Rough life

Above: Miranda and Jenni at Parque del Amor in Miraflores.

So we decided that life in Lima is not so bad. First and foremost, the food here is wonderful! There will be a future post on the various dishes that I've had in my first week, including antechuchos (cow heart - my favorite!), aji de gallina, cerviche, raw oysters, calamari, churros, tres de leche, etc. and my digestive system has handled it quite nicely.
The Fogarty program sends students to developing countries. I, as many of you from a developed country, had preconceived notions about what it means to be going to (and living in) a developing country. However, I was wrong. Miraflores is not at all developing and I'd argue that it's more developed than many places in the US and Europe. The streets are spotless. Lima must employ like 10% of the population who dress in "Oompa Loompa" outfits with masks and are out every morning sweeping every sidewalk crack and street. Our personal trash gets picked up by garbage trucks daily (more often than Minneapolis). There are lots of street dogs but you never see or step in doggie you-know-what. There are smokers but no cigarette butts. Since it's winter, the Peruvians believe their dogs are cold and so most dogs, including the street dogs, wear little doggie outfits. Mind you it's a mere 60 degrees (50 at night but still). There are plenty of fancy dog breeds too: schnauzer, weimeriener, english sheep dogs, shar pei, poodles, afghans, etc. but I haven't seen any cocker spaniels.

There are many parks and parkways that are green and full of interesting plants including cacti, aloe, evergreens, flowers (including bird of paradise). There is even a Parque del Amor (super cheesey make out area along the cliffs with Parc Guell/Gaudi-imitation mosaic benches)


The neighborhood security guards ride around on scooters and segways. Yes, segways! Can you believe it? There are fancy taxis, too, like Mercedes and BMWs, parked outside the Marriott Hotel. The taxis we take are of a much lower quality with no shocks and worn-out breaks but we haven't been in any accidents, yet. There are bike paths and roundabouts that don't have potholes or major gaps. We have 24/7 wireless internet, cell phones, 24 hour McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC, etc. and much more.
Don't get me wrong, Lima has its rough areas and slums with lots of poverty, disease (namely tuberculosis and HIV), stray dogs, trash, broken buildings, huge pot holes, etc. But in general, Peru is a wonderful place to be living for the year. I'm very happy here. Please come visit!