Capital of Peru

It was an emotional send off, much harder than I thought it would be.  For me the realisation to where I was going was non-existent, but of course all too real for my parents.  At 22 I thought I knew everything, almost fearless, if not then at least a contender for it, and this trip proved this only too true.

The time from waking up in my bed, all cosy and waiting to board after checking in y rucksack which had already been around the world once on my brothers back went too quickly.  And when my parents let go, and of probably a lot more than my hand and I walked through customs waving until I could no longer see the blowing of kisses.  I was alone.

With one leg and a swinger I walked through customs, and there I was, South America!

It is funny what age, which obviously fosters experience, does to your capacity to worry and become easily anxious even at the sight of a car or road etc. and of course when you have kids life will never be the same again in terms of utter fear for those you love.   Lacking the age and therefore the experience, and of course the kids (well not necessarily ‘of course’ in this day and age’) I was well behind my parents and because of this deficiency rather than courageousness I jumped on the plane. 

For me it was a chance to see, experience to be free, to spend money and not work, to have money and not work (well not for long), it was as  they say a trip of a life time, being in your early 20’s could it be any different.  As selfish as it may sound I was sad to say goodbye I was just thinking forwards to the places I will see and what I will experience.  I would be gone a year, what a crazy thought, but then a year is nothing in a life time is it, but then what happens in a year could change your life. 

The flight, well, the first time I’d been on a long haul flight, so really my comparison ability is rather limited and not sure whether it had anything to do with the fact that we were going Peru, buttttt it was like we were like the human version of transporting cattle to where they belong.  It wasn’t as uncomfortable as it sounds, but different, it was the first taste of where I was going to with the large majority being Peruvian or South American.  It was loud, colourful and aromatic.  People were getting up, sitting down, pressing buttons, turning on and off the light, babies crying, mums soothing, families arguing, the light from the TV screen turning off and on.  My first experience was when I was asked (in Spanish) whether I would be able to look after a little girl while her mother went to the toilet, well of course.  As soon as the mother had left, despite knowing that the little girl could not get lost, what on earth was I supposed to say to her.  Our eyes met with kind strangeness, wondering who was to speak first, this lasted around a couple of seconds and a few cheesy smiles I found my pencil and Sudoku book great to scribble on, wonderful, the international language, I say numbers do it every time!

After a long journey, couple of movies, bit of cramp and a dead leg i arrived in Lima at 7.30 pm Peruvian time.  With one leg and a swinger I walked through customs, and there I was, South America!

On stepping outside from ‘nothing to declare’ it hit me all at once, the sounds of Peru, the life of Peru, the beginning of my trip.  And so it began, ‘hola’, ‘muy bonitos ojos’, ‘senritia’ ‘go where do you?’, horns honked, the air still, the buses boomed, the exhaust of vehicles pumped.  Everything all at once was there, I was alone.  In shock, but not scared from the hustle and bustle i jumped in the first cab just to get me out off the airport. 

My nerves and emotions already running wild, excited I sat back and..... endured the taxi ride to Barranco, south of Lima to my hostel which I can honestly say was hair raising.  In Peru the driving is manic, each person trying to get in front of the other driver at a reckless pace, and if they don´t beep within ten seconds of the last beep then something is wrong!  If you don’t beep at all, you’re a tourist! 

With all of this, I arrived in a small quiet area, of course it was late at night but I was half expecting a bit more life, noise, people, but Lima is a big city, and I believe I was on the edge. 

Unfortunately I had developed a bad cold when i got to Lima and so was forced to be bed ridden for the first night and day.  Being unable to speak to people without having a coughing fit isolated me somewhat, I didn’t know where to start, I had to regain my confidence as it was dwindling and my bed and international phone card was my only comfort. 

I slowly began to feel a little better and forced my first Sol beer down, hitting the bar on my own, looking like they do off the movies when they go to drink on their own to have a good ponder. Getting even better the next day I ventured out, but remained close to my hostel, I was almost like a person with acrophobia, more unnerving than I realised it would be.  Although this doesn´t seem much, trying to adjust to another country and culture when you are so far away from the comforts of home is extremely difficult, so anything at that point is an achievement.  Despite this accomplishment i was still emotional and when i spoke to my parents i realised that it was going to take a little bit more time to settle in than i first thought.

I forced another Sol down, terrible it was, and did the sheepish walk to the unknown people, remember the first day and my last primary   I met Helen from Newcastle first, who was extremely helpful and patient with dealing with my Spanish inquisition.  Helen was however leaving the next day so i started to badger Jonathan, a geography teacher from Bristol who knew some Spanish and was a fountain of knowledge for me a baby traveller.   After walking around Milaflores and Barranco and talking to others i knew that i wanted to get out of Lima.  It wasn’t because I didn’t like Lima, I hadn’t seen it, but my whole mentality there was negative, this once bubbling annoyingly loud girl was shrivelled up and afraid almost to ask for advice.  I needed to just travel, get out of the bubble, the comfort zone and really start to travel, I needed to push myself, I needed to prove to myself that I could do this, Alleluia.  After repeatedly confirming my taxi ride to the bus depot, I stepped foot out to the unknown, and this was when my travelling really began.