Adventures in Miraflores

I finally took the time this weekend to really explore Miraflores, the region in Lima where BaseCamp is located. I had gone wandering around before, but until the last couple of days, I hadn't really taken the time to try and take it in. So, yesterday I set out with a plan to see some of the various sites in Miraflores.

I started off with a trip to the archeological site Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Incan pyramid located in the middle of the city, only 5 blocks from BaseCamp. I really enjoyed the brief tour through the ruins and the chance to see many of the artifacts discovered at the site. The pyramid is made out of mud-bricks, which are shaped and stacked so that the structure somewhat resembles a book-shelf. Apparently it was built this way to withstand seismic activity, which I found astounding given that the structure dates back to at least the 4th century.

 Me at Huaca Pucllana

I then proceeded to walk over to the ocean, and down the cliffs along the coastline. I stopped by "El Parque de Amor" (the park of love) which has a rather unique statue of two people making out. Interesting, to say the least. The surrounding walls/benches covered in mosaic tiles and personal messages were really nice though. I then continued down to the shopping center on the ocean, Larco Mar, and stopped for a Submarino Havanna at the Havanna Cafe. It was basically a hot chocolate, but they brought me a glass of extremely warm milk and a bar of chocolate, and I sat there confused for a minute. I then figured out I was supposed to drop the chocolate bar into the milk. Oh, the perils of ordering something without fully understanding what your asking for. :)

Last night after dinner, Romy (an amazing friend of those at BaseCamp who often takes volunteers on tours to see parts of Lima) took me to see El Parque de la Reserva, which is a park with a ton of amazing fountains near the center of Lima. It was a great night, and the fountains are spectacular. Getting the chance to learn more about Peruvian history and the history of the park from Romy was also great.

Today, I haven't been quite so adventurous, but after lots of research on my computer as to where I should go for lunch, I decided to try out the sandwich place called El Enano. I apologize to my foodie friends, because I forgot to bring my camera, but I will for sure be back, so no worries, I'll remember next time. I ordered a Chicharron sandwich (pork), which came with mayo, and aji (Peruvian hot pepper) sauce. It was absolutely delicious, and I don't want to detract from it's deliciousness by saying this, but the really impressive part of the meal was the juice. They have a ridiculous number of juice selections on their massive menu, making it a very difficult decision between the number of different combinations. I finally settled on papaya-pineapple juice which was incredible. I foresee many trips back in the next few months to try different juice and sandwich combos.

Overall, I feel like this time spent exploring has helped me see more and more of Lima, and hopefully given me a greater appreciation of the complexity of the city. Although Miraflores is evidently one of the nicest areas in Lima, and the one which is most geared to tourism, having these types of experiences has helped me learn a lot. I still feel as though the language barrier is holding me back from fully engaging with people in these everyday situations, but things are definitely improving bit by bit.