First Glimpse of Lima

All went pretty smoothly upon arrival in Lima. After going through immigration and finding all my baggage unmolested, I was greeted by a taxi driver that Maria Teresa (Tere) had arranged to pick me up. Apparently Tere had also arranged for a plumb, balding Colombian to be picked up as well and dropped off at his hotel. The Colombian informed me that he was an engineer that helped build palm oil refineries and was in town to help with a UN project. The driver drove through the 2 AM city, giving me a premature glimpse of the nightlife that seemed to consist of casinos, little dance bars, late-night eateries and impromptu gatherings of young gentlemen on corners. The poverty level of the pueblos jovenes seemed similar to what I had encountered in Indonesia, until we came to the luxurious San Isidro and Miraflores municipalities, which I recognized by the giant inner-city golf course and the well-manicured private residences. This is where I would be working and staying. It will be interesting to see the extent to which I interface with the poverty of the outer parts of the city.