Weeknote 149

¡Vamos a Lima!

Tuesday marked my final working day of the year, and by Wednesday I was off on a month‑long trip to South America, joining Mena on a flight to Lima.

• Our flight connection from London to Madrid was turbulent, an intense hour of bumpiness unlike anything we’d experienced before. It was frightening and uncomfortable, but we landed on time.
• Fortunately, the long‑haul flight was much calmer and even landed ahead of schedule, though the 2010‑built Airbus 350 showed its age.
• Day 1: We took a leisurely stroll through John F. Kennedy Park, where we met countless friendly cats, then headed to Netflix‑famed Al Toke Pez for probably the best ceviche in town and even managed a selfie with the owner.
• Day 2: We explored the Barranco district, soaking in amazing views of the Pacific and joining a guided walking tour. Later, we crossed town for a fine‑dining experience at Astrid & Gastón, which lived up to its reputation. My fish Wellington was exquisitely delicate and more flavourful than almost anything I’ve tried before.

  

• Day 3: We visited the vast Huaca Pucllana pyramid, right in the heart of Lima. Its scale was breathtaking, and the ongoing restoration work promises to continue for years to come.

  

• Day 4 In the historic quarter, we joined another guided tour, taking in the Plaza Mayor de Lima beside the Government Palace, and the nearby House of Peruvian Literature. The building once served as Lima’s main train station, Estación de Desamparados, though sadly no regular passenger services run there today. To my surprise, I spotted a cluster of old CalTrain commuter trains I had travelled on in San Francisco ten years ago, no longer in service, gathering dust here in Lima.