After being here four months now, it is interesting to look back on myself becoming adjusted with a particular place on the eve of my departure. At first when I arrived, Lima struck me mostly as a city of traffic, car alarms, a consistent haze of smog, and a general big city feel without any particularly strong cultural draw. But today I saw a different side of Lima, appreciation.
After a final surf at Barancitos beach, my good friend, my brother who just arrived this morning, and myself took a drive down the coast watching each beach pass by. Climbing the bluff we entered Chorrillos, a middle class district where the three-wheel taxicab becomes more prominent. Passing the colorful pastel buildings with a hint of Spanish colonial architecture, I saw past the traffic and alarms, and appreciated the area I was in as the columns and trim of the colorful buildings melded with the swaying palm trees.
Surfing and the beaches in general that stretch the length of Limas west coast strike me as a real strong point for the city. Having that freedom from a city by just paddling a 100 meters into the ocean allows one to hold onto a piece of tranquility within the hustle and bustle of city life. I spent most my time within Miraflores, Baranco, Chorrillos, and San Isidro, all decent and safe areas. I made trips to San Juan, Surco, Central district, and Molina but mostly stuck to the areas around Miraflores. Passing the shanty towns on the outskirts on my way south to conduct research remained a constant reminder of the poverty running rampant in districts I did not visit such as La Victoria, and the east side; the stark contrast to the Costa Verde.
Each city has its’ goddesses and its’ demons and each may present them in a unique way. Lima offers itself in the care and beauty of parks, flowers, churches, and beaches yielding peace among the horns and traffic, but the noise, smog, and traffic remain an intricate part of the city unwilling to let you have one without the other. Through four months, I have had the joy of any extended stay to explore and mold a life with the city. Because of the friends I have made, paths I have traveled often, and knowledge of its inner workings that I have observed, I will not forget Lima or the time I lived within the give or take lifestyle this city thrives on.
