My Daily walk

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• Entry from Lima

Trip Start May 02, 2012 Trip End Ongoing

  Lima, Peru
Wednesday, May 2, 2012

I am staying near Lima, in a very posh suburb called MiraFlores,  And I start this entry with a description of my almost daily walk down to the ocean.
 
My apartment building is located just a few hundred meters off this busy street: Arequipa, which is one of the main streets leading to the Pacific Ocean here in Mira Flores.  So, as you can see, it is a posh-looking neighborhood, for South America that is.  In the middle of the traffic is the median, which has park benches scattered throughout.  Nice for people watching. Buses abound; there are probably 1 or 2 at least passing by every minute, and most of them look full. 

Today is a nice day; blue sky is actually visible.  The Humbolt Current, which runs along the coast of Peru, is responsible for the cool weather, even temperatures, great fish, foggy skies, and desertlike conditions.  It isn't a heavy fog, no mist, more like haze; and I don't miss the sun in the least bit.

Shown in the foto is a view from the walkway between the lanes of traffic.  You can tell that it's a nice place for a stroll, and sitting.










Past about a mile of shops, banks, cinemas, we enter into "restaurant alley".  I suppose there are about a dozen or so high-faluting outdoor restaurants with quite a few customers, eating, drinking, and doing their people watching.  The prices are fairly high, but then, that's to be expected.  In the restaurant foto, you can see a policeman on an electric thingamajig, just keeping an eye out.  Mira Flores is really very safe; the city fathers want to do everything possible to keep the tourist dollars rolling in.  And there are many tourists here, from all over, but mostly from Europe.

The environs changes from commercial shops to apartments when we start to get near the Ocean.  Again, the city fathers have done a very good job of building the infrastructure to aid the tourist, great streets entering into the Ocean area.  This area is VERY posh.  Apartments here overlooking the Pacific Ocean rent from about $1,500 a month up.  And that's  U.S. dollars! 

   I have descended the first level of stairs, and I'm now on the street that enters into the beach area later.  The other street I was on just remains on top of the cliff the I'll descend (and ascend later).  These streets here are cobblestone, and who knows how old they are.  Flowers abound, and there are always city workers trimming, watering, and maintaining the landscape.  The temperature by the way, is about a wonderful 75 degrees F.  Not too much humidity. Just perfect!

Another view of the walkway, showing benches to sit on and people watch, or just to rest (on the way back up).

After about 1KM, we reach the first view of the ocean.  It is indeed a beautiful sight!

Now, the ocean makes itself known, full of breakers, and fills the air with that salty smell.

Down, down we go.  Now the Ocean is almost in full sight, and I can hear the breakers from where I am walking. 

There it is! As you can see, the "cliffs" are only dirt, there's no stone here holding anything up. One good rain, and I imagine there might be mudslides galore.  But,it never rains here. 

We see the view to the right; the beautiful landscaping these people have done, palm trees waving in the wind.  Wonderful.






Here I am!  I have my new Peruvian leather purse, and as usual, wearing my cap.  Yeah, all is good.
















I have included my little videos.  Hope you like them.
















At this place on the beach, there are several tennis clubs along with the swimming pools.  I'm going to check it out one of these days.  Would love to play a little tennis by the ocean!

















As was shown on the video, there are a bunch of surfing "shops" present along this strech of the beach where you can rent a surfboard and wetsuit.  Maybe I'll give it a go later.  ha ha.

As you can see from the map, there are many beaches along this road (playa is the Spanish name for beach).  I don't think we need a map to know to get to high ground in case of a tsunami!

Wetsuits drying.

Yeah, a rough life!

Shown is my favorite restaurant in the world!  The food is great, and I love it when I can drink wine out there, listening to the breakers, inhaling the salt air, and maybe, if I'm lucky, a sunset!

I have now walked past the restaurant, onward to the next one near the tunnel.  I just like this part of the beach to walk.











Shown in the foto below, the area on top of the cliffs has become even more posh; the Marriott is located there, and some kind of shopping centers.  I'll have to check it out one of these days.

Below, a far strech to reach the next "checkpoint" in my routine, as you can see here.












Finally, I reach the second restaurant on my walk; it is located on a breaker, and on the end of it is some kind of buoy marker.  I walk to the end of the breaker; that marks the end point on this side.  From here, we can barely see the statue of Jesus, like the one in Rio.

Now, I walk past my entry, down to the other side of the beach, and there are still more swim/tennis clubs.  They look busy. And I sit and listen to the waves, and look at the ocean.
















I stop again to listen to the mighty Pacific and I hear the rocks beating on the beach.

Finally, I arrive at my "challenge"; that's the place where I go up to the top.  It always takes me a while, and I have to rest too many times, but I don't care; it's worth it.  I show you a backward view; you can't even see where I walked to, it's so far.   Because I am tired, I stop and reflect on the beach again.

On the hillsides, the city workers tend to the flowers and keep everything growing by constant watering. Like L.A. Calif.  It too is in a desert.  Yep, it's a ways up there.

Finally, I reach the top (almost), and there is a wonderful, pleasant park that curves around the hill.  It's filled with tennis courts, playground equipment, walkways, benches.















 Here I am, reflecting on my day's walk. Always there are tennis enthusiasts running around on the clay court.

Overlooking the ocean is the old lighthouse, surrounded now by beautiful landscaping. Here's the view downward:

















And, we can't have this perfect spot for parasailing without the parasailers!  And, here they are.

This last little park reminds me of the stuff that Gaudi does in Barcelona. Maybe they copied him; but it is Spanish influence here, right!  And a romantic statue!  (The sun is in the way when I photograph it from the other side.)

After walking about a mile, I am at the bridge that we saw in one of the first fotos.  So, I am at the end of the ocean part of my daily walk.

Just past this bridge on the left is the huge tennis club complex which extends for about 5 blocks.  It includes at least 15 clay tennis courts, racquetball courts, swim pool, club house, and weight room.  http://www.clubterrazas.com.pe/somos.php Is the link for this club.

I'm headed home.  Down the homestretch. Maybe about a mile + to go.  Whooo!  I'm kinda tuckered. 



















But first, I have to go thru the park, can't miss it. It's pretty big, probably about 4-5 blocks, and it too, it beautifully landscaped and always full of people.

After another half mile or so, I'm back home.

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