LiveYourAdventure.com

I have passed through Lima several times now. More than a couple of days in Lima is way too much. It's big and dirty and dangerous. The skies are always gray and it's hard to get around. And there just isn't much to do. In spite of all of that, I managed to have some fun between yawns.

A friend from elsewhere in Peru had recently relocated to Lima. She met me at the airport which was a nice favor considering that my 1 a.m. arrival had been delayed by 90 minutes. She recommended a hotel in a middle class neighborhood near her home. I got to experience Lima from a resident point of view for the fist time. It was a welcome change.

In Lima, February is Carneval. This means open season on pedestrians and cars with anything that can propel water--up to and including 5-gallon buckets! You must be constantly on the look out for pranksters from every window, balcony or rooftop. Waterballoons and squirtguns are the weapons of choice. An attack can be quite startling when one is unaware. As you might imagine, not everyone enjoys the waterworks, which brings even more delight to the attackers.

On my recent hiatus from the highway I did some landscaping at my home in Tucson. I got involved with the TCSS. I couldn't help but notice the cactus here from my new, more knowledgeable perspective. Many of the local species have been imported to North America for landscaping and do well in Southern Arizona. Some of the species here look identical to species native to Arizona. Imported from North America? Good question. I will have to defer to my colleagues from the TCSS.