Tonight is our last night in Lima, and while we enjoyed our time here we are both grateful to rid ourselves of the craziness of this city. On our way to dinner tonight we see a guy come within mere inches of having his foot run over, and that is just normal everyday life here. For those of you amused by the 'California Stop,' the action of slowing down but not quite stopping at a stop sign, you would be quite impressed with what I have dubbed the 'Lima Stop,' which is basically the complete disregard of stop signs and pedestrians wherever present. I thought Rome had crazy drivers but the Italians have nothing on Lima. If you are a pedestrian in this city you had better be prepared to dart across the street as quickly as possible and leap out of the way of oncoming cars that do not slow down AT ALL, and this is when the stoplight is green and indicating it is safe to cross. We quickly learned to stick close to whatever local was nearby and cross the streets when they did.

Even with all that, Lima is a great city with a lot of character. I went on a stroll this afternoon and walked by some old ruins called Huaca Pucllana. I wish I could give some history behind it but I didn't actually go in and therefore don't know the significance. What I find amusing about the ruins is the way this very large, well preserved site is situated only a block away from one of the most intense traffic circles I've ever seen. It has to be about 6 lanes wide and surrounded by all those wonderful American chain restaurants I don't miss from back home, such as TGI Friday's, Chili's and Pinkberry. The juxtaposition of such an archaic site with one of the busiest areas in this district is so amusing to me I can't help but smile as I write this. On my walk I also passed an elementary school completely surrounded on all sides by a 10 foot wall and giant barred gates, again another normal sight in Lima.

One thing I do love about this city is the multitude of tiny little parks that don't provide much in the way of exercise or large open spaces, but instead gives one an opportunity to sit, relax and enjoy the beautiful trees and flowers planted there. These tiny parks are a nice break from the hustle and bustle of busy streets and add aesthetic appeal to what is otherwise an urban jungle.

Lauren and I are currently trying Peruvian food for the first time at dinner tonight and it's delicious! We found a vegetarian restaurant online that was near enough to our hostel, so we decided to try it out and it's yummy. We are eating papas a la huancaina, potatoes smothered in some kind of creamy cheese sauce, and a tasty soup with made with vermicelli noodles, spinach and potatoes, with simple garlic bread on the side.

Tomorrow morning we are off to Paracas to enjoy some Peruvian desert coastline, should be beautiful!