Lima: home sweet home (8/5/2014-14/5/2014)

Coming back to Lima after our life-changing experiences in La Paz, made me tht much more grateful for this amazing city. Experiences ranging from randomly learning Japanese from my Peruvian taxi driver to the most incredibly touching Día de la Madre celebration with our Peruvian family. After traveling for four weeks, eating a home cooked meal (causa and arroz con pollo anyone?) with a mom who hugged and kissed you like one of her own was amazing. Staying up all night salsa-ing with the master and eating what was probably the greatest ceviche of my life also did not hurt! I became an expert Lima taxi negotiator; Luis and Vanessa set goals for me, as a gringa, to negotiate down to when trying to get around Lima. When a driver accepts your terms for taxi fare by saying that the price is practically "un regalo", you know you have made a breakthrough.

Vanessa joked with me that Lima was "mi barrio" and you know, in some ways it is. I love that city. Sitting here in Fort Lauderdale waiting for my flight back to SF, makes me realize how much I already miss it. I even feel love for the reckless taxi driving! We definitely prayed to the patron saints of Peru, San Martin and Santa Rosa in our taxi on the way to the airport after the driver slammed on the brakes, ramming us into the front seats multiple times. 

I miss the beautiful artsy-ness of Barranco,with its lovers' bridge and multiple spots ideally situated for some serious PDA, Peruvian-style. You are so welcome, by ther way, for learning about PDA! I miss those bizarre art galleries with incredible and yet mildly disturbing art.

I miss playing kabu in random places and learning how to play pool using only Spanish. ¡Qúe chevere! I miss learning new words every day... "Te quiero como mierda" being a phrase of love and friendship. I miss my family and friends who are, at this point, scattered across the globe.

Most of all, I miss waking up every day without a care in the world, being able to decide what I wanted to do THAT day. And, as evidence by the fact that I only wro one blog post for my entire last week in Lima, should tell you that I was simply having too much fun to write!

Besitos,

EmBoss