"Lima - my introduction to South America " a Lima Travel Page by MovingMere

I didn't know what to expect going into Lima. I had talked to others who had been to the city, mostly Luis and his sister, Claudia, who grew up there. I knew it was going to be wonderful, and completely different from anything I had experienced. But I must confess that my primary concern wasn't what time the museum opened or how much time I was going to get to spend in downtown. I was worried about meeting the family. Meeting the Peruvian grandmother of your boyfriend, who happens to be the oldest cousin, when you're a pale American girl who doesn't speak Spanish or eat meat is a bit intimidating. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised, as everyone seemed to like me and they were very friendly and welcoming. Every attempt I made at speaking Spanish was rewarded with a smile and kind laughter. I am looking forward to when I can go back and actually carry on a converstaion in Spanish.

Because his family was in Lima and I was visiting over the holidays, we were based there for most of our trip. My first morning there, we stopped at a produce stand where a woman made us mango and strawberry juices. They were wonderful, and incredibly cheap (less than a buck for 2). After enjoying our breakfast, we walked through an assortment of carts selling delicious looking food. Luis pointed out what everything was and what his favorites were. I couldn't wait for lunch, because I was ready to try more of the food! Not only do the people like to eat well, but they love their music. The streets were always filled with the sounds of people speaking Spanish and of music playing somewhere. (and of cars blowing their horns!) I don't remember being far out of earshot of music that made me itch to dance. One of my favorite memories is laying in bed at night with the window open and hearing music playing from down the street.

While I was in Lima, we spent many hours enjoying the city itself: walking downtown, exploring the neighborhood, visiting his family, and of course, eating and dancing. Several times we escaped for a quick vacation at a nearby beach, once just for an afternoon. It was incredible and quite convenient to be in such close proximity of both the beaches and the mountains. Peru is divided into desert on the west coast, mountains in the center, and jungle on it's eastern border. The desert section is the smallest on the map, and is also where the Lima and the beaches are.