Lima on our Own

The transfer from the airport to the Swissotel was the most painless part of the journey. Very efficient so long as you kept your eyes averted from the road. As in China, stop lights and street signs appear to be suggestions amd no one likes to have more than a few inches between them and and car in front of them, never mind if there are only a few people on the road. I slept in, thanking the universe for the extra day in Lima before starting the tour. My soggy head awakened me, as well as a rather powerful need for caffeine. I am truly a slave to the stuff. Ron´s already downed a couple of cups which meant that I completed a hasty toilette in anticipation of coffee at the breakfast that awaited. After eating, we set out for a walk, armed with a street map of our district called Miraflores. We floundered a bit at the onset, but got our bearings and spent quite awhile walking in Bosque El Olivar (Olive Grove Park). Ron admired a charcoal drawing of the trees by one of several students on assignment in the park. After we`d walked another five or ten minutes, the boy ran up to us to give Ron another drawing he had in his portfolio. A lovely gift and representative of the kindness with which we were treated throughout the day. Many policemen on bicycles and guards outside the foreign embassies approached us to try a few words in English or to speak to us in rapid fire Spanish. My few phrases en Español got a workout although I did understand quite a bit. Ron was impressed, the dear man. Between a morning and an afternoon outing, yes, siesta in between, we walked almost 8 miles. Oh, I found a Starbucks during our afternoon walk. That latte was damn near equisite. We`re joining the tour tomorrow at 7 A.M., right after breakfast. We`ll be rested and ready.