It's Peru, Baby.

So, speaking as I was, of Lima (and not my never-ending birthday - you'll likely be pleased to hear)... I liked it a lot. Sure, it's noisy and stinky and dangerous - but hey, so is every big city. I found that the notable character and eye-catching details of the architecture extended throughout the whole city; you really can see why Lima was previously known to be South America's most enticing city. It's not anymore, but we had a very varied and exciting time... We travelled around by cheap collectivos and bumpy buses, so we got to see many different parts of the city. We went to San Francisco church to see the former monastery and the catacombs, which were gorily compelling. I like things that make me feel insignificant (and if seeing the dry bones of 70,000 human beings won't accomplish that, nothing will!). We breakfasted on fresh cheese and croissants in a little corner shop, we ate dripping roasted duck from a take-out box in Chinatown, we had a vastly over-priced Thai meal in a beautiful restaurant. We went to a fabulous disco in a scummy area with a couple excellent, energetic 10-man salsa bands, we went to an alternative bar full of beautiful people in a rich area. We met Tito's old friend Frank and his wife and their baby. I stopped a crime in progress by shouting 'OI' at a man trying steal a sleeping woman's watch on a bus. We wandered through central Lima's pleasant old roads and plazas stopping in ancient churches and houses, we trudged through disreputable neighbourhoods searching for used tyres for the Celica (we found some nice fat ones). We stayed in a nasty retire teachers hostal, and in a tacky hotel with a shiny red bedspread and a saggy mattress. (Tito and I may indeed be classless, but we are also unargueably fabulous). Anyway, as I said, I liked Lima a lot. It wasn't horrible at all.