Lima Warning or Danger Tips by bscottpt

Before traveling to Peru, I was warned by friends to stay away from Lima. I was traveling with a friend and had an 10 hour layover at the airport in Lima prior to returning to the US. We decided the safest way to see Lima was by taxi (we used the taxi service located inside the airport as they assured us that they were more reputable-to their credit, they were honest and trustworthy) and we decided that the safest part area to visit was Miraflores. We took the taxi to Miraflores in the afternoon and arranged to the driver to pick us up at 8pm. The driver was friendly and punctual. We were on our way back to the airport when we had to stop at a stop light. There were three rows of traffic going our direction and we were in the lane closest to the median. An old man with a crutch was walking down the middle row of cars apparently asking for money and wiping windshields-I think he was scanning the cars for someone like me. When he neared our car another man put his hands up to my window (the car was locked and the tinted windows rolled up) and peered inside, looking right at my backpack which was on my lap. He then smashed out the window with a spark plug and grabbed my backpack. Luckily, I had my important papers and money in a money belt so that only my camera and glasses were stolen.

I am writing this in the hopes of sparing someone else this experience. I prefer to think that if I had put my backpack out of sight (under my feet) this wouldn't have happened. While I would definitely go back to Peru to Cusco and the jungle (Tambopata Reserve near Puerto Maldonado) I would not venture into Lima again-the airport is close enough. Hope this helps to keep others from suffering the same fate.

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