Discovering Lima

Day 2 in Lima. Today was a little more interesting, as I began to find my feet and meet some feloow travellers. It's 8"30 now and I'm back in the hostel and will be ready for bed soon I think. It's taking me some time to adjust to the heat here and catch up on some ZZZZZZ.

I slept the sleep of the dead last night - I suppose reading half a book before bed helped, but whatever I did it worked! Felt infinitely better this morning. The minute you wake up here you feel the heat; you open the windown to provide some relief and even more suffocating air greets you! The teeth-shattering shower assisted in the wking up process, of course!

Breakfast in the hostel was a pretty dismal affair - some breadrolls, jams and nescafe. Wait a minut e! Aren't we in South America here - the home of good coffee! It hit the spot though, so I wont complain.

Met a guy from South Africa, a girl from Boston who is studying for her Masters here, and 2 girls from Oz who had braved doiwntown Lima by themselves! Spent most of the morning chatting to them. My tour bus arrived late, but it was worth the wait. I'm really glad I decided to book it - they took us to Lima Centro and downtown Lima, and we visited the Fransiscan Monastery, the PLaza de Armas, the catacombs as well as lots of pretty parks, ending up in LarcoMAr, the more upscale shopping district of Lia, at about 7.

Was starving after a long day with no food, so ate like a king in a pretty cheesy tourist joint called Tony Ramones! Finally managed to get a camera case as well, although now it seems that my memory card is acting up and I dont know why!I left ,my camera manual at home, which was stupif now I realise! Groans.

I think I'm going to stay another night here, not because there's anything much more to see, but just because I havent prganised anything else yet, and Sunday *tomorrow* probably isnt the best day to do it. I think I'll head for Nazca next. Hopefully,it will be a little more relaxed than CRAZY LIMA!

Today in downtown Lima, the soldiers and guards flanked our tour group. The taxi drivers literally drive at you shouting "Senorita, TAXI TAXI!!" YOu get used to uit after a while, but only when you're back in the relatively safe confines of Miraflores. Downtown Lima, you are almost sure to get mugged apparently!