It was 19 years ago I was last in Lima, I stayed in the same upmarket district called Miraflores with its plazas, shopping, restaurants and close to the beaches. It doesn't have a lot going for it I'll be honest so I intended only to stay a couple of day. The hotel, called lion "Backpackers" was nice enough, it didn't roar much for me but it was central, cheap and friendly. My first day in Peru I went to the beach and saw surfers sitting on their boards waiting for the perfect wave...I seem to remember them being there last time round? maybe the perfect wave hasn't been for 19 years? I went for something to eat there's loads to choose from, I can have McDonalds, Kentucky, Pizza hut....but no I had a Peruvian chicken and chips ( well when in Peru)
Amazon here I come
Next day I got picked up and taken to the airport, I'm going to Iquitos, far in the Amazon rainforest only accessible by road or plane Iquitos is a city of nearly 400,000. it was a lot smaller when I was here last I can tell you. Nearly a 2 hour flight from Lima I finally touched down, the heat hit you as you got off the plane, we all walked across the runway to the arrivals building, no passport checks nothing. My bag was one of the first off (result) normally your bums flapping to see if it arrived with you or on its way back to Bogota....I got a taxi and it started to rain, I mean it chucked it down! poor sods on the little 'motos' three wheeled taxi motorbikes' the drivers were throwing up ponchos so the couldn't see some carved off the road to sit under a tree, it was like a scene from death race 2000. Once checked in I had a shower and went to explore, the rain had stopped by this time , the receptionist said it rains for 2 hours each day no more....she was right, the temp went up to 32 degrees with 100% humidity. I went to the square called the Plaza de Arma, I recognised it after last time with its metal restaurant designed by Eiffel himself ( the same guy who did the Eiffle tower.....gets about I know.) I didn't get dinner in that restaurant ,too expensive, but there was loads of places all around so I picked the yellow rose of Texas, not very Peruvian I know but I did have a Peruvian dish of chicken, chips rice, salad, banana. Yes they eat banana with everything as well.
