Back in Lima, late afternoon, we checked out the town center which took a ton of organization due to our needing to order a taxi, but was worth it to see the gorgeous colonial architecture of what essentially was the Spanish capital of South America, as well as the gorgeous interior of the cathedral. We also stopped by Barrio Chino (Chinese Neighborhood), seat of Lima's large Asian population which certainly gave us a glimpse of some very interesting cultural hybridism.
Back at the hostel, the owner whipped us up some delicious pisco sours, a traditional fluffy pisco, egg white, sugar drink, yet another thing Peru and Chile fight over (ie who originated the drink). Although many Chileans would disagree with me on this, Peruvian pisco is better. Especially the version he made: frozen, slushy style.
We went out for dinner in one of the nicest restaurants in the city in Miraflores on the ocean, in a spiral shaped mall called Larcomar near a park known as Parque de Amor. (Love Park) Despite the name, it was surprisingly and thankfully devoid of lovers, unlike any park in Santiago. Even though we seemed to be dining among perhaps the top 10% of Limeñans, my delicious plate of shrimp, octopus, scallops and rice, flavored perfectly, cost a little more than a burger and a drink in any decent Boston joint. Certainly something to think about. Despite my dislike of upscale malls, it was undeniable gorgeous and fun. We were able to walk home (the hostel owner encouraged it) which I found odd, given how dangerous most of Lima can be and considering it's very frowned on to walk in Santiago at night, even though it's a safer place.
Although I was glad to see the pretty parts of Lima, in my humble opinion, Santiago is sooooo much cooler of a city, especially for students. I had thought about studying abroad in Peru at one point, but I'm glad I didn't. Getting around is such a pain and unlike in Santiago, it's too dangerous for gringos to get an idea of what most of the city is like..
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