Back "home" in Barranco
May 5th, 2016, 05:46 AM
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Back "home" in Barranco
Back Home in Barranco
We arrived at London Gatwick after a three hours drive from home. On entering the north terminal we were greeted by two Llamas! Inside, we were offered a couple complementary Pisco Sours, the national drink of Peru - packed quite a pinch at 10.00a.m.! We were on the British Airways inaugural direct flight to Lima.
The 12 hour flight was pretty good. All the cabin staff seemed excited by the prospect of new destination and on arrival we were greeted by a lot of the Jorge Chavez ground staff who had turned out to welcome this very first flight. With this direct flight now in place I can only imagine that Peru is going to see a big increase in tourists from the UK.
We are staying in Villa di Ana, a small group of apartments in the centre of old Barranco, the slightly bohemian neighbourhood of Lima close to the busier and better known Miraflores. Leonardo, the American guy who owns the place had arranged for his taxi driver friend, Ivan to collect us. Sure enough, Ivan was there waiting and soon we were off on the 30 mins drive to Barranco.
Ivan was a real character, chatting away in machine- gun Spanish, it took us a while and a few "Hablar más despacio por favor's" ( please speak slower!) before we attuned our ears to Spanish once again and began to understand what he was saying. A nice guy and very reasonable charges ( $20 from the airport) - already booked him to take us to the Oltursa bus station when we leave for Huaraz and will probably hire him for a day to take us around the major sights when our friends join us in Lima in August.
We were last in Barranco in November 2013 when we rented an apartment for a month at the end of our six month sojourn around South America. We know it well and it really does seem a little like coming home. We had planned on eating dinner on our first night at one of our favourite restaurants, but we had eaten on the plane and were dog tired so we opted instead for a quick visit to our local supermarket to stock up on fruit for breakfast and then went to one of our favourite bars for a couple of beers before an early night. Here's hoping we sleep,through and avoid the jet lag.
PS the plan didn't work as I awoke at 4.00am and have been busy trying to sort out where we are going today - a few housekeeping things to attend to which will probably keep us in Barranco this morning before taking a walk across to Miraflores for lunch - oh how we have missed ceviche!!
Wifi being willing, I will post about our travels from time to time here and , of course on our blog
https://accidentalnomads.com feel free to click the follow us button for regular update (and I do plan to keep these up to date this trip!) according to the blog it is September and we are still driving around New Zealand in a campervan...
We arrived at London Gatwick after a three hours drive from home. On entering the north terminal we were greeted by two Llamas! Inside, we were offered a couple complementary Pisco Sours, the national drink of Peru - packed quite a pinch at 10.00a.m.! We were on the British Airways inaugural direct flight to Lima.
The 12 hour flight was pretty good. All the cabin staff seemed excited by the prospect of new destination and on arrival we were greeted by a lot of the Jorge Chavez ground staff who had turned out to welcome this very first flight. With this direct flight now in place I can only imagine that Peru is going to see a big increase in tourists from the UK.
We are staying in Villa di Ana, a small group of apartments in the centre of old Barranco, the slightly bohemian neighbourhood of Lima close to the busier and better known Miraflores. Leonardo, the American guy who owns the place had arranged for his taxi driver friend, Ivan to collect us. Sure enough, Ivan was there waiting and soon we were off on the 30 mins drive to Barranco.
Ivan was a real character, chatting away in machine- gun Spanish, it took us a while and a few "Hablar más despacio por favor's" ( please speak slower!) before we attuned our ears to Spanish once again and began to understand what he was saying. A nice guy and very reasonable charges ( $20 from the airport) - already booked him to take us to the Oltursa bus station when we leave for Huaraz and will probably hire him for a day to take us around the major sights when our friends join us in Lima in August.
We were last in Barranco in November 2013 when we rented an apartment for a month at the end of our six month sojourn around South America. We know it well and it really does seem a little like coming home. We had planned on eating dinner on our first night at one of our favourite restaurants, but we had eaten on the plane and were dog tired so we opted instead for a quick visit to our local supermarket to stock up on fruit for breakfast and then went to one of our favourite bars for a couple of beers before an early night. Here's hoping we sleep,through and avoid the jet lag.
PS the plan didn't work as I awoke at 4.00am and have been busy trying to sort out where we are going today - a few housekeeping things to attend to which will probably keep us in Barranco this morning before taking a walk across to Miraflores for lunch - oh how we have missed ceviche!!
Wifi being willing, I will post about our travels from time to time here and , of course on our blog
https://accidentalnomads.com feel free to click the follow us button for regular update (and I do plan to keep these up to date this trip!) according to the blog it is September and we are still driving around New Zealand in a campervan...
