The excitement of vacation and the early bed time once again drove me awake early in the morning. I went downstairs coincidentally at the same time Puff & Candy arrived. After confirming nothing life threatening was going on, they were able to reschedule the last leg of their trip. I was very happy to see them! Most everyone else arrived over night and the last two were scheduled to come in later. More about that later!
Our guide, Paula, showed up on time at 9 AM with a big luxury bus. We had all finished the delicious buffet breakfast and were ready to conquer the day. It was great to see MZ & the Canadian for the first time. Their hotel was a short walk away and they joined mid breakfast. We had a full city tour of modern and colonial Lima. The city was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1991. We visited the Cathedral, Main Square, San Francisco Convent and its Catacombs, and the residential areas of San Isidro and Miraflores. The convent library was probably my favorite thing to see. It is as if time stood still hundreds of years ago. Unfortunately, that site prohibited pictures. They were permitted outside where throngs of touring school girls approached tourists for photos. If you weren't Peruvian, you were a celebrity. Mo and the Canadian succumbed to the pressure and became rock star celebrities. It was hilarious to see the girls nervously pose and run off giggling to see what they looked like with twelve foot high foreigners. They must have been from remote areas because tourists were plentiful in the city.
After the tour we went in search of ATMs and some small purchases then agreed to meet in Parque Kennedy, aka John F Kennedy Park. It is centrally located in Miraflores and flanked by dozens of shops, restaurants, and tourist things. The park itself has a children's area, a few areas where vendors and food carts set up at night. Most importantly, it along with all the parks in Miraflores, has free public wifi. A few folks were afraid to connect to an unsecured network but it provided an access point to many of us throughout the trip. A quick log in to coordinate via WhatsApp and check Facebook was often handled in the park or any of the cafes and restaurants, all of which offer free wifi.
With such a good experience the night before, the group meandered down Pizza Alley again. This time we tried another place and it was a terrible experience. Unlike the requisite free Pisco Sour, this place supplied free starters of some fruity wine concoction. It wasn't good but we drank it! They served us a pitcher due to the group size and due to the messed up orders gave us more pitchers and free beer. Nearly all of us ordered off the pre-set two course menu. It offered a decent lunch portion for an inexpensive price but felt a little tourist trappy. The fact there were only four or five choices made it surprising that they messed it up so badly. Some people were done with their second course ten to twenty minutes before the other's first course came out accurately. I was looking forward to some real Peruvian food and a better dining experience. I really don't think it is worth eating on Pizza Alley despite the fact it is a great place for people watching.
After dinner, several of us ventured to Metro for the first time. This is a big and popular grocery store, conveniently located a few blocks from the hotel. We stocked up on water, booze, and snack foods. I always try to see what different things are available in other cities. I didn't buy much at this stop because we do have quite a bit of moving scheduled as we go from hotel to hotel. I was excited to try the ever-present Inka Cola, but was thankful we only purchased a small bottle. The stuff tastes like a mixture of Mountain Dew, Cream Soda, and old school bubble gum. I found it quite disgusting but then I rarely drink any sodas so most are usually too sweet for me anyway.
We freshened up for the evening and re-grouped at Cafe La Maquina where we had several drinks and relaxed. The place has a great vibe, decent 2x1 happy hour specials, and was located close to the hotel. Surprisingly, they seem to offer the specials at all times of the day despite the happy hour times printed on the table tents. While Lima is apparently tolerant, they aren't blatantly advertising many gay friendly places. A Gaycities review indicated Tarata Caffe was a place frequented by the gays in the evenings and after hours. We arrived to find it completely deserted but did meet the nicest bartender. He wanted us to take tables in proper cafe style but we wanted to stand around and casually chat. By the time all was said and done, there were ~48 drinks on our tab and we realized it was likely time for dinner.
We selected Las Tejas because someone previously checked out the menu. We were about the only people there, due to the late hour, which turned out to be a good thing. We'd all been into the sauce and were quite loud. Timmy wins the award for most inappropriate dinner stories but everyone was quite animated. I had some sort of pasta and everyone raved about their food. The place felt much less touristy and some folks we met out front mentioned they had been there multiple times during their stay. We, of course, invited them to hang out with us the following day, but didn't hear from them again.
Post dinner, Timmy wanted to rest while others planned to get ready. By the time all was said and done, only Ginger and I went out. Everyone else crashed. He and I went to the Discoteca Vale Todo. It is the only gay place that our tour company recommended as the others are not apparently safe for tourists? It took a minute to figure out how to get in, what to pay, where to go, etc., but once we got in, it was a great time. Peruvian men are apparently quite enamored with 30-40 year old Americans. Several dudes
*Note: Post backdated to align with actual vacation day
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