Day 1: April 29

Lima

The kids felt much better today, even after waking up at 8:00 with
just six hours of sleep in them. They bounce back amazingly well. I
wish I could say the same for me. Though I must admit that for the
first time in my life, I experienced the miracle of coffee (I usually
just get a headache).

We took it easy this morning, letting the kids set the pace. They
played a little in our courtyard, which we share between our adjoining
rooms. Then we set out to explore a very busy and loud city.

We're staying in Miraflores, a well to do and touristy part of the
city, so walking around is not only safe, but very pleasant. We spent
a few hours in a playground, where the kids managed to make some
friends, and Maïa even learned a couple of phrases in Spanish.

Derek and I eventually got hungry, though the kids were still running
on a mostly full tank from our very generous "continental" breakfast
at the hotel. We headed out to Punto Azul, a resto recommended by our
trusty Lonely Planet guide.

We were not disappointed. Derek and I had ceviche, a Liman dish of
seafood piled high and seasoned with lime juice and cilantro. The
dishes were gorgeous, and it was only when we were halfway through
that I realized I should have taken a picture of the amazing
creations. I guess we were hungry! The kids split a seafood soup, and
could barely finish it; the servings here are massive. What they
enjoyed most was Inca Cola, a yellow pop that has a taste I am hard
pressed to describe. All that food cost us about $30.

By the time we were done, it was late afternoon. We spent the rest of
daylight walking near the water (Pacific ocean), though high above the
beach. The views were beautiful, and the walkway, bustling.

As the sun set, the city became even busier - very different from life
in Ottawa! We walked back to the hotel, through the park we'd played
in earlier, which was now set up with vendors selling typical Peruvian
items: silver jewelry, textiles, handmade kids' toys, and the
omnipresent Peruvian toques. There were no purchases tonight, but I
must say that I'm looking forward to the last leg of our trip when we
can buy a few items to bring home; everything is so beautiful.

So far, we've quite enjoyed Lima, which most people have told us is
the least interesting part of the country. I can't wait to see what
the rest of Peru has in store for us.