Lima, Perú
The Specs
Where I stayed: Puriwasi Lima hostel
Overall Rating - 6/10
Location - the hip & safe miraflores neighborhood, very central & close to the beach
Breakfast - served in a nice space, loads of options, pretty vegan friendly
a massive space with huge dorm rooms, Roof Top, comfortable beds, great wifi and very sociable
Note - this is a “party” hostel which is not usually my vibe or first choice
Favorite Vegan Spot : La Verde
A really beautiful, relaxing space
menu - I had a burger & smoothie
Perfect space for lunch or to sit and write for a little while
Note - not open on Saturday! very sad.
What I think you should do if you only have a day or two
Walk around a lot - check out different neighborhoods
go to the beach - Lima meets the Pacific ocean all along its west side, the beaches are black stone which is pretty cool, and makes a epic sound when the waves wash up, sit back watch the surfers and the sunset
Parque del Amor - a solid alternative to watching the sunset on the beach, or just a great view over the PACIFIC OCEAN
Kennedy Park- A park known for the cats that occupy its greens, there are often markets here, and if you are lucky you will catch a dance party at dusk
hUACA pUCLLANA - take a day tour of seriously ancient ruins sittin the middle modern city, the juxtaposition is pretty epic, half price for students, even if your card is expired!
THE STORY
As I headed south to Lima, I was surprised to hear several unimpressed remarks about this capital city: it's a place to party, a place to fly into or to simply pass through. At this point in my travels I had learned the value of other travelers' advice and simultaneously the importance of forming my own opinions of a place.
It just so happened that I did pass through Lima, but to no fault of its own. I was traveling with a friend and fellow University of Michigan grad, Brett, who is a very fast paced traveler. While I typically spent four days in a city, I decided to keep up with his pace in exchange for good company. We decided Lima would just be a stop over on the way south to Arequipa. Instead of writing up a rather dull play by play of my two days in Lima, I figured I would stick to the highlights: the most beautiful vegan cafe, and a beach sunset at Lover's Park.
After a night bus and settling into a hostel, I headed out to find some food. A google search revealed several vegan places in the hip Miraflores neighborhood where I was staying. Top vegan tip: a trending neighborhood always tends to lend a hand to a traveling vegan searching for a morsel. So, I figured I would walk around, pass by my options, and then decide on a place. I checked out two places before coming across La Verdé. With big wooden doors and a green and white striped awning, I would eat here please and thank you.
Through the wooden entrance awaited a beautiful space and an empty window seat waiting for me. To the right of the entrance was an open bakery space with three young women in matching white aprons baking up delicious smells. Next to the bakery a little shop filled with all sorts of breads, granolas and treats occupied a beautiful room. The aesthetic was minimal, very Scandinavian, with wooden tables, an open kitchen at the back of the space with a fire engine read oven hood standing out against white walls. An intriguing Breakfast & Brunch menu including pancakes and fresh juices hung on the wall next to a display case of baked goods. It was heaven. I sat down and mulled over the menu for sometime before asking the waiter for the same burger as the woman two tables down.
My burger arrived: a lentil based patty topped with pickles, arugula, caramelized onions, dripping with a dreamy sauce, all sandwiched between a delicious bun with this insane olives-in-olive-oil accompaniment. It was delicious and one of the best vegan burgers I have ever had.
While my burger only last five minutes or so, I enjoyed my little window seat for sometime, writing away on my laptop. After an hour I was ready for some desert and settled on a cocoa and cinnamon smoothie that was as declines as expected. Eventually I did leave La Verdé but planned to return as soon as possible. I considered coming back for dinner that night, but decided I should wait until the next day and return for lunch. I had my eye on their “Mexican Bowl Special”.
Alas, it was not meant to be. I showed up the next day to find those beautiful wooden doors shut, locked and wearing a “cerado” sign. The only criticism I have for this pot of vegan gold is that they are not open on Saturdays. How can you have pancakes for breakfast and not be open on Saturdays?!
With my vegan dreams dashed, head down and shoulders hunched in hunger, I crossed the street to a cool cafe I had noticed the day before. There I drowned my sorrows in an average americano served in the most beautiful handmade cup and matching saucer.
Later that evening, my last hours in Lima, I was hanging out at the hostel when I realized, I never visited the beach! Out of the window I could see sunset had began. I ditched all my things with Brett and ran out of the hostel. In a steady trot I crossed the street, cut through Kennedy Park and headed down a road leading to the Pacific Ocean. In that peak sunset glow, I found myself in Lover's Park: an overlook with an epic statue of a man and woman makin' out.
From Lover's Park a path leads down to the water and a unique beach made up of big dark colored rocks. I found a spot to sit and watch. Couples curled up together, children dipping tiny toes in the cold ocean, tourists taking photos. Surfers caught their last waves, waves that made the most incredible sound when they finally met the shore, licking at the rocky beach. I sat, enjoying a moment of true presence, gratitude for this adventure of mine, and making a mental note to add "learn to surf" on my list of things to do.
The sun slipped away, as it does, concluding a beautiful sunset and drawing my time in Lima to an end. I walked back the way I had run, back towards the hostel, but on the way stumped upon another great scene. An epic dance party in the middle of Kennedy Park. I'm not a confident dancer but have intense admiration for people who can dance so freely in public. I watched people dance, young and old, couples and strangers. All in all, it was a pretty wonderful evening.
That was my time in Lima, short and sweet: a great burger and a beautiful sunset. By 3am the next morning, Brett and I were sound asleep on a bus taking us further south.