So,with the need to cancel Bucuramanga, and also a late invitation to the New Zealand Ambassador's in Chile on the night before the fair, we decided to change our flights out of Bogota to a day earlier.For me this meant a charge of $700! The others had more flexible ticket options. The only flights a day earlier were via Lima, so always being resourceful, we set up a meeting there in the afternoon. My APEC card had the Peru visa on it for business, while the guys were able to get a visitors visa on arrival. Lima is a city of 10 million (out of Peru's 20 million) and is located on the coast, so at sea level thank goodness after Bogota at 2,600m.
We are still spinning as I write this here in the departure lounge. My God, the pollution in out lungs from just 2 hours driving around the typical 3rd world city!!
We caught a taxi in to our appointment (with an agent who will be in Auckland next week at the agent’s fair), and found Guillermo.
He does not promote to NZ schools (despite it saying he does on ANZA promo), and usually send students to Malta or Ireland for English as it is cheap. He wants to promote NZ in Peru). I gave him the details on student visas and working holiuday visas which they wanted. he still;l did not have his ticket to Auckland for ANZA, despite his arrival was meant to be the same a mine. I had booked schools to see him! The only ticket he could get was too expensive in his book. He also wanted to buy a cheap flight to Invercargill for the FAM tour he had booked with Education Southland, after the agents' fair. We wanted to know why Invercargill for 5 days?? Craig helped him to find cheap flights via either CHch or Queenstown etc.
We talked NZ, schools, who might come, where the rich live etc and then went for lunch to a typical Peruvian food place, but in a ritzy mall set up for tourists. The meal was expensive but nice. I had fish cerviche...raw fish so I hope like hell I don’t get sick. Great corn Peruvian style, chicken dishes with rice etc. Of course started with Pisco sour which they claim is Peruvian but the Chileans claim in Chilean. It was great anyway.
Afterwards we window shopped a little and I found the leather cushion covers I have been hunting while in Sud America.
Guillermo then organised for us to go in a taxi with his friend and see the city through the fumes, and without being run over by the buses. He had originally suggested the bus tour for 3 hours but it was stinking hot and sunny and we did not have hats and would have fried.
It was not very pleasant but a nice thought. The squares are typical Spanish and grand.
Old Spanish buildings and passages were filled with markets and everyone was trying to sell something. It was much as in Bangkok in parts but very run down in others. Apparently the very wealthy are to the South in massive apartments etc. I believe the very wealthy live very well here. I have met a few in my travels. The rich have a history of sending kids abroad too, for a year.
The beach looked not very clean, but the surfers were out. Rubbish floated in the water and the coast looks like it is retreating as it is very crumbly stones.
The airport tax to leave was $31 US so an expensive afternoon, but interesting. My God stepping into the air-con bubble of the departure lounge was like flipping into space.



Hasta leugo mi amigos,,