旅遊南美洲秘魯(首篇) / Travel to Peru, South America (Introduction)

It is hard to believe I was skiing in -43 deg C weather back in January and here I am in Peru, wandering in humid +27 deg sea-breeze along the sea-cliffs of Miraflores and San Isidro, just south of Lima. The waves of the Oceano Pacifico are huge and they sweep in and rush up onto the miles of pebble shoreline, leaving lines of white foam behind. Most of the locals have gone to beaches further south but many hard-core young surfers can be seen riding on the waves and enjoying themselves under the hot summer sun.

Peru has beautiful sea, mountains, rivers and jungles that are full of the mystery of ancient Incas culture and their footprints. It is also a country of contrast. To escape the attacks of the Shining Path in the 90`s, the government built modern cities such as Miraflores and San Isidro out of the shadow of the old colonial city of Lima. I note that people appear to be generally happy and relaxed during this period of relative peace and economic recovery. While there is still poverty in many parts of the country, there are definitely more opportunities for those living in the cities.

The govt is trying hard to provide security in major commercial and tourist centres. There are tourist police, transit police, national police and municipal police to make sure tourists are safe and criminals are kept out of strategic locations. I ventured only once into the border of a shanty town area and was warned by a passer-by to be careful with taking photos and showing my camera. I made a hasty retreat back to the "safe" side of town.

I will have some more time exploring Peru but am not sure how often I will have access to Internet (also spanish is the operating and keyboard language here). I will have to post the pictures later when I am back home.

Meanwhile, stay tuned !!!