Arrival in Lima

I'm in Peru! And I have a blog!

I was only in Lima for a couple of days but it made quite an impression on me. One of the first things that struck me was how familiar it smelled - the combination of humidity and car exhaust brought me right back to Conakry, Guinea. Which is weird. But there you have it.

Another thing that struck me was the driving. I experienced the most aggressive driving I have ever seen, and believe me, I have been to some places where the driving is pretty crazy. The taxi drivers here (some, not all) drive as if they're on coke. They're changing lanes every two seconds. And of course there are generally no seatbelts. In spite of the seeming impatience, everyone has still been very pleasant. One particularly crazy driver seemed amused when he kindly asked me for my fare and I didn't understand what he was saying. Spanish, where have you gone?

The other weird thing is how wealthy the wealthy neighbourhoods are. The oceanside apartments of Barranco and Miraflores made me think of Beverly Hills (or something like it). They were absolutely spectacular. Not only that, but rich people here go jogging, own pet dogs, put clothing on their pet dogs, and even post "Missing" posters when their pet dogs get lost. Not really what I was expecting, based on previous travels. I'm kind of sad that globalization has exported, of all things, the dressing of dogs in silly outfits.