Transportation in Lima

On school days, I go downstairs around 7:10 to meet Gustavo (my tour manager) in the taxi, driven by Senor Luis or his wife. They take us to the schools and usually pick us up. I feel completely safe when Senor Luis is driving, even in Lima traffic.

Taxis are everywhere in Lima (and isn't this house a lovely color?).

This is a fancier taxi than most. Senor Luis drives a green Toyota.

To take one, you look for an official taxi and you eyeball the driver. Looks shady? Take a different one. Negotiate the price to your destination before getting in. Last Saturday, when I went to hear the other storytellers, I took a cab. The first driver I approached told me it would be 20 soles, about $7. I laughed at him and moved on. Sure, I was in a touristy place, but that was exorbitant. The next one said he'd take me for 18 soles. No, thank you. Another drove up and asked if I wanted a ride. How much? 12 soles? Sold! That was a fair fare, Gustavo told me on Monday.

I came back by bus. Gustavo and I had gone by bus to the Barranco neighborhood the day before, so I understood the system more or less. There are designated bus stops, and lots of private buses with the destinations written on the side. There's also a ticket seller chanting the stops, trying to get passengers. "Miraflores, Larcomar, todo Arequipa, Miraflores, Larcomar, todo Arequipa..." On Saturday, I found a bus stop and spotted one going to Miraflores, where I'm staying. I got on and paid my 1.20 soles (about 40 cents).

To the bemusement of the other passengers, I took pictures out the window when we stopped. At the time, I wanted to capture the Colonial architecture, so these pictures mostly show that.


I don't know why this says "Forever". I believe that's a condor flying above it. The condor is a symbol of Peru.

From Rio to Sao Paulo

I took the bus from Rio to Sao Paulo, about a six hour ride in Executive class, cushier than the regular class bus. After my bag was stowed, I was given a blanket, a pillow, a newspaper, a bottle of Guarana (soda made from Guarana berries, with a kick like caffeine), and a little box of snacks in the shape of a bus. 

The top is a calendar, to boot! 

The bus ride was beautiful, through countryside with mountains and rolling hills. We stopped halfway at a restaurant, where many of the riders had a full lunch. I'd packed snacks, so I had a bowl of fruit and espresso. Then back on the bus, where amazingly enough after the espresso, I fell asleep for an hour. We had two movies on the bus, Runaway Bride (the worst claptrap I'd seen in a long time) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. When this last was over, the DVD reverted to the screen of special features, on a loop. We suffered with the repetition of the sound for about 25 minutes until one of the riders asked the driver (closed off in his own compartment) to turn it off. Whew!

Patricia picked me up at the bus station and off we went to Carillon Plaza Hotel. We had trouble finding it as the entrance is quite dark. The room is very moderne: 

 Here's a closer look at the console next to the bed:


The lower part is the TV control, upper part manipulates the lights and radio (I think). You can't tell, but there's only one electrical outlet in the room that I can find, high on the wall by the TV. I'm plugged into the bathroom outlet and am sitting on the bed. Apart from the bathroom, there's an entryway with a table, two short pleather banquettes and a mini-fridge.

And here's a look at the view from the window. I'm on the 9th floor. Notice the planting in the outside windowsill!

You can't tell from the picture, but the neighborhood is quite lively. More on that when I've explored. I've got today and tomorrow off, so I have a chance to do just that.