Merry Christmas

I know this is posted almost a month late but that is how it is travelling.

Dec 24

With Barranca in the rear view mirror we are only a couple of hundred kilometers from Lima.

The road is straight and boring but we are entertained by the local authorities who decide that we should not be passing on a double line. Fair enough we should not be, but then neither should anyone else, and this is clearly not the case. They detain us on the road side for about 30minutes, and during the exchange the commander is trying desperately to convey that we are in big trouble and that he is going to have to issue a ticket for the infraction. He shows me photos of us breaking the law and even gets as far as writing up a ticket, but he makes a critical mistake and somehow I managed to turn it against him. He asked me if we have the double line rule in Canada, I said yes we do but it is not enforced if there is no oncoming traffic and it is safe to pass. He seemed disappointed as he tried to think of some other way to corner me, remember this is all happening in very broken communication aided by hand gestures/charades. His partner sat silently through this whole process, even when our documents were returned and I was given one final warning, well maybe more of a suggestion, and that was for us to use our signal lights as he would be watching for us in his region. At this point I almost laughed, really, you are worried about signal light usage, we have passed vehicles that don’t even have signal lights. They have long been smashed to bits, but I contain myself and as I hand Brenda back her documents I am still not sure if we have been given the green light to leave. We exchange a couple of looks then decide if we drive off and they don’t chase us it was ok to leave. It was, they did not chase us or anything and after all the talk and concern we were released without any bribe paid or infraction received.

 

We took this as a good introduction to what we thought the Lima police would be like, we soon found that the Lima Police are far too busy directing traffic to actually stop anyone, but none the less we decide against lane splitting until we see how the local bikes ride. The strange part is there are very few motorcycles on the road here; we are confused as bikes are a major transportation method. Although there are very few bikes there are lots of busses and taxis, most of which are dented and scratched but all are driving aggressively. We make our way through some heavy traffic areas and manage to find the Paraguay Embassy in the Mira Flores neighborhood of Lima. They are closed for the holiday, but will open on Dec. 26^th. As Mira Flores is one of the nicer areas of Lima we decide to spend the 24^th and 25^th close to the Embassy so that we can be first in line on the 26^th when it reopens and we can then apply for our visitor visa for Paraguay.

Mira Flores look more like a tourist beach destination than a city subdivision, there are numerous new condo buildings, International Hotel chains, upscale restaurants etc., all indications that this is a more prosperous area of the city compared to the shanty towns on the Northern outskirts.

Housing on the North end of Lima

The view of the beach at Mira Flores

We are happy to find acceptable accommodations with bike parking right on John F. Kennedy Park in the heart of this trendy area, after all this is where we will spend Christmas before going to stay with our friend and her family at her parents’ house. Mira Flores used to be a very bad area of Lima but thanks to a huge effort and revitalization the area is now one of the more desirable with its’ modern Malecon, high-end condo towers, vast choices for culinary delights, and ease of access from the rest of Lima. Where else can you see Starbuck’s next to a traditional Peruvian sandwich shop, next to a Frozen Yogurt shop, next to a Ceviche restaurant. You get the picture. The next couple of days are quiet and relaxing, as Christmas should be, and we spend our time enjoying the park and surrounding neighborhood.

Merry Christmas Everyone!