Start At The Beginning
I´ve been in Lima for 6 days. Which is about 4 days too many.
It´s not that Lima isn´t a great city, because it is. But it is just that…a city. Two days would be enough to explore the unique opportunities that Lima has to offer, the rest is just fluff that you would find in any large city around the world. I went to the theatre and watched the new Narnia movie last night, for example.
That´s not to say I have not enjoyed my time here nor do I regret this time spent. It has given me the chance to introduce myself to the culture and ease into my trip (and eat lots of delicious ceviche).
It has also allowed me to meet many fascinating characters. Through the hostel, many other travellers who share their stories with me, allowing me to learn from their mistakes or maybe take in their suggestions of things to do. But it has been the locals that I´ve met that has been truly exciting.
As I walked along the cliffs of Lima I stopped to watch the many surfers. I was soon approached by a man speaking Spanish. I explained to him that I did not understand and he attempted to communicate with me with broken English (which was actually quite understandable). He explained to me these waves were small and only good for exercise, not for true surfing. The real waves are up north, where he is from.
He was visiting Lima to meet with government officials to try and get a loan for the school he teaches at in the north. The school is for orphans, Sin Papas (without fathers), and he built it 15 years ago. Before he arrived the kids would sniff glue to get high and pass the time. Now he offers them sports and art programs as well as schooling to keep them occupied and happy. He showed me some of their art, it was truly amazing. I kept waiting for him to try and sell me this art or get money from me somehow, but instead he gave me a dictionary, some cocoa leaf tea, and a map the children made, as a gift! When I tried to give him something he refused.
He thanked me for visiting Peru and learning about his culture. When I told him I will be participating in the Ayahuasca ceremonies at the end of my trip he got excited. He told me this was very important. He did Ayahuasca 5 times 15 years ago. This is when he stopped doing drugs, smoking, drinking, and built his school. He explained to me that Ayahuasca is forever and I must use it´s shared knowledge to help my friends back home when they are in need of it. I am more excited than ever to find out with this plant has to teach me.
He gave me his email for if I have any questions during my trip. He also invited me to his school should I return to Peru. If I do make it back here I would love to go north and volunteer for him.
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The next day I went to downtown Lima. A busy place with interesting architecture. I planned a loop to walk that would allow me to see all the main sights. About 30 minutes into my walk I ended up talking with another local. We walked and talked for another 30 minutes or so. Turns out he is an Ayahuasca shaman (I told him I was going to try Ayahuasca and he said this is why our paths crossed, Ayahuasca had brought us together). His wife and daughter are in Vancouver, he was deported back here for staying in Canada too long and can´t return for 2 years.
He told me he was meeting friends at a nearby bar and I should join them. It felt safe enough and I told myself I would leave as soon as I felt at all uncomfortable.
We arrived at the bar and I was met with hugs and smiles by his friends. Two Bolivian musicians who were playing their music in the bars in Peru (Think ex-hippies. They showed me pictures from when they were younger, apparently they were quite successful musicians back in the day). We each ordered a jug of pisco sour and got to drinking and sharing stories. (Our Peruvian friend, Marco, translated for us when we could not understand each other.) They drew maps in my notebook and told me the best places to see. They shared stories from history and taught me some basic Spanish. Like the man I met the day before they shared the excitement for me trying Ayahuasca. They said ¨Uno, dose, tres ojos¨, meaning it will open my third eye.
We ordered some Alpaca meat (which was deliciously prepared) and after this meal I was on my way, fueled by the pisco sours. I did an abridged version of my orginally planned route of the city as it was now getting dark and I was not interested in being downtown come nightfall. I did, however, make it a church called San Fransisco, which was interesting due to the fact that it had catacombs filled with human skeletons. (The library was also amazing).
So yes, Lima has been great. I will have a fantastic New Years here at the hostel but I am excited and anxious to get going with my trip tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to upload some pictures soon.
Until then.
