Lima City — A magical place full of contrasts
If you have been following our social sabbatical experience in Lima, you may be wondering about all of the beautiful photos we’ve been posting of the views, the parks and buildings, and the food. It looks just like paradise, and it is at least in some places and for some of the population.
Lima City is the 30th largest city in the world and the 3rd most populous city in the Americas with a population of around 10 million. Lima is a beautiful city set in a wonderful location on the Pacific Coast. The views from the cliffs in Miraflores and Barranco are breathtaking, as are the sunrises and sunsets. And I fell in love almost immediately with this energetic, bustling, traffic-congested (3 hours in traffic for 30 km) piece of heaven and it’s warm, friendly people.
Miraflores District,which is where our apartment hotel is located, is a high-class residential and shopping district south of downtown Lima, and one of the most affluent districts. It is full of bars, clubs, and restaurants, and there is life everywhere you look at all times of the day and night. At weekends there’s dancing for everyone to salsa music in the park too, and most days you can find someone in the mini amphitheater rapping or playing their guitar.
Barranco District with its world heritage buildings and bohemian atmosphere is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It is home to artists and musicians and there is live music everywhere and people enjoying life.
But Lima is more than just Miraflores and Barranco. Lima City is split into 43 districts. Some, like Miraflores and Barranco, are considered “safe” as there is a large municipal police presence, as well as cameras everywhere. Some are less “safe” due to pick pockets and express kidnapping and then there are some districts where there are shanty towns that are not “safe” at all.
Every morning during the week, Andres from Prisma picks us up to drive us to the Prisma offices in San Miguel. San Miguel is now an up and coming district — it’s close to both the finanical district and the airport, so prices are rising and the real estate moguls are moving in. At the moment, San Miguel is a curious mix of old and new. If we get stuck in traffic in San Miguel, Andres closes our windows and tells us to hide our bags as otherwise someone will lean in and grab what they can. Yet I don’t feel threatened in this neighborhood, but I do understand the need to be careful.
And then there is downtown — the old city of Lima, with it’s incredible architecture and buzzing streets, it has a real wow factor. But apparently you have to be careful. We were warned not to stay there after 6pm by hotel staff and our project assistant, and a taxi driver even wished us good luck— and in fact the police put up barricades round the old town at night time. The police have riot gear and on the Thursday before Easter we also saw tanks with water canon, but we didn’t see any trouble at all and we all returned back to our hotels safely. And I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. So if you get to Lima, make sure to visit downtown.
We have the opportunity of visiting a center for disabled children in a shanty town, but they recommend I don’t go. You are “safest” there if you dress down, take no smartphone or money with you, take no photos, and look like a local. There’s no way I will ever manage to look like a local — it’s just not in the Scottish/Belgian genes. So I’m missing seeing that area as it would be too dangerous for all. In fact the photo above is about as close as I’ll get to a shanty town — it’s a bridge too far.
I love this city full of contrasts, despite its shortcomings, and despite some of the dangers. It is alive, energetic, colourful, beautiful, warm and friendly. I’m going to miss it when we leave for home. But I’ll definitely be back.
