Finally arriving in Lima and meeting Mom - Nov 4, 2009

I was about to bail on the whole lot of them and hop on a flight to Lima, but the prices were outrageous so we got on ANOTHER bus to Chiclayo, figuring at least there were a few interesting markets and sights to see once there, also at least shops and cafes would be open by the time we arrived. No buses until 7pm to Lima, so we rested, ate, and regrouped at a small café for several hours. Peruvian breakfasts traditionally consist of various greasy, unidentified meat parts along with yucca and a cup of coffee. The very sweet café owner obliged us with fried eggs, bread, and fresh squeezed papaya juice with a smile and lots of kind words after hearing about our predicament. Sometimes that’s all you need to get your day turned around again.

I got probably the best night of sleep on a bus so far on the trip going to Lima, probably because I was so exhausted at that point my body was simply shutting down. I said goodbye to the Irish and the Israelis and found my way to a centrally located hostal in Miraflores neighborhood in Lima. The sun came blazing out and I had a beautiful day wandering around the beaches and Barranco neighborhood, excited that I was getting on a plane in the morning to Cusco with my Mom and not another bus. All in all, I saved myself a ton of money but had a miserable waste of 3 days…not sure if I would do it again anytime soon.