A Visit To Lima

Lima is a big and sprawling city, clogged with traffic from 5 am to 9 pm. One third of the entire Peruvian population lives in this city and during rush hour, it feels like they are all riding the transit system. "Packed" is an understatement. Although Lima gets mixed reviews from other travelers but my stay has been very pleasant.

The central area has some lovely plazas and historical buildings with intricately carved balconies. There is also the very bohemian and artsy district of Barranco with great walkways, parks, theatres, galleries and restaurants. Lima also has some great museums, a coastline for surfing (albeit a bit polluted) and an actual Chinatown, chalkful of restaurants with hanging roasted duck, crackling pork and bbq pork (yes!). Most of these restaurants also serve Chinese pastries and steam pork buns which tasted like home.

I stayed in the affluent and tourist-friendly area of Miraflores and I initially felt a little disorientated with the McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Payless Shoes, etc around. It is so developed in this area and much different from the rest of Peru, that it could pass for any typical city in Canada or US.

On the opposite spectrum, I also spent a day in the Pino area of the La Victoria district to visit with a sponsored child, Frank (who is in his teens now) and his family, and the Sisters

and social worker from Our Lady of the Good Sheppard. I had lunch with the Sisters, went shopping in the nearby giant fruit market (one of the two major markets that supplies all the fruit in the city) and received a tour of the drop-in health and school centre. Pino is a small, packed hillside community of 20 000  residents, full of crumbling buildings and roads and warren of stairs and paths but since the police have recently opened a station there, much safer. About 560 children get sponsored from this area.

It was good to visit Frank and his family and learn a little about his life and his surroundings. From his birthday money about 5 years ago, Frank bought an electronic keyboard and he played it so much that the keys broke. He really enjoys playing music. Frank is now part of a symphony group for disadvantaged youths sponsored by a famous local opera singer. He happily practices and has music instruction six days a week. The group has even played in the presidential palace. Frank no longer wants to be a policeman and has aspirations to become an orchestra musician.

Off to go pack as I am heading south to Chile and the start of some long bus rides...