[5 January 2011]Â Loooong and wonderful day. Flight was 13 hours but we didn’t find it – divided time between eating, sleeping, watching movies and reading. A welcome life simplicity. Watched The American, Toy Story 3 and Salt, so not entirely high brow. Toy Story Three produced quite a few manly tears, but thankfully Katie was asleep at the time.
Got first glimpse of South America through the airplane window – three hills outlined against the evening sky, and flat green fields. Passport control was painless, then we came through the doors to the outside world of Peru to see a young chap holding up a sign with my name on it, which was welcome indeed.
The drive into the city was longer and more wonderful than expected. There is a smell in the air of dust and unfamiliar vegetation that was exactly like India, and the years of then and now seemed to mingle in my mind so it could have been both or either. It was a glorious feeling to be somewhere entirely new and unknown and unexplored, both the delights and the dangers.
The hostel is basic but functional, family-run by people who seem to be very nice. We got set up and then walked the few blocks to Kenndy Park in Miraflores, where hundreds of people were out eating and talking and having fun. There was far more life here tonight than in Amsterdam last night, where hardly a soul was stirring in the -2C cold. We wandered around until we got tired, pointing out the unfamiliar names and getting some sense of bearing, and then ate dinner in a tourist cafe right on the edge of the park. Exhaustion and excitement came and went in waves out of phase, and still as I write this I am slightly unsure am I able to go forever or desperately tired.
This little corner of Lima will always hold something special for me as the first I saw in South America. But the world is large and full of firsts, and many more are to come.
