AUTHOR: Nancy TITLE: Airport- Lima DATE: 3/16/2010 07:26:00 PM ----- BODY:
I'm in the Lima airport again, this time waiting for my flight to Iquitos on the Amazon. I'm not sure what to expect other than a large port city, and I am wondering if I booked too many Amazon adventures and not enough of the other options in Peru, but the opportunity to be hosted just seemed too good to pass up.

Last night I was sitting on the steps of the airport with a mob other travelers awaiting a flight out of Santiago. We entered through a big white tent, and everything went smoothly despite the earthquake, however there was no air conditioning and insufficient seats, so most of us sat on the tile steps awaiting our flights.

The lovely Chilean/American woman next to me said, "This was the worst trip of my life." She and her husband flew to Santiago because their formerly active 27 year old son was suddenly admitted to intensive care with an infection. He spent six weeks there while doctors removed more than three feet of his intestine and told them they didn't think their son would live. Luckily, he improved, but his return flight cost $88,000.00.

Now I know why I have been purchasing travel insurance and making sure that all of our volunteers do the same.

My hostel was amazingly well equipped for $35/night, but I was by myself. I investigated taking a taxi to central Lima, but it would have taken half an hour in each direction, so I walked. I stayed in Miraflores, the area close to the Pacific coast, but my morning walk included such amazing sites as Burger King, Starbucks, TGI Friday's, car dealerships (again), and the Adventist University.

Taxis present a problem in South America because they aren't regulated carefully. In Argentina we were told to take a "remis" as the remises are more reliable and will probably get you directly to your destination for a set price. We took a few, but also took "Radio Taxis" as Mary's school said they were reliable. The problem is to know which is a REAL Radio Taxi and which is a fake one. Here in Peru, you can take any taxi, although Taxi Green seems to be the most reliable. Again, you have to make sure that the taxi has a taxi sign on top of the car, and not just in the window, and you have to make sure it has a reliable business phone number visible. This is all well and good, except how do you know all of that BEFORE you flag down a car? (Mary and I took a few that were obviously NOT Radio Taxis, but we're still alive and don't think we got ripped off...)

The next post will be from Iquitos where I'll be met by my Rotarian host

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