May 16th, 2016, 09:15 AM
#11
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Love, love, love the street art pictures you posted on the blog. I was only in Peru once - as a back packer sometime in the early 1990s. Just looked it up, all I remember is it was the first year Fujimori was in office so it was 1990! My boyfriend at the time who I was traveling with was Korean-American and everyone fete him as they thought he was Japanese! Anyway perhaps it is time for a return visit, it has been a while!
I have to say I'm so impressed by the fact that you blog as you go. Your posts are really great, useful, thoughtful interesting. It's a lot to do while you are on the road, I'm just too lazy and always do them when I get home, kudos to the two of you
I have to say I'm so impressed by the fact that you blog as you go. Your posts are really great, useful, thoughtful interesting. It's a lot to do while you are on the road, I'm just too lazy and always do them when I get home, kudos to the two of you
May 16th, 2016, 10:04 AM
#12
If you are still in Huaraz I think it's worthwhile to take one of the group tours to Chavin de Huantar. I also liked the tour to Pastoruri Glacier which includes a stop at the interesting Puya Raimondi grove.
You do need to watch out for the sketchy tour companies. Avoid the biggest size buses. Either the mid size ones or the minivans are okay, the latter a little uncomfortable but makes up for it with fewer people.
Nearly everyone else on tour will be Peruvian so can practice your Spanish. And maybe ride a horse part way up to Pastoruri Glacier.
You do need to watch out for the sketchy tour companies. Avoid the biggest size buses. Either the mid size ones or the minivans are okay, the latter a little uncomfortable but makes up for it with fewer people.
Nearly everyone else on tour will be Peruvian so can practice your Spanish. And maybe ride a horse part way up to Pastoruri Glacier.
May 16th, 2016, 12:29 PM
#13
Love your pictures. Always remember those big corn kernels that were served wit the wonderful ceviche in Peru. Wait until you see the street art in Bogota. I think it is some of the best we have ever seen.
I agree with WTB - blogging or writing TRs as one travels is a challenge. We attempted to do it this last trip and it was tough. Of course places and events are fresh in your mine as opposed to 2 months later. You do a good job!
I agree with WTB - blogging or writing TRs as one travels is a challenge. We attempted to do it this last trip and it was tough. Of course places and events are fresh in your mine as opposed to 2 months later. You do a good job!
May 17th, 2016, 03:59 AM
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Thank you for your comments guys. We are determined to keep ot current as a we go. As YT says, it is easier whilst still fresh in the mind. There are still whole swathes of NewZealand and Austraila missing form our trip last year. Memories are a little hazy and so they will probably end up as captioned photo rather than a lot of narrative.
The problem here is in trying to up load photos to Wordpress. Wifi is pretty slow and patchy here in the Lazy Dog INN . Not surprising as it is right up in the mountains. Head to Trujillo tonight so are hoping to blast the uploading then.
Thanks for the suggestions mlgb, we have done Laguna 69 (painful), Llacco glacier (slightly less so) and a few local hike to get used to the altitude. LDI is 3600m, highest points 46oom. Your point is well made re tour buses. At L69 they were a PITA disgouging their contents of backpackers at the trailhead. We shared a taxi with a US/Italian couple that worked well. I was easily the oldest on the trail. Although surround by horses at the Inn, still haven't gone that route yet. Chickened out again and put it off until Colombia!
Got some friends joining us in Lima in Aug. Anyone know anything re 2B Barranco or second home Peru? Currently have a res at 2B but not sure if second home is worth the extra? Our friends tend to favour more creatur comforts than us!
The problem here is in trying to up load photos to Wordpress. Wifi is pretty slow and patchy here in the Lazy Dog INN . Not surprising as it is right up in the mountains. Head to Trujillo tonight so are hoping to blast the uploading then.
Thanks for the suggestions mlgb, we have done Laguna 69 (painful), Llacco glacier (slightly less so) and a few local hike to get used to the altitude. LDI is 3600m, highest points 46oom. Your point is well made re tour buses. At L69 they were a PITA disgouging their contents of backpackers at the trailhead. We shared a taxi with a US/Italian couple that worked well. I was easily the oldest on the trail. Although surround by horses at the Inn, still haven't gone that route yet. Chickened out again and put it off until Colombia!
Got some friends joining us in Lima in Aug. Anyone know anything re 2B Barranco or second home Peru? Currently have a res at 2B but not sure if second home is worth the extra? Our friends tend to favour more creatur comforts than us!
May 17th, 2016, 03:13 PM
#17
I've stayed at both 3B (I assume this is the one http://www.3bhostal.com/) and Second Home (twice).
They really are different types of places.
If your friends like art then Second Home has an edge as the former home of Victor Delfin (sort of Peru's Picasso). It is managed by his daughter, although she has hired staff and isn't always available (or interested). The rooms vary, some have views and some don't. Being a former home, the floors are a bit creaky and some of the rooms are designed without much privacy between bed and bath. It is located down a dark side street and you have to wait to be buzzed in which can be a bit creepy if you are walking and standing there in the dark alone waiting.
