Friday night I went to the ritzy district of La Molina to a peña, or a concert with traditional music. As a live band played, extravagantly-costumed performers danced merengue, salsa, and other regional dances. After midnight, the band continued to play salsa, while our Peruvian friends tried to teach me and Evelyn (from Holland) the basic steps. Despite the fact that Evelyn and I both towered over our dance partners, we managed to sway back and forth without looking too ridiculous, and we had a fantastic time. We danced until 4:30 am.
Saturday greeted me with a clear sky that let the equatorial sun pierce through Lima's almost-permanent fog. Oliver and I spent the afternoon walking around the Lima Center, where I bought my first Dunkin' Donuts coffee in three months (and it was heavenly!). I enjoyed my coffee to the last drop as we visited the main square (called the Plaza de Armas) which is filled with red and white flowers, and statue of Lima's founder (Pizarro) and lots and lots of pigeons. We also went to the Museo de la Inquisicion, which displays wax mannequins that demonstrate how sinners were tortured in colonial times. Before sunset, we took a bus up a crazy, steep and windy road to reach the Cerro de San Cristobol, which is a hill with a cross that overlooks the city. With the clear day, we got a great view of the city. From there, we could grasp how expansive and (geographically and economically) diverse this 8-million-person city is!
Sunday morning, I joined 10, 118 others in a jog around Lima as part of the Nike 10K. An estimated 100,000 runners participated in this race, which was held on November 11th in nine countries over South America. It was a really cool way to see the city! We ran on several main roads, including a section of the pan-american highway, that are normally jammed with cars; as traffic blurred past in the opposite direction, we ran in a swarm of running shoes and blue t-shirts. Bands played, people threw water from the bridges, and organizers converted the tunnel on the 9th K into a disco with strobe lights and party music. I ran with another UVA-er, Klass, and we both had a blast.
After the race, Klass and I replenished at UVA American-style brunch. Everyone from UVA got together to cook biscuits, chocolate-chip pancakes, bacon, omelets, fruit salad, and mimosas. It was a delicious taste of home.
At night, I met up with Oliver, Melanie, and Evelyn to see the Vuelo del Condor, which is a Cirque de Soleil-style circus with a Peruvian theme. The clown was really funny, and the acts were amazing; there were contortionists, jugglers, ribbon-swingers and fire-eaters. While the entertainment and humor is universal across nationalities, all of the costumes and scenery proudly reflected Peru's rich indigenous history.
What a stupendous weekend!
In a couple of hours, I'll be on a plane to Cuzco with two friends from the States-- we'll be there for a week doing a trek up to Macchu Pichu, so stay tuned for more pictures and adventures!
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