Goodbye Chile, Hello Peru

Friday and Saturday, March 18-19, 2016 WTRD 70-71

Our AirBnB Host Bernie took us to the airport yesterday morning.  We bid each other fond farewells, said goodbye to Chile, and made our way to the plane that would take us to Peru.  We are splurging and flying economy premium.  What a treat to eat off real tableware and have room to spread out.

We arrived in Peru around 11:00 am in the morning.  We gained 2 hours flying west. As we approached the airfield, we saw no green fields or obvious agriculture.  The region looks like Baja California, dusty and dry.  The land is filled with industrial buildings.  The sea lines the west coast.  Many of the wave crests are brown foam.  A heavy smog hangs over the city.

Since we are joining a tour group at this point for the remainder of our travels in South America, a transfer had been arranged for us, and as we left customs we spotted our names amongst the fifty different transfer carriers brandishing signs with people's names on them. Our driver speaks no English, but he tries to convey to us when we arrive in the Miraflores district that we will be safe here, which translates to me that the other dusty, shabby, graffiti filled streets we drove through to get here most likely are not safe.

I have developed a head cold and am happy to be able to check into our room and vegetate the rest of the day.  Once again we did some reorganizing of our luggage.  We will be returning here after our 14 day tour so we are consolidating into two our two small bags what will need thinking we can leave the bigger bag now filled with souvenirs and extra gear here and not pack it around.  Russ went out for a short walk while I worked on photo editing. We ate dinner at the hotel restaurant and retired early.  Tomorrow we meet up with our Peregrine Tour group.

Saturday, March 19, 2016, WTRD 71

Handy Crafts of Peru

Colorful Textiles

Peruvian Boots

ART

Silver Jewelry

This morning, we ate breakfast in the hotel dining room and went for a walk that took us to the Inca, Indian, and Peruvian craft markets.  Of all the markets we have visited, these markets are the best.  They are loaded with products made in Peru from Alpaca and baby Alpaca wool, brightly colored sweaters, hats, dresses, scarves, bags, pillow covers, ponchos, capes, and silver jewelry.  

Yes, we did purchase a few items.  Now we need to figure out where to stuff them..We stopped for a pizza and beer before we returning to our hotel where we met up with our tour group at 2:00.  The head cold, the beer, and the warm afternoon make it difficult for me to concentrate.  I think I need a nap.

Pizza Parlor, Old Records for Placemats.

There are nine of us, maybe ten, in our group if another person shows up.  Our tour leader is Renaldi - Remy.  He plans to take us out for a walk after the orientation.  Hmmm.  I still think I will take a nap.  Russ is the designated photographer, while I hang back to rest in our air conditioned room.

Russ returns around 6:00 pm with a few photos and lots of sweat.

He takes a shower and we join up with our group: Peter and Diane, Lorraine and Gary, Jan, Anna, and Peter are all from Australia. Margarite is from New Foundland.  Peter and Dianne are the only ones who will continue on with us to the Galapagos.  Lorraine and Gary, just came from the Galapagos.

We walk downtown to a restaurant Russ and I had passed by earlier in the day while we hunted for a geocache..  Russ goes inside and retrieves the cache from the bartender.  Interesting?  We pick up a new travel bug who is on a race for the most miles and the most caches between January 2, 2016 and January 2, 2017.  We think we can help Gregor along on his race.

Our group gets to know each other a little better over dinner while we share wine and stories.  Tomorrow, we will leave at 8:30 on day 2 of our Peregrine Itinerary.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel R's in Lima Peru