Last Call in Lima
5.24.10
We had two options for getting to Lima. One was a very inexpensive luxury bus ride from Arequipa, we’re talking first class seats that fold out into a bed, meals, movies, and more all for about $50 each. The kicker: This would require that we spend 18 hours on said bus. Our second option was to splurge on a $250 flight and get to Lima in an hour. There is one thing I never sacrifice when travelling and that is time. I don’t care if an airline offered me a $500 flight voucher for bumping me to a next day flight. I would not accept it. When I am getting away to a destination that I have spent months preparing and saving for, there is no amount of money that will keep me from utilizing every moment of my vacation time. Time is precious, especially when travelling. Now returning home is a whole different story. I will gladly be bumped from a flight if it means I get a bonus vacation day, no questions asked.
So in the end we took the splurge worthy route. Time to us is everything. Granted this meant reserving an extra night at our swanky Miraflores hotel and in the end the last two nights of our Peru trip cost more than the first 11, but not matter, we made it work. I will not skirt the obvious and will simply say, Peru is very affordable. You should go there, like, now, before they realize it.
Lima is a sprawling metropolitan city of eight million people. We only had two nights, so we limited our exploration to the Miraflores area. While touring the area we felt very safe and couldn’t help but indulge in the luxuries we are accustomed to back home (i.e. Starbucks). Miraflores is also known for its bustling food scene and each block is lined with upscale eateries and chic bars. High rise hotels line the coast, and each one is more decadent than the last.
Miraflores is not actually at sea level, but sits high above the water on towering cliffs that seem to crumble into the ocean. Paved pathways appear to teeter on the cliffs and bustle with activity day and night. Getting to the beach requires navigating a series of switchback trails and roads built into the sandy cliffs.
Surfing is quite the popular pastime and we couldn’t walk but five feet down the beach without being offered lessons. Those not in the water gathered with picnic dinners to watch the sunset, and children ran wildly about the shoreline throwing rocks into the water.
We stopped on a boardwalk and watched as the sun sunk below the horizon. It was our last night in Peru, and although we were sad to be saying goodbye to a country with so many diverse experiences, we were also looking forward to returning to our lives back home.
While travel not only engages us to learn about new cultures, religions, and people, we also learn to be thankful for the things we take for granted back home. Things like clean water, abundant food, and warm showers. Our experiences in Peru helped us to realize these things. We returned home with a renewed sense of purpose and a gratitude for the basic necessities in life. This to me is the result of successful travel.
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