10. Good transportation
Although the driving in Lima is a little, well actually a lot, crazy, the transportation is cheap. You can pretty much get anywhere around Lima for S/.1 (that’s one nuevo sol, their currency, equivalent to about 35 cents).
9. Feeling like a minority
While not all Peruvians are dark skinned, I definitely feel like a minority here. There are more people that don’t look like me than people that do look like me. And I like that. While I want to feel like I fit in, it’s nice to have a change of pace from living in America.
8. History
Living in a city (and country) that has more history than the US has been interesting. I’m taking a history of Peru class this semester, so I’ll learn a lot more than I know now, but last weekend I went on a tour of Lima and I got to see the Plaza de Armas and some very old barouque-style architecture. In some areas, you can see a juxtaposition of new buildings mixed in with old ones.
7. Palm Trees
I love walking around and seeing palm trees. It actually kind of makes me feel like I’m on vacation because whenever I’ve visited a palm-tree friendly climate (aka Cali or Florida) it’s been for spring break or summer vacation. It’s cool knowing that I’ll be living here for a year, seeing palm trees all the time. Love it.
6. Great coffee
Lima has great coffee, but it does take a bit of weeding through a lot of instant-coffee packets to find the right place. It’s very odd that nearly everyone here drinks terrible instant coffee, as they live in a climate conducive to coffee growing, also a climate where a lot of the US gets their coffee. I guess Peruvains aren’t as much as coffee-snobs as I was expecting. This past week I went with another study-abroad Sconnie, Jen, to a Cafe called Cafe Verde (check out cafeverdeperu.com). It’s run by Americans (oddly enough) who go directly to the Peruvian growers and get the coffee beans and roast them in their shop. You can actually see them roasting the coffee in the shop and every bag of coffee you buy has the date it was roasted on the bag. ¡Bien chevere!
5. Classes 3 days a week
While I have yet to register for classes (this past week was “shopping week”), the 5 options for schedules that I have only include class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. That’s right, I have a longer weekend than school week. And while they’re long days, I don’t really mind because this will give me the opportunity to volunteer and also travel around Peru and South America during the semester.
4. Living in a big city
As Lima has over 9 million people, I sometimes feel like a very small, naive fish lost in a sea of Peruvians. but I kind of like it. While overwhelming, I kind of like knowing that I’ll never be able to completely know my way around the city. I felt very accomplished the first time I took a micro (city bus, but more like a van than a bus) from school to Miraflores (where I live). I think it’s the little things like that that really make me feel at home in this massive metropolis.
3. Speaking Spanish
While speaking Spanish has been a little frustrating (as I’m finding out all the words I don’t know) it’s been great knowing that I’m constantly learning and getting good at something that I love. I have definitely said “Como?” (What?) hundreds of times, but I hope with time I’ll be speaking like a Peruvian and people will be like why does that gringa sound like she’s Peruvian? Yep that’s one of my goals, sound Peruvian.
2. Food
Peruvian food is muy rico and very inexpensive. I’ve eaten lunch at school for S/.7 (about 2.25) and it includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. My favorite thing that I’ve eaten is tequenos. It’s fried bread filled with cheese that you dip in a guacamole-type sauce. Ceviche, one of Peru’s most popular dishes, is not one of my most favorite foods. I tried it near the Marina at one of the best places and it just was not my cup of tea. It’s raw fish marinated in lime juice and it was just way too lime-y and the texture was kind of odd. I’m not a big seafood person, so that could be it too. But overall, the food here is inexpensive and really good (although probably not good for you…)
1. Ocean
My most favorite thing about living in Lima is the ocean. The picture I put in my last blog is only 4 blocks where I’m living, so what I pictured in my head was actually a pretty accurate picture of Lima. I can easily walk to the cliffs, sit in the grass and take in the ocean breeze. I love it. Looking out over the ocean and seeing the huge waves just reminds me that I am so small and insignificant and that the God who created this earth is so much bigger than me.
Amor y paz.
Although the driving in Lima is a little, well actually a lot, crazy, the transportation is cheap. You can pretty much get anywhere around Lima for S/.1 (that’s one nuevo sol, their currency, equivalent to about 35 cents).
