val got the triple go over.  We got to our gate just as the plane was about to start loading.

Our plane to Lima left at 12:30am and we arrived at 6 or so.  time has become a bit blurry.

We joked that we would look this this by the time we got to Peru

Fish in the Vancouver airport aquarium

But this is what we actually looked like

even taking a selfie is hilarious when you haven't slept in 24 hours

Anyway, we made it.  We took a very long taxi ride to our hostel (Inka Hostel on Avenida Larco).  It is 6pm and I am trying to stay awake (never go to bed before 8pm on the first day of vacation).  We spent the day wandering around Miraflores, the tourist district of Lima.  But I will have to do that one later.

Our room (inside)

Our room outside,  third floor walk up.
those stairs are to the breakfast room and balcony

One more hour and I am calling it (7:30 is close enough) and going to bed.

Let's experience this last day of packing together

10:30 am 

I woke up at 9 am this morning, 24 hours before our flight.  I checked my email while my coffee was brewing and saw 'CHECK IN NOW' from AeroMexico.  Ok!  So, I try to check in but because our first flight is with Westjet, it said I have to check in with them.  So, I try to check in with Westjet but, of course, it doesn't work.  So, I call Westjet and the nice CSR lady said she can't check me in but she can assign seats and we just need to get out boarding passes when we get to the airport tomorrow.  But, she adds ominously, she sees something weird on our AeroMex flight plan.  I should call them.  Ah, yea.  So, I call them, no d'uh.

Omar from AeroMex checked my flights and all is well.  He put me on hold for a while and said that I can try to check in again in 30 minutes.  I am currently waiting 30 minutes with you all. 

Oh, yea, as I was on AeroMex's website, I see a big banner that says that the Mexico City airport is undergoing renovations so we should plan for at least a two and a half layover.  Our layover is one hour 20 minutes.  We fly into and our of Terminal 2 so I assume it will be fine. Omar agrees.

Ok, I am going to try to check in again.... Nope.  And my blog is still being blocked by Facebook.  And I can't sync my IPod.  At least my coffee machine didn't let me down.

It's almost 11 am, I guess I better go pack.

12:15 pm.

Making my second pot of coffee.  Charging my travel computer and my camera.  Changed the memory card so it is easier to upload photos to the blog.

I decided to not take my Fitbit watch on this trip.  I am taking my old travel watch (Timex Expedition) but the battery was dead.  So, I bought a new battery and figured I would change it myself.  I've changed watch batteries before so I didn't give it a second thought.  Last night I grabbed the watch and the battery.   Hmm, watch back is screwed in with teeny-tiny screws.  Found a teeny-tiny screw driver.  Unscrewed three screws mostly easily.  Fourth one, not easy.  I eventually just wrenched the back off and bent the fourth screw.

First thing I see is a sticker which I immediately ripped off.  Then I could see the battery with a metal clip holding it in.  I could not figure out how to remove the clip.  I figured my previous  'wrenching' strategy was probably not a good idea for this part.

To the Googles! First sites I find mostly seem to be freaking out about the sticker.  DO NOT remove the sticker without taking a picture first, positioning is vital!  Great.

Just so you know, there are so many kinds of Timex watches and even more battery clips. I eventually google imaged searched to find my watch/battery clip.  Found it, not my watch but my clip, good enough.  I got it done, had to use wire cutters to deal with the bent fourth screw which is a write-off.  It all worked but I assume it isn't water proof anymore.  Turns out the sticker is not that big a deal.

How to change a Timex battery

Also, currently washing my bedding so C&J have nice clean sheets for when they arrive tomorrow.  I will just sleep on a bare mattress tonight (just kidding, they get the nice sheets, I will use the old sheets).

3:04pm.

Oh, for the love of all that is good and holy, packing etc have gone off the rails.

I am still charging things.  I realized, I should charge my second battery for my camera.  Where is my second battery.  Search, search, search.

C arrived for the cat/house tour instructions.  Little visit so I don't seem totally ungrateful for her (probably) keeping the cat alive.   At this point, I realize, it is just going to be easier to go buy a new battery so I offered to drive C home because she lives near London Drugs, totally forgetting that she is finishing up a dog-sitting gig and is staying way the hell and gone.  But again, she & J are doing me a huge favour, and really, don't be a jerk Joanne, so off to the edge of earth to drop off C, then to London Drugs to buy a $60 battery because I can't be sure I will find the second one and if I don't find it and don't buy another one today, it ain't getting found/bought.  One hour round trip, really not that bad.

