Random thoughts on Lima

Watching cars negotiating intersections is quite interesting when there are no stop signs, as is the case on a large percentage of secondary streets.  Usually, they barrel up to the intersection, slowing barely to see if anyone is coming, then proceeding through.  If you hesitate at a cross street, you lose (your opportunity to cross) until there is a break in traffic.  If there is no break, they often nose out (and either merge or cross), to the raucous accompaniment of blaring horns.

To protect against the effect of tsunamis, the city is built on high bluffs above the ocean.  However there are occasional roads that descend between bluffs to the oceanfront road, and these can be closed by barriers at the top.

This city is SO dreary!  We went walking along the Malecon (a road along the sea or coast, with a view of the ocean) hoping to see the sun, but it is still hiding behind the "Pacific inversion" that apparently keeps moisture/clouds hanging over the city.  We leave tomorrow, taking a bus for 3+ hrs south of here, and apparently the weather is 10 degrees warmer and it's sunny.  Woohoo!  The parks here, though, are numerous, well maintained and quite full of "Limanuenos" enjoying the greenery and space, especially on weekends.

Parque del Amor (be sure and check out the statue behind us)

Final thought - "purse chairs" are a thing here... or at least that's what we named them.  At the high end restaurants, little stools were pulled up to the side of the table for the woman to place her purse on - I guess it would be crass to set it on the floor, or hang it from the back of your chair. ;-)