Power cuts, grey skies and the big city

Early morning start on Sunday was livened up by a lack of power in the hotel. Breakfast by candlelight - luckily Tina had packed the night before so it was just the dressing and showering in the dark which was a little challenging!






20 minute bus ride to the local harbour and a speedboat ride to islands covered in seabirds and the occasional sea lion. Weather not great but thankfully dry, calm seas and a good blast of sea air to get us going.





After a 4 hour local bus journey to Lima during which Tina slept most of the way thanks to the sea sick pill taken earlier, we checked into the the hotel in the centre of Lima and headed out to a really nice park full of fountains where at weekends, there is an evening laser and light show. Could have been in Florida - especially with Tina and Susie acting like kids and running in and out of the fountains without getting wet!

It was good to find a peaceful haven in a city of 9 million people where the car horn replaces the pan pipes as the musical instrument of choice - both get tedious after a while but especially the car horns which started in earnest from around 5 am outside our hotel!




The last supper for the tour - with the girls heading off in different directions today.

Tina still on the Pisco Sours - although not of course why she had a headache in the morning!



Monday morning walking around Lima. As with all the places we have been so far, good Spanish style plazas but in Lima, not too many tourists. A good standard restuarant in the main square cost £2.30 for soup, steak & veg, dessert & fruit juice.

Saw the changing of the guard - all very theatrical - silly walks and a brass band in bright costumes. Hiliary Clinton in town today - she would have loved it!



Spent the afternoon visiting the Spanish Inquisition Museum
and the cathedral where below ground there are the bodies of 47,000 people - with the bones and skulls of most of them on view.

Central Lima is pretty tatty outside of the main squares but we went to a really atmospheric bar for an afternoon cup of tea - the staff were as old and decrepid as the decor but a good experience all the same.

A quiet night (apart from the car horns) tonight and then on an 9 hr bus ride up the coast where hopefully the sun will make an appearance and we can relax on the beach. Have got very use to the bus journeys - sitting listening to our music, watching the world go by (and sleeping).