Cue the Sun

To the last place on earth

Lima, Peru

It was a major hub for the conquistadors, and it would seem that the mantle of a frontier town has yet to wear off. Perched on the narrow desert coastal shelf on the western edge of the Andes, whatever semblance of an oasis this location may have once had is now long gone, replaced instead by a sprawling, chaotic, and dusty metropolis.

0Lima, Peru

4th October 2007

Two Worlds

Today I visited Pachacámac, a vast archaeological site to the South of Lima. From what I could gather from the guide, the site has been occupied by several cultures including the Wari, Ishmay and Lima, who preceded the Inca. At various locations as I looked at the ruins of these ancient and relatively sophisticated civilisations, the view of the shantytowns on Lima's outskirts was inescapable, and I found myself contemplating the similar fates imposed on the original inhabitants of the world's continents by European settlement.

1Lima, Peru

3rd October 2007

Mobility, Peruvian style

So the final leg of my flight into Peru actually redeemed LAN, with a better-fitted plane, better food, better service. Perhaps the length of the flight had something to do with it. It's taken me a few days to deal with the jet lag, though I'm still not completely past it. The odd thing is, I've wanted to sleep at times that don't make sense for here or back home. My jet lag is playing havoc with my senses, and colouring my perception of the city.

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