I have a special fondness for the staff and service at 3B which has become my home away from home. The rooms are modern style (might remind of an Ibis) and the bathrooms have a good shower but strangely no hot water in the basin. I prefer the location on a well-lit street across from some design shops and Sofa cafe (and I think you've had dinner at the steak place on the same street). You also have to be buzzed in but there is a sliding door from the office looking out to the street. As with Second Home there can be some noise issues from adjacent rooms (less if you shut the windows in the bathroom and keep the bathroom door closed. I think the rooms are a bit smaller than at Second Home.
Neither place gets too much in the way of street noise.
They really are different types of places.
If your friends like art then Second Home has an edge as the former home of Victor Delfin (sort of Peru's Picasso). It is managed by his daughter, although she has hired staff and isn't always available (or interested). The rooms vary, some have views and some don't. Being a former home, the floors are a bit creaky and some of the rooms are designed without much privacy between bed and bath. It is located down a dark side street and you have to wait to be buzzed in which can be a bit creepy if you are walking and standing there in the dark alone waiting.
I have a special fondness for the staff and service at 3B which has become my home away from home. The rooms are modern style (might remind of an Ibis) and the bathrooms have a good shower but strangely no hot water in the basin. I prefer the location on a well-lit street across from some design shops and Sofa cafe (and I think you've had dinner at the steak place on the same street). You also have to be buzzed in but there is a sliding door from the office looking out to the street. As with Second Home there can be some noise issues from adjacent rooms (less if you shut the windows in the bathroom and keep the bathroom door closed. I think the rooms are a bit smaller than at Second Home.
Neither place gets too much in the way of street noise.
May 17th, 2016, 05:48 PM
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Great, another report from the intrepid Crellston. ! How cool that there is now a direct flight London to Lima. Also a new LAN direct flight DC to Lima - tempting..... I'm also looking forward to following along.
Don't think I've checked out your Australia/New Zealand report yet either. A must do before we go this winter....
Don't think I've checked out your Australia/New Zealand report yet either. A must do before we go this winter....
May 18th, 2016, 01:25 PM
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YT hope you enjoy the merino. Certainly was glad of mine over the last week in the mountains! PS - At the risk of breaking my own rules on delicacy and appropriateness, merino underpants are great too!
Mlgb - as always, that is really helpful. I have booked us in to 3B as Second Home only had one room available. As for the noise issues, normally I would say that was a problem, but after 4 days at the Villa di Ana in Barranco overlooked THE busiest Chifa in town, I have become immune!
glover, sadly I have been remiss in posting a TR for NZ and Australia and our current blog only has a few entries on NZ. In Australia, we were visiting our son and his wife in Sydney so we confined ourselves mostly to Sydney with side trips to The Blue Mountains and Melbourne. Loved our time there, but I have to say that, of all the places we have visited, NZ takes a lot of beating. Both times we have been we have spent their winter months in a Campervan and loved it! It is very old now but here is a link to our blog of our first trip down under http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog...ai/1/tpod.html entrie 31 -54 cover down under.
Mlgb - as always, that is really helpful. I have booked us in to 3B as Second Home only had one room available. As for the noise issues, normally I would say that was a problem, but after 4 days at the Villa di Ana in Barranco overlooked THE busiest Chifa in town, I have become immune!
glover, sadly I have been remiss in posting a TR for NZ and Australia and our current blog only has a few entries on NZ. In Australia, we were visiting our son and his wife in Sydney so we confined ourselves mostly to Sydney with side trips to The Blue Mountains and Melbourne. Loved our time there, but I have to say that, of all the places we have visited, NZ takes a lot of beating. Both times we have been we have spent their winter months in a Campervan and loved it! It is very old now but here is a link to our blog of our first trip down under http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog...ai/1/tpod.html entrie 31 -54 cover down under.
May 19th, 2016, 12:23 PM
#20
I highly recommend the avo sandwich and fresh OJ for breakfast, crellston.
It was Enrique (the owner) who tipped me off to CasaCor. If you see him in the morning be sure to tell him you loved it and ask what else might be on.
They have a good map showing all the galleries around Barranco.
It is an easy walk to the Metropolitano station, be on the lookout for that yuquitas cart diagonal from the station.
Have a turkey sandwich from Monstruos for me!
It was Enrique (the owner) who tipped me off to CasaCor. If you see him in the morning be sure to tell him you loved it and ask what else might be on.
They have a good map showing all the galleries around Barranco.
It is an easy walk to the Metropolitano station, be on the lookout for that yuquitas cart diagonal from the station.
Have a turkey sandwich from Monstruos for me!
