Gym's Ramblings: Managing Miraflores

Miraflores Street Aerobics on Sunday Morning
while mass is being held in the church not one block away

Our hero and his lovely sidekick successfully escaped the Canadian winter and are now ensconced in the beautiful district of Miraflores. They discovered this part of Lima in 2013 and were very pleased to be able to make a repeat visit. Miraflores is an upscaled affluent seaside district. It is a very safe area, with about 100,000 inhabitants. It is perched high on the cliffs, above the Pacific. There are numerous posh condo buildings lining the bluffs above the beach. This pricey real estate is surrounded by green spaces filled with public artworks. In these parks, bicycles and electric scooters have their own pathways separate from the well-maintained footpaths. Scores of restaurants and cafes are layered just blocks back from the best viewpoints and at all hours, the streets are full of very friendly locals and tourists.

It is warm here at 22 degrees latitude below the equator. Lima enjoys a dry climate year-round and constant temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s. On the first morning, there was a cool fog rolling in off the sea which Gym incorrectly thought was a sufficient shield protecting him from the sun. Let's face it, he never learns! He is presently sporting a nice pink hue from the line on his tee-shirt collar to his nose. Luckily he was wearing a hat.

The flight down was uneventful for Gym who would find it mildly annoying if the plane was doing barrel rolls. Mrs, Gym reported that there was severe turbulence over the Gulf of Mexico which Gym hadn't noticed. The UAL 767 landed in Lima (Callao actually) at about 11:00 p.m. on Friday, March 15, 2019. After a typical, messy Latin American experience getting through customs, the intrepid couple found their luggage and met up with the driver, Jose. Mrs. Gym endured an awkward conversation as they made their way across town and the two men bantered in Jose's pigeon English and Gym's pigeon Spanish. Eventually though, the somewhat disheveled couple made it to the Marriott Courtyard, strategically located in the centre of Miraflores. The tired couple checked into the hotel at about 12:30.

The location of their hotel couldn't have been more perfect from which to explore Miraflores. Over the next two days, Gym and Mrs. Gym would hike all over the district in an effort to visit all the best tree-lined boulevards and very well-maintained parks. In the afternoon, after logging 7 or 8 kilometres, a cool drink was in order before mandatory siesta time. In the evening, when the locals were dressing up to go to the disco, Gym and Mrs. Gym emerged to find a local eatery where they could sample Peruvian fare. Gym was quite happy with the great seafood on every menu and both our travellers were able to find authentic empanadas which were a very big hit. Food is cheap in Lima even at the upper end establishments.

Most importantly, our travellers got lots of exercise, logging over 25,000 steps over their two-day stay. This sets them up nicely for the long cruise ship ride back to North America where the gastronomy inspired by Jacques Pepin will be available 24 hours a day. Boarding time is around lunch time on Monday, March 18 (today).

Stay tuned.