Lima City Rocks
SUMMARY: Profile of and stories about Lima, Peru (finally) after one week in the city of 8 million – also my last week in Peru. Sections include La Molina, Magdalena, Larco Museum, Miraflores: #1 Gringo Destination, Chorrillos: The Beach, Callao: Gangsta!, Water Park, Lima Nightlife, or Other Pics.
Due to Arequipa hometown pride and dislike / jealousy of Lima, I had only heard that Lima was big, congested, gray, and dangerous. The only good thing Arequipeños say about Lima is that the food is better. However, I found Lima to be a great city. Of all the things people say about Lima, nobody ever says that it is beautiful. Which is a shame, because it is a beautiful city! Read more
Arica: Chillin’ in Chile
SUMMARY: I take a trip to Arica, Chile, a charming little coastal town in northern Chile. I encountered some nice bribery action at immigration, met a bunch of friendly locals including some lovely Chilenas, and learned a (very) little about the local history. Sections include The Border Incident; Chile, Pinochet, and the Chicago Boys; The Chilean People; La Represión y Daniel Menco; and Pictures.
The Border Incident
I took a bus from Arequipa to Tacna, a pueblo on the Peruvian side of the Peru-Chile border, and arrived around 3am. Collectivo taxi drivers sell trips across the border. I was solicited the second I exited the bus terminal. I asked how much and the guy replied “30 soles.” I agreed.
We walked two blocks to his early-80s model Chevy Caprice and I put my suitcase in the trunk. The driver returned to the terminal to find more passengers. I noticed a small sign on the windshield advertising “Tarifa” for 20 soles or 4000 Chilean pesos. Hmmm… … Read more
Camaná Round Two
SUMMARY: I spent another weekend in Camaná. Not much to tell compared to the last time. I’ll keep it short.
Damien and I arrived around 6pm Saturday and there was a huge concert that weekend, so there were no rooms anywhere. We dropped our bags in the lobby of our old friends’ hotel and went out with no plan.
I got really drunk and ran into Rosa, my ex-girlfriend. I told her I missed her. I told her I still think about her. I tried to kiss her. She kept saying that I wasn’t her boyfriend anymore. But she smiled while she said it. I don’t remember saying goodbye. … Read more
Camaná: Bender at the Beach
SUMMARY: I go to an Arequipa beach town, Camaná, for rest and relaxation. Instead, I become a drunk idiot and violate women.
Camaná is a small beach town two hours from Arequipa. It’s only sunny at the beach in the middle of summer (January and February in the Southern Hemisphere). So this small beach town is a seasonal hotspot from now until March. Our bus was set to leave at 9am. Damien and I missed it. We took a taxi for, ironically, the same price. And the taxi arrived faster.
Damien and I rolled into the town plaza around 1pm and booked a hostel. We had ceviche at a place named Don Arturo. The ceviche at the beach is, as one would imagine, unequivocally better than that in the city because the fish is fresher. Still drunk from the night before, I started drinking again. … Read more
South Florida: Expat Returns (for a minute)
SUMMARY: For the first time since moving to Peru, I came back to America for a sales show in south Florida. I describe South Florida and talk about my first time back in the U-S-of-A.
I went to a sales show in Florida. I spent Saturday through Tuesday in the States. It was my first time in my home country in almost six months – the most time I’ve ever been away. I didn’t know what to expect. I’d become pretty accustomed to Peru so I was curious if the cleanliness, modernness, and bigness of America would surprise me. I wondered what the people would seem like after being among Latinos for so long.
I landed at MIA around 7am, but couldn’t check into my hotel on Marco Island until 3pm. Saturday was my only free day. So I decided to check out South Beach until 1pm before driving a rental across the state. … Read more
