Lost in Lima

August 21, 2017
I am in Lima. Lost in Lima should be the name of this trip. I am alone here. Today, I took walk to the Pacific Ocean and felt a divine energy around me. I am sitting on a park bench, facing the sun. The view of the oceans from here is beautiful. The sun is glowing off the oceans surface, there is a shimmer across the sea, the birds are chirping, the trees are green, and there is a light breeze in the air. The ocean is vast and looks as if it goes on forever. I feel an openness in my chest. Today is my last day in Lima. Tomorrow I head to Iquitos, the biggest jungle city in the world, birth place of the Amazon. I feel I will be even more at ease there. 
Yesterday I woke at 8am and headed down to lobby for breakfast. So much fresh fruit, I had cantaloupe, passion fruit, pineapple, and mandarins. I took a stroll in the city, in the heart of Lima, or at least one of the busiest parts of Lima. I wandered into a street parade. So many people.. nearly 9 or 10 bands, followed by dance troops composed of men, women, and children, all dressed in the most beautiful, colorful outfits- bright green, pinks, and blues. Dancing, singing, full of life and pride, the onlookers entranced by the music and dance. 
Then I got lost.. I was a little scared but hopeful I’d somehow find my way back to the hotel. Almost no one spoke English, and I spoke almost no Spanish. I walked and walked until I found myself in a huge market. I saw a vendor selling corn, corn that looked like nothing I’d seen before, she topped it with cilantro and pepper. It was delicious.
Trying to find my way back I bumped into a security officer at a bank, in my little Spanish I knew I asked where my hotel was. He kindly pointed me in direction with a few hand gestures. It took me almost 30 minutes, but I found my way. (Today, I saw the same man, at the same bank… only a block and a half from me 0_o)
Once I got back to the hotel, I felt relieved, and realized how alert I really needed to be. I also felt extreme gratefulness for my ex-boyfriend, Mr. Sicily, I realized how much I leaned on him when we travelled. 
That night, I was so hungry, after not having eaten since breakfast being lost had scared away my hunger. After a short nap, I woke and headed to Plaza Mayor. It was crowded.. more people than in Spain, definitely more than Nw York City. There were lines to get into every movie theater I passed. People bumping into one another on the street, a bit of a chill in the air.. crowds everywhere you turned. I found a cozy restaurant away from the crowds. Mmm I ordered rainbow trout, it was delicious. But as I sat there, I was overcome with emotions. I could not stop the tears from reaching my eyes. I asked the waiter to please pack my food to go. Mr. Sicily had been messaging me and being more sweet than ever. 
I made my way back to the hotel. It was only 8pm but I was very tired. I spoke to mom, mainly to let her know I was safe, I was still trying to hold back tears. I spoke to Sabrina, my best friend since I was child, and Mr. Sicily. I told them both how emotional I felt, they both gave me encouraging words and basically told me not to forget why I was there. My menstruation also decided to visit me that day, emotions were running high.

Today I woke up feeling much better than yesterday. I took shower and headed down for breakfast… passion fruit, pineapple and toast. I took a walk to St. San Francisco Monastery and the Catacombs. The was beautiful and decadent, it smelled of history and spirits. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Below the church was a burial site, said to hold 75,000 bodies. The skeletons in some areas were divided by bone category. Femurs, hip bones, skulls- with teeth still in tact. 
Later, I took a cab to Miraflores. Here, I saw the grounds for a very old temple and drank fresh soursop juice. I am now near Park del Amor, the Park of Love, overlooking the ocean.

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