Lima

Spent the last few days in lima getting prepared for the rest of our trip. I got a new sim card for my cell phone, had it unlocked at some funky market, and then put minutes on it at the grocery store…it worked for one night and now is pretty worthless…the service provider is called movistar though…so that’s pretty dope. With the help of our friend Santiago we were able to get the rest of immunization shots at a fraction of price in it would have cost in America…so I would recommend that…exept now the effects of the shots are starting to kick in and spring and I feeling pretty sick…particularly spring who vomited three times last night and has been feeling dizzy, nauseous, feverish, achey, exhausted, and headachy…which is a total bummer but hopefully she’ll be feeling better soon.
We have managed to see some sights however since we arrived and lima is turning out to be a pretty awesome city. The weather is warm, there a lots of beautiful plants and gardens around, the architecture is very pleasing, and the streets are clean. Were staying in east lima which is basically suburbia, but have been all over town now to some really beautiful interesting areas. Miraflores is the wealthiest part of town on a scenic bluff overlooking the ocean and some islands. There are surfers in the water, a shopping mall built into the cliff side, gourmet restaurants, fashionable people, modern architecture, tennis clubs, and manicured parks with amazing trees and public art on display. It reminds me a bit of santa monica california, but less commercialized and more scenic…not at all what I was expecting from lima, peru which has a reputation of being a dirty shit hole.
Yesterday we were talked into taking a tour around lima on one of those double-decker tourist buses…it was pretty embarrassing at first but the high vantage point is great and it was quick a way to get an overview of the city. Downtown lima is particularly nice but congested with stunning European-esque architecture, beautiful plazas, and parks in many areas.
On the tour we stopped at the san Francisco cathedral to check out the catacombs that are filled with the bones of 25,000 people who thought they would ascend to heaven more quickly if they were buried under the church. The bones are distributed in multi-layer pits up to 10 meters deep and separated by bone types…skulls and leg bones were prominently displayed while other bones just seemed to be heaped throughout the narrow passage ways and low ceilings of the catacombs. In general, Christianity is a terrifying religion…and this place was a prime example…the remainder of the cathedral was filled with art depicting various forms of torture and suffering…not really sure what the draw has been to this religion over the years…but it sure doesn’t seem like a healthy one.