"Under a gray sky in Lima" a Lima Travel Page by acemj

It's hard to see Lima through the gray, polluted obvious mess that it is. For most of the year, a cloud called the garúa literally hangs over the city giving it a depressing atmosphere, but for those who are willing to see the colorful buildings and friendly people that dominate beneath the clouds, there are rewards to be had.

The country's largest city and political and economic center, is a magnet for poor Peruvians from the Amazon and the highlands to come and try to make a better life. This pull has created an ugly eyesore of shanty towns and poverty that surround the outer ring of the city and makes Lima slightly more dangerous from a crime standpoint than elsewhere in Peru.

So, why risk it? Well, Lima also has some of the best dining, museums, galleries, architecture and nightlife in the country and makes for a great introduction to Peru if this is your first stop. About one-third of the country's population lives here, so you'll see all cross-sections of Peruvian society here, from indigenous people to wealthy suburbanites of European descent.

We only had a couple days here and I felt like that wasn't enough. The excellent nightlife here kept us out late and sleeping in at our hotel didn't allow us to get up early and see nearly enough, but that's why I'll refer to this as my introductory trip to Peru. There's always more to see the next time.