¡Bienvenidos a Lima! (Mira Flores & Parque del amor)

Things I have learned about Peru so far:

1. The fruit juice/produce/food in general here is absolutely AMAZING
2. Many people in Lima speak English and the city has seen a fair amount of globalization (TGI Fridays/Starbucks/Tony Roma's anyone?)
3. Driving laws are pretty much non-existent
4. Sushi is popular here, fish is fresh and delicious
5. Llama/alpaca products are all the rage

Despite some initial concerns that I would stick out as an American or feel unwelcome here, I was surprised at how much Lima seemed like any other city I have visited. With the traffic, casinos, and recognizable chain stores, it felt as if we were somewhere in downtown Los Angeles.

After having flown into Lima late last night, we slept long into the afternoon like lazy tourists only to emerge to visit the local mall in Miraflores, Larcomar. Though the day was overcast, the beautiful ocean setting was visible from the small shopping center. The shops were a cultural amalgam of European, American, Asian, and traditional Peruvian stores. One of the latter featured these two indigenous-looking women working masterfully on a colorful loom.

Here of some shots of the shopping center and view:

Inside the mall there was a collection of beautiful dresses made out of paper and beads:

We then took a short walk through a small park along the water to el Parque del Amor, which featured a central statue surrounded by beautiful mosaic structures inscribed with poetry and sayings about love. Understandably, there were couples everywhere.