A SCARY ARRIVAL

Arrival in Lima, Peru

It seems flights to South America always arrive in the evening. We followed the cautions in all the literature and secured a cab inside the airport. Taxis were readily available outside the fence but supposedly not reliable. Our driver was dressed in a suit and his cab was clear of dings, dents etc.

That fact was some comfort as we played chicken driving through the streets of Lima. It seemed no one paid heed to lights or stop signs. Just honk, step on the gas, brake, and repeat. I prayed for no fender bender, flat tire or any other mishap as we drove through areas where men collected under streetlights drinking and smoking.

I had money spread all over my body, but it was most disconcerting when we left town and hit a totally dark, two lane, paved,  deserted road that appeared to follow a body of water. I was one happy camper when the lights of Miraflores,a Lima suberb and  the location of our hotel, appeared.

The bars on the pharmacy across the street and the armed guards outside banks, which seemed to be on every corner, were less frightening in daylight. One could not enter the pharmacy. One stood outside and told the girl what you wanted. She brought it to you and you paid through the bars.

The next day after lunch, as my son and I were walking along the street, a young man with a backpack stopped us and asked if we were from Texas. He had good eyesight as he’d picked that up from the camera strap around my neck. He gave us some corking bull story and wanted money for bus fare. My son offered to let him use his calling card to make a phone call to his girl, but he refused that, wanting only money. In all my travels that is the only time I’ve ever been approached on the street for money. We walked on and left him to try to try to scam someone else.