Another entry from Lima as soon we will be on the inca trail and then you wont hear nada from me for a while.
We had a nice day today - started at the markets with three friends from the hostel and knowing that we have to carry anything we buy sure quells your shopping instinct! If I couldve teleported it home I wouldve bought some paintings of peruvian figures with the hats and the panpipes, seat throws with llamas which are really nice, stuff like that. Erm and then we went to downtown Lima, a really nice square to sit in the sun. Took a guided tour of the cathedral with a really great guide and the info was really interesting. Catholic churches obviously a lot easier on the eye than the reformed ones we have; lots of gold, lots of glitz. Had menu of the day in a restaurant full of locals - we ordered stuff we didnt know the translation of but it worked out fine, clams and a chicken rice dish, and potatoe with a peruvian herb sauce which is bright geen!
Im enjoying the fact that this is a bartering culture - quite satisfying to argue your way from the tourist rate down to the going rate. Had a really good taxi journey back with a cabbie named Luis who was coaching me in Spanish. I WISH id spent a week revising my Spanish - its painful to have it so close to the surface but not be able to remember - such a shame. Still, picking it up little by little. Although next stop is Brasil which speaks Portuguese. Doh! One step forward, three steps back.
Right - out for a beer...