Last post in South America

Today's a bittersweet day in Lima. We're heading out tonight- well, the flight leaves at 6 am tomorrow morning, so we're off to the airport at 2:30. The plan is to have dinner, go to Maria's house and then to a jazz club until 1:30 or so and then get our stuff at the hostel and jump in a van to the airport. Since about half of us were up until 3:30 last night, it shouldn't be too hard to stay awake.

Some of the surfing guys took us out on the town last night- eleven of us crammed into an old woodie and toured the city. Lima is a huge place, and the only local transport options are taxi or buses and vans called combis that are usually extremely crowded- we've had to sit on each others' laps at times to fit us all in with the rest of the riders. Therefore, it's hard to really get a feel for the city because you can't walk from one neighborhood to the next. So, it was great to have our own private tour van, even if it was as crowded as the public option. The guys were a lot of fun, too, and the students always appreciate the opportunity to meet the locals.

I love how Lima is on the coast, and even though the winters here are overcast, the temps have been decent. I spent the day checking out Barranco, the "Greenwich Village of Lima". I feel, however, that I have a lot more to explore here in terms of the neighborhoods and the food. It's been a great introduction, though, and certainly whet my appetite for more visits.