Lima, the city of many wonders

For the past three weeks I have been in Lima, Peru. Time is actually going by pretty quick considering that I am only in Peru for a semester and still have a lot to learn and explore. For one, jumping from super dry heat to a humid cold winter was a slight shock (luckily, I have not gotten sick), but it should be warming up here soon! You would think that Lima would have a nice tropical weather but it is currently winter and you could definitely feel it. I for once was prepared for both seasons as locals have explained to me that there is really only hot weather or cold weather with no in between.

Surprisingly, my time here has been an adjustment, as I am not accustomed to being far from my family for so long, but I’ve actually liked being on my own. As sad as this is for a college junior to say, I’ve had to become independent out here, for example I am responsible for my own meals now ( I miss my abuela always feeding me). For once I have roommates my age and we all seem to get along perfectly! We are a mix of Peruvian and international students and on a daily basis learn from each other. I got really lucky with this student house. 

Lima is a gigantic city, in comparison to the 505, I’d compare this place to a place like New York or Los Angeles as I seem to get surfer boy vibes mixed with the big apple. The traffic is just about the same considering that your destination might be 30 minutes away but could easily take an hour to two to get there. 

Lima consists of so many districts which is hard to keep up, as of now I know I live in Pueblo Libre and the university is right by the San Miguel district. Also, I have learned that I love to hangout around Miraflores and Barranco even though they’re an hour away from me, those areas are very lively in terms of street art, performances, entertainment also very tourist heavy (which is practically what I am doing when I’m not at school). These places are right by the coast so you have a nice overview of the ocean.

Considering I have to walk to a majority of places, I rely on their public transportation to get around. People here drive a little crazyyyyy but that’s okay because they all seem to know how to manage the road and I have yet to see an accident. The public transportation here is pretty straight forward, like at home, you pay your fare and go. In comparison to taking a taxi service, you might want to take a “combi” or “micro” since they can cost anything from 50 centimos to 3 soles. If you ever decide to come to Lima, plan time for transportation, even though no one is really punctual (which works in my favor, also it’s a latinx/e thing). 

As easy as it is to get taken away with what this country has to offer, the reason I am here is to study and learn. Well, my official courses began about two weeks ago and I am currently studying under their social sciences department. I am taking three courses in political science, and one in anthropology. 

Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (also known as PUCP) is a private university and one of the best schools this country has to offer.

Procrastination always gets the best of me, whether I am here or in ABQ, the course load and my motivation are yet the same. As complicated as this is, even though I am native Spanish speaker, a majority of my education has been in English, so the academic language can be slightly difficult for me. Luckily, I have classes only on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but I still procrastinate, even though I am supposed to be getting it together.

PUCP’s campus is absolutely beautiful and gigantic! The campus is still very green considering that it is winter here. My favorite thing to look at are the palm trees. Sometimes I can’t focus because I am distracted from how pretty it is. 

Since I still have a lot to explore my future blogs will consist of food, new destinations, stuff to do in Peru and etc.

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