First impression: Lima, Peru.
It’s my first sunset in Lima and my first sunset in Peru. As I walked to the park, I could see a huge orange disk disappearing into the clouds. By the time I made it to the cliff, I could only see the colors splashed across the sky; the sun had disappeared behind the marine layer.
I arrived this morning from Atlanta, some five hours after I had been scheduled to due to mechanical issues with the plane. After waiting four hours in the airport on a connection from SNA, I boarded the plane at 23:10 and settled in to watch a movie. After a suspiciously long time, the plane hadn’t moved; I hadn’t heard the pilot ask the flight attendants to stand by for cross check and all call. When an announcement was made it was to tell us there was a battery problem and that the grounds crew was working on it.
The power cycled through once or twice and more announcements were made. The battery wasn’t keeping a charge, the battery wasn’t charging, the grounds crew were doing diagnostics, the grounds crew were replacing the battery.
Finally, we were told that the plane was being retired and that we were to disembark and walk to the adjacent gate where another plane was waiting. At the gate, there was no plane. The flight crew stood around; the passengers stood around. We stared at the space where the plane was supposed to be. Another announcement was made.
“Sorry, folks. I was misinformed. The plane is at gate E6. A car will be provided for those passengers who need assistance. Please walk, don’t run to the gate. The pilot and crew will be following you.”
At the gate we waited for an attendant to board us. The scheduled departure slipped from 11:59pm to 12:30am to 1am to 1:15am. An announcement was made. “We are waiting for catering to load the plane before we board. Catering must be stowed before board because it blocks the aisles.”
The scheduled departure slipped to 1:30am, 2:00am, 2:30am. There were no crew available to load the catering. A gate attendant walked to the previous gate and reappeared pushing catering carts, but not enough. The scheduled departure slipped. A passenger said the bags were sitting alongside the plane but wouldn’t be loaded until the passengers were. A passenger asked whether we could go without catering. The scheduled departure slipped.
Finally another announcement. “The flight attendants have agreed to proceed without catering. If we wait until morning the flight will be canceled.” The passengers agreed to go without food or water. We were told we’d be reimbursed. They called out a boarding group but we were tired and boarded as we were lined up. We finally departed sometime after 4:00am.
approaching Lima.
On approach into Lima, the dense fog obscured the runaway. We descended and then came back up. “As you might have noticed, we’ve descended to 500 feet, but we couldn’t see the runway and are going to have to come back around again.” This is the trip that never ends, it just keeps going ‘round my friends . . .
On arrival in Lima, the line I was assigned to alternated between two customs officials. One was all business, asking whether it was the passenger’s first time, how long they were staying, the name of the hotel. I alternated to the other official. He looked at my passport and asked me to pull my mask down so a picture could be taken. A light flashed, the passport was pushed back to me. “Have a nice day.”
• • •
The Uber to my apartment took about half an hour. The driver drove west towards the ocean, veering left as we approached onto a highway that hugged the coastline. Nearing Milaflores, he turned inland, climbing up the cliffs, to views that overlooked the parks that lined the ocean.
When I booked my apartment, I hadn’t realized that the beaches would be so close and yet so inaccessible. I was ignorant of the landscape of the city and thought I’d be able to spend afternoons walking easily between the beach and my apartment. The drive to Milaflores disavowed me of that idea.
Home.
The apartment sits on the 16th floor, with views out over the ocean. This afternoon the sky was overcast, with fog drifting off the water over the city, obscuring the horizon. As it ebbed and flowed, I could make out a sliver of water between the buildings: waves and a boat.
After showering, I had lunch at La mar cebichería peruana, starting with a delicious ceviche before moving onto a tacu tacu of prawn and scallops drenched in a spicy sauce. I was hoping the tacu tacu would have been crisper to offset the milder seafood, but the dish was still tasty. I celebrated my arrival with a cocktail.
A quick wander around Milaflores.
After lunch I wandered the neighborhood, winding my way through a few of the local parks en route to an ice cream I didn’t need at Gelateria Laritza D’. En route, I passed a fancy barber shop and decided to get my hair cut; it definitely needed it. Walking back towards the street on which I live, I stopped by a grocery store for some breakfast items before coming home, opting as much as I could to take advantage of the tree-lined walkway that split the street down the center.
It was past five and I debated settling in for the night, but the call of the outdoors and the sea was too much. I laced up my sneakers and stepped back out onto the street. I walked the few short blocks to Parque Grau just in time to see the sun put on a magnificent display.
In the Parque Grau.
Small groups and couples picnicked in the park, watching the sun set and enjoying one another’s company. In one square a man lead a group of people in a dance performed with a white handkerchief. Some caught on more quickly than others and he counted out the steps while demonstrating to the music that played from a stereo speaker.
Tango y salsa.
In another part of the park, on the roof of a cliff-side cafe, a small group of people danced tango and salsa. I watched and lamented that I hadn’t been more studious back in the day, and I started to wonder if there were tango classes on offer in my neighborhood. The sun continued to paint the sky in shades of red and orange and I admired the sky as much as I admired the dancers and the music they danced to.
Meanwhile, off to the side, couples and friends took selfies and photos of each other against the fiery backdrop.
On the walk back home, I watched as dogs played in the park, chasing each other and various objects thrown by their owners. Looking up, I was surprised to see so many dark windows in the buildings surrounding me. Where was everyone? The streets were no packed, but they also weren’t empty. Do Limans spend the weekend away from the coast only to return as they return to work? Late, sun-drunk, and looking forward to their next weekend away from the city? I’m curious to see what tomorrow and tomorrow bring. ✨
