Searching for peace in a sea of traffic: Walking around Lima, Peru

Today, I walked the streets of Lima, Peru. I have been in Lima many times, and even lived here for a while. But, it had been four years since I had been back and I was curious to see how the city had changed since I had been here last.

I am staying at the Clifford Hotel in Santa Beatriz, Lima, in the 300 block of the Avenida Arequipa. The hotel is close to the city center, and about three miles from the residential districts of Miraflores and San Isidro. I thought it would be a good idea to walk those three miles down Avenida Arequipa towards Miraflores, with the goal of arriving at the coastline to catch a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean, and to stroll along the Malecón which overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

I walked down Avenida Arequipa for about two miles, listening to all of the cars, buses, vans, and taxis honk at each other and make their way down the busy street. Eventually, however, I decided to veer off to the right and find a more peaceful street to walk along. Luckily, I quickly found a large park, complete with fountains, a footpath, grass and trees. It was great to enjoy the quiet for a while as I walked through the park and watched the crows fly over my head. Once the park ended, I kept walking and ended up at the Ovalo, where I made a quick dash into Wong to buy an adapter for my laptop.

From there, I kept walking along slightly quieter streets until I made it to the Malecón. It was a great relief to see the Pacific Ocean and the green grass and cliffs that border the Malecón. The coastline in Lima is far from the most beautiful in the world, but I always find it magical to be near one of the great bodies of water in this world. I walked along the Malecón for about a mile, when it ended.

I hoped the Malecón would continue, but it stopped because of a big municipal stadium. So, I walked along the street, back in traffic, until I got to Avenida Salaverry, where I completed my Limeño experience by taking a combi back up to Avenida 28 de Julio and walked back to my hotel.

It was great to figure out that I still can walk around Lima, even though I have not been here in four years. I was concerned I might not feel safe because of the economic crisis and the concomitant rise in street crime. However, Lima felt fairly relaxed and very walkable.