Day 7: 18 March 2025
I think it is easier to say goodbye to the Andes in the dark, so it was probably better to depart for the airport in Cusco as early as we did – 4h30. Our flight to Lima was due to depart at 6h00. Fortunately, it was already light by the time the beautiful Andes started falling away beneath us as our aircraft climbed into the clouds. Soon we could no longer see the land, but there were several snow-capped peaks pushing through the cloud cover, as if the mountain did not want to let us go either. The flight was not very long and as we neared our coastal destination, the clouds disappeared and we could see the vast expanse of the mountain range in all directions. It seemed endless, as if the Andes had claimed the continent.
We landed in Lima and left the airport to join the heavy traffic of the city. The air was not clean, and the city immediately left me feeling despondent. It was not a scenic route, though I am sure our driver intended it to be one, when he took us along a sea level highway, which we eventually reached after the battle to get through the morning traffic. Lima seems to have been built on a high embankment, while its highway runs below the embankment along the long, black stretch of beach.
The high embankments separating the city from its beaches are covered with what looks like very strong, though fine netting. And lots of ‘Tsunami Evacuation Route’ signs all over the place. We later heard that the sea gets deep quickly on the west coast of South America, and this means that tsunamis hit the land at full strength, instead of becoming smaller as the huge waves approach land from the deep sea where it usually gets shallower near the coastline.
We left the sea level highway and travelled through one of the ‘Tsunami Evacuation Routes’ to our hotel, which was about two kilometres from the beach. We were very early, and very relieved when the hotel told us that our rooms were ready and that we were welcome to check in. This made a huge difference to our experience in the city. We could settle in before taking only small backpacks to walk back to the beach, looking for a place to have lunch while watching the ocean, hopefully not seeing any approaching tsunamis. We ended up in a small café when hunger stepped in, and discovered that ‘pizza’ is not necessarily interpreted the same way in Lima as in other places. But the lightly toasted bread roll with melted cheese over bacon and tomato was quite tasty.
The group felt strong enough to continue walking towards the beach and the shopping centre we were looking for, Lacomar, right against but high above the beach.
While everyone shopped, Doreen walked down to sea level with water baby Alta (we suspect that she might secretly be a mermaid), who wanted to swim in the Pacific Ocean. They had to walk another few kilometres to find a crossing from the upper level down to the beach over the highway. But they made it, and Alta returned with a triumphant smile and wet hair, owing her support person a beer. The rest of us found everything we needed at Lacomar, and eventually started the long walk back to our hotel. Some more shopping along the way meant that I would have to dig out an extra bag, because I would not later be able to close my suitcase.
Our transport arrived at 17h00 to take us to a part where we could watch the beautiful Magic Fountains display as it got dark. It was beautiful to spend our last touristy hours on the continent of South America in such a lovely, light, and clean environment. On our way back to the hotel, the traffic remained heavy and we felt sorry for the unbelievably long lines of people waiting for a bus home at the end of the day. We marvelled at the fact that the crazy traffic patterns did not result in an accident every few minutes, and I really cannot say that any of us were surprised when we felt the car behind us hit the bus we were travelling in. The hiccup was soon behind us, and we headed home for a last dinner, packing, and some much needed sleep. Predictably, packing became a bit of a mission due to ‘shrinking suitcases’. In the end, everything was packed, wrapped, and ready for early departure – again – the next morning.
Will I visit Lima again? I doubt it. The little that I saw of the city was unimpressive. Perhaps there was more to explore, but to me it seemed like just another big, polluted city with lots of chaotic traffic, as opposed to normal heavy traffic. No real scenery, an almost inaccessible beach, and numerous tsunami warning signs. Flight schedules required us to stay over in the city, and we used the time to have a lovely day together. Unfortunately, I cannot encourage anyone to visit Lima. But that is only my view. My travel companions seemed to quite enjoy the city. I went to South America to connect with the Andes, and had little interest in anything else. Perhaps that is why Lima could not welcome me. One’s attitude creates one’s reality.