This is the fifth article covering our trip to Peru. This installment covers our return to Chosica, a little dentistry work, and a visit to the Jesus Maria and Mira Flores districts in Lima.
Thursday 15-Sep-11:
Thursday morning we again woke up early, and flew back to Lima. From there we caught a taxi to Chosica, and were ‘back home’ at Maty’s family’s house. The taxi driver, supposedly a trusted person, then wanted extra money, but we mostly ignored him. He should have asked up front. We spent the afternoon relaxing and just went into Chosica for a bit.
Friday 16-Sep-11:
Again took it easy, but went to the Dentist. I got my teeth cleaned for $10.00 USD. Had to return Saturday morning to finish the job. The interesting thing is that I was certain I was going to need serious dental work, but all I really needed was a good cleaning. And the dentist definitely has skills. I was never at all uncomfortable – and I’d rather wrestle bears than visit a dentist. Afterwards, Maty bought her family their first-ever washing machine. The average Peruvian washes by hand, using a scrub board to this day. I think I enjoyed watching their reactions as much as they enjoyed using the new machine. The one downside is the lack of water pressure to fill the machine quickly, but otherwise it works pretty well.
Saturday 17-Sep-11:
In the morning, Maty and I both returned to the dentist – me to finish my teeth cleaning job, and her to get some additional work done. The dentist chided me for using a battery-operated toothbrush and ordered me to return to a normal toothbrush. I thought I had made a good investment, and was fighting a losing battle with my teeth. But the high-tech toothbrush I was using was ruining my teeth. I’m pretty sure he would have given me instructions for using the high-tech toothbrush effectively if he thought that was any use. But he just shook his head when he saw it.
Afterwards, we went down into Lima – Jesus Maria – to visit one of her aunts, who led us to a guided bus tour of the ritzy Miraflores district. Between the fog and movement of the bus, it was a real challenge to take good photos. Even so, I think I managed a few good ones. Part of Mira Flores runs along the “Green Coast”, a nice stretch of beach that sits beneath the cliffs, with their grass and trees. There is a shopping center that overlooks part of the Green Coast, complete with plexiglass windows to reduce the number of jumpers. But the center is sort of an outdoor mall, with fancys shops and restaurants built into the contour of the terrain. You’ll find plenty of American-style restaurants, including Dunkin Donuts.
Mira Flores - La Costa Verde (The Green Coast)
We ate dinner with Tia Alicia in her townhome in Jesus Maria, and found our way back home. That Tia Alicia is a really sweet lady.
