On our last night in Montanita, we had to do the required pose by the surfboard "I love Montanita" sign right outside our hotel window. I tried to edit the sign with my arm.
It was a relatively uneventful night after that except for the idiot on his phone in the hall outside our room who eventually had to be told to go away. Yesterday morning, we caught the 11 am Peninsula Libertad bus to Guayaquil. Three hours of air conditioned ride. From the bus station we quickly got a cab to the airport ($4 US) and got checked in. Security and customs were no problem so we had time to kill in a nice new air conditioned airport with good WIFI. Not that hard to take.
Our Avianca flight to Lima took 2 hours and the complimentary meal with wine was better than average. At customs in the Lima airport, they just asked a few simple questions and gave us a 60 day visa. Our luggage arrived fairly quickly so all was well. Trying to get a taxi to our hotel in the historic centre of Lima was a bit of a challenge. The first "authorized" company told us it would cost 45 dollars although I think she meant Peruvian soles. There's a big difference. She also said their company wouldn't drive us into the centre because of the protest going on and the horrible traffic. She suggested "Green Line" taxis just out the door. We tried them and it was no problem. For $13.80 US we got a cab right away that in about 1/2 hour had us at the Kamana Hotel.
The Kamana is about 15 years more faded than it's online pictures but it's okay. The congestion of downtown Lima was a bit of culture shock after 2 months in a little beach town but after a day of touring the sights we are getting used to it.
After our included breakfast this morning we started the self-guided walking tour of historic Lima as laid out in Lonely Planet. The Plaza San Martin starting point was only a few blocks from our hotel and there was a political rally of some kind getting set up. Next we walked up to the Plaza de Armas which on one side has the Cathedral of Lima containing Francisco Pizzaro's tomb and on another side the Presidential Palace. Then we walked a couple of blocks to the Church and Monastery of Santo Domingo. For 7 soles each (about $2.75 CA) we had close to an hour private tour with an English speaking guide, since we were the only ones signed up for that time slot. We saw lots of stuff about the 3 saints from Lima (Saint Rosa of Lima, Saint Martin de Porres and Saint John Macias - all saints Anita has taught her students about over the years), including their tombs, a library of 25,000 volumes dating back to the Spanish conquest and climbed high up into the bell tower. Great tour.
We finished just in time to catch the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace. A brass band plays tunes like "El Condor Pasa" by Simon and Garfunkel while the goose-stepping guards change shifts. Meanwhile the police, with riot shields, helmets and shotguns loiter in the shade around each corner in case there's trouble. Security is tight.
We continued the tour past an excavated part of the old city wall and the Monasterio de San Francisco where there are 70,000 skeletons in the catacombs. Finally, just past the central market our tour ended at Chinatown. Just a few blocks away we found the Domus restaurant, highly recommended by Lonely Planet, where we had the set lunch for 20 soles each ($8) - juice, appetizer, chicken, rice and vegetables, and dessert in a nice cool dining room where we were surrounded by local business people.
We were getting hot and I needed a new watch so an air conditioned department store provided the answer. Now I finally know the time again almost 2 months after my watch died. We've included a few pictures of our day. The last one is a shot of the yellow vested money changers who seem to be all over downtown. Tonight we'll get a light supper and take it easy. Fun day.
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