I'm amazed I sleep at night. I had forgotten what large South American cities sound like. It seems like Lima sleeps less than New York and I can't figure out what all the fuss is about.
There is a constant roar that hangs in the back of your mind like an annoying mosquito buzzing around your head as you sleep. I'd forgotten how the locals drive with their horns to signal everything from "your girlfriend has a nice arse" to "did you want my taxi?". 5 seconds cant pass by quietly without someone signalling their intent via a loud honk, usually having the same effect as a neighbourhood dog barking in the night. Other taxi drivers signal their support with their own horns if they hear one of their kind letting loose.
Each day we wake to a listless grey blanket over the city. The sea mist rolls in and doesn't burn off from about March til November. In the five days I've been here I've seen blue sky twice, and only for a few hours at a time. Our fifth floor apartment looks out towards the city, about 4 or 5 blocks from the sea, but the sea breeze doesn't reach us. I can see maybe 15 blocks out infront of us but I'm not sure what the rest of the cityscape looks like. Apparently there are 10 million people here, but I cant even see to the end of Miraflores.
The cliffs that line the city provide a perfect wind for paragliders to hang out for hours. Our favourites - aptly named 'Orangey' and 'Red' to help identification - kept us entertained for at least half an hour with their acrobatics over the sea. They perform 360 turns that take them lower than the cliff that we stand watching them and yet they manage to climb back up to high levels to do it all again. The mall that is built into the cliffs has restaurants with prime viewing of the paragliders, who fly close enough to high five the patrons and give a good photographic opportunity.
To escape it, we are visiting Pachacamac ruins on Saturday. Wandering around 1000 year old ruins certainly has its appeal after the noise and chaos I watch as the fog turns from white to orange, reflecting the lights of this city.
