During last year's road trip, it hit us that our twins were almost 12. We had already taken them to all 50 states and our remaining time with them living with us was going to go by quickly. We decided to refocus on international travel so we can give them these experiences together before they are off on their own.
Our first stop is Lima, Peru, where we are spending three weeks living in the Miraflores neighborhood. By the way, our flights were only $250 each purchased just two weeks in advance! Initially we stayed at Hostal El Patio just a few blocks from Kennedy and Central Park. We were drawn to Hostal El Patio by the lovely plants lining the interior.
While our room was located on the first floor, we had a small outdoor patio and access to this second-story lounge area. A lovely place to relax after a day of exploring the city.
Peru is about twice the size of Texas. Most Peruanos live along the coastal region. With a population of over 11 million people, Lima is the second largest city in all of South America!
We chose to stay in the Miraflores area because it's highly recommended for its beauty, convenient location and increased safety measures. Police or security of some sort is nearly always visible within the main tourism district. Everything you need is walking distance. Restaurants were literally next door and the beach was only a 20 minute walk from our hotel.
I was shocked to see how steep a drop it was from the city down to the beach. It wasn't a leisurely walk. There are many, many steps but it was always worth it. We were fortunate that our first visit happened to be on a sunny day. It's winter here, so those are few. While the daytime winter temperature seems to stay at 71+/-, it comes with complete cloud cover, by that I mean the sky is completely white. On those days the water is a gray color, but when it's sunny, it's this gorgeous aquamarine color you just want to soak in.
I did find it ironic that as I boarded the airplane, my birding community was abuzz about a Neotropic Cormorant that was way out of range. They are abundant here on Lima's coast and pretty acclimated to people considering I took these photos with a cell phone! I bet I could have touched this bird if I tried.
Follow the path from the beach inland and it will take you straight to Kennedy and Central Park. Of course, the first thing I do is look for potential birding locations nearby, and these parks caught my attention. Although the most likely thing you'll see in a tree here isn't a bird, but a cat! Seriously! This park is home to a colony of cats, I'm told they've been spayed/neutered, and are fed. They seemed to all get along well, which is good because there are a LOT of them!
All signed up for two weeks of Spanish classes at Peruwayna. They also offer online classes!
We're so excited to explore this vibrant and active city.
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