9. Feeling like a minority
While not all Peruvians are dark skinned, I definitely feel like a minority here. There are more people that don’t look like me than people that do look like me. And I like that. While I want to feel like I fit in, it’s nice to have a change of pace from living in America.
8. History
Living in a city (and country) that has more history than the US has been interesting. I’m taking a history of Peru class this semester, so I’ll learn a lot more than I know now, but last weekend I went on a tour of Lima and I got to see the Plaza de Armas and some very old barouque-style architecture. In some areas, you can see a juxtaposition of new buildings mixed in with old ones.
 |
| This is a picture of me in the Plaza de Armas in “Old Lima.” The bronze fountatin is the oldest remaining structure in Lima and also where Francisco Pizarro (a Spanish conquistador) was assassinated. In the background of the picture is the Palacio de Gobierno (their White House). |
7. Palm Trees
I love walking around and seeing palm trees. It actually kind of makes me feel like I’m on vacation because whenever I’ve visited a palm-tree friendly climate (aka Cali or Florida) it’s been for spring break or summer vacation. It’s cool knowing that I’ll be living here for a year, seeing palm trees all the time. Love it.
6. Great coffee
Lima has great coffee, but it does take a bit of weeding through a lot of instant-coffee packets to find the right place. It’s very odd that nearly everyone here drinks terrible instant coffee, as they live in a climate conducive to coffee growing, also a climate where a lot of the US gets their coffee. I guess Peruvains aren’t as much as coffee-snobs as I was expecting. This past week I went with another study-abroad Sconnie, Jen, to a Cafe called Cafe Verde (check out cafeverdeperu.com). It’s run by Americans (oddly enough) who go directly to the Peruvian growers and get the coffee beans and roast them in their shop. You can actually see them roasting the coffee in the shop and every bag of coffee you buy has the date it was roasted on the bag. ¡Bien chevere!
5. Classes 3 days a week
While I have yet to register for classes (this past week was “shopping week”), the 5 options for schedules that I have only include class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. That’s right, I have a longer weekend than school week. And while they’re long days, I don’t really mind because this will give me the opportunity to volunteer and also travel around Peru and South America during the semester.
4. Living in a big city
As Lima has over 9 million people, I sometimes feel like a very small, naive fish lost in a sea of Peruvians. but I kind of like it. While overwhelming, I kind of like knowing that I’ll never be able to completely know my way around the city. I felt very accomplished the first time I took a micro (city bus, but more like a van than a bus) from school to Miraflores (where I live). I think it’s the little things like that that really make me feel at home in this massive metropolis.
3. Speaking Spanish
While speaking Spanish has been a little frustrating (as I’m finding out all the words I don’t know) it’s been great knowing that I’m constantly learning and getting good at something that I love. I have definitely said “Como?” (What?) hundreds of times, but I hope with time I’ll be speaking like a Peruvian and people will be like why does that gringa sound like she’s Peruvian? Yep that’s one of my goals, sound Peruvian.
2. Food
Peruvian food is muy rico and very inexpensive. I’ve eaten lunch at school for S/.7 (about 2.25) and it includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. My favorite thing that I’ve eaten is tequenos. It’s fried bread filled with cheese that you dip in a guacamole-type sauce. Ceviche, one of Peru’s most popular dishes, is not one of my most favorite foods. I tried it near the Marina at one of the best places and it just was not my cup of tea. It’s raw fish marinated in lime juice and it was just way too lime-y and the texture was kind of odd. I’m not a big seafood person, so that could be it too. But overall, the food here is inexpensive and really good (although probably not good for you…)
 |
| Ceviche |
1. Ocean
My most favorite thing about living in Lima is the ocean. The picture I put in my last blog is only 4 blocks where I’m living, so what I pictured in my head was actually a pretty accurate picture of Lima. I can easily walk to the cliffs, sit in the grass and take in the ocean breeze. I love it. Looking out over the ocean and seeing the huge waves just reminds me that I am so small and insignificant and that the God who created this earth is so much bigger than me.
 |
| This is a couple blocks from my apartment, and while I can’t enjoy the beach until it warms up in the summer months, I don’t mind the eye candy. |
Amor y paz.
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