So, now.  I don't even know..., I have kind of lost the train...

4:36pm

I am recovered from my spaz. I remembered that I hadn't remembered to eat. So I had some left over chicken (in my ongoing effort to empty my fridge) and a shower. Then I put my packing cubes into my backpack and it all seems to fit.  Still charging stuff so the computer and camera still have to go in.  I have a list somewhere, I wonder where it might be. Probably with the camera battery.

I have an idea about how to get around Facebook's ban of my blog.  I posted these pictures to my FB page.  Now it just for the principle of it.

I also just tried to check in with AeroMex again.  I am pretty sure it has been longer than 30 minutes.  Still no love.  Omar,  you are like the pinky ring of life: ineffective (that is a joke for one person only who will get it immediately).

I remembered where my list was.  It is with all of my printouts of my tickets and reservations etc for the trip (sorry Rob, I am a Luddite through and through) .  So I checked my folder with those printouts and found my tax receipts for 2019. So, I guess my printouts are at work somewhere.  Time to start printing. 

6pm

Bed cleared of all travel stuff that didn't make it into the bag.  Dishes washed.  Sheets folded.  Floors vacuumed. 

I assured C that the cat doesn't use the litter box but I would clean it after she was trapped during the snow storm.  So, I cleaned it.  10 seconds later, as I was tying off the garbage bag, what do I hear, scratch scratch scratch.  Typical cat, can't leave clean litter clean.  Sorry C, apparently she is still using the litter box.

Still charging.  My travel computer is the worst.  It is so slow and doesn't save anything.  I bought a memory card for it this week so I can download my pictures so if I lose my camera, I won't lose my photos.  Plus it is hard to upload photos to the blog from the camera. 

I have tickets to a comedy show downtown tonight (I know, I know, what was I thinking) so I have another hour or so and then I am probably done for the day. 

6:44 pm

Both camera batteries charged so I can take pictures again.  Here is my guest bed/packing zone now:

Ok, I am going to sign off.  Packing is technically done.  I probably won't post again until Lima.  

See you all in South America!  

Counting down in hours now...

42 hours to go (isn't that the answer to life, the universe and everything? that's probably a good omen)

Wednesday (two days ago) was a snow day at work so I finally got some packing done (after shoveling and drinking boozy hot chocolate with Valerie upstairs).

Sure, it looks more like piling than packing but it is a process
(look at all of the snow in the backyard)

I finally picked my Capri pants (too loose), hemmed them and added my secret pocket (patent pending).  I also added a cover to the zipper on the bottom of my backpack because it wrecks my pants every time I use it.

Purple pants (secret pocket)

Cover for the  zipper at the bottom of my backpack

Now it is Friday.  I have a day off so I am getting some last minute things done.  I took my car in and spent two hours in Tim Horton's reading my camera manual.  I am almost done Chapter 3 - oh the pictures I can take (panoramic, toy mode, panoramic in toy mode!)

I took notes so you know I am going to remember 

Here is "Glitter Mode" which seemed appropriate for the
Timmy's parking lot. 

 Now I am killing a bit of time (not packing) by updating the blog.  Speaking of (and on) the blog, Facebook has decided to block any posts with the link because "Your post couldn't be shared, because this link goes against our Community Standards"  I guess I shouldn't have said (fill in whatever offensive thing Trump tweeted today).

I am keeping my eye on the weather.  I am just thanking my lucky stars that the dump of snow this week seems to be done and hopefully won't affect our flight (I am listening to CBC as I write this and they keep saying 'blizzard' so I hope they are talking about somewhere else...  nope 'tonight is going to be dicey/icey'.)  But the weather info says 10 degrees on Sunday.  Fingers crossed

Not too much else to report.  Honestly, picking my two pairs of pants (one green, one purple), was my major accomplishment so far.  Off for a haircut now.  Tomorrow I finally finish packing, give C&J their house tour and long list of cat sitting instructions (that is the cat, this is the cat food, put those two things together, end of instructions).

This is the cat