We safely found our way to Lima.

Morales, the incumbent, won the Bolivian presidential election by the needed 10% margin. From what we learned that was a given.

A week or so after the decision the strike in Bolivia is still alive and well.

Our first stop in Lima was to our favorite cevicheria restaurant called La Mar.Our good friend turned us on to the La Mar restaurant in San Francisco. Over the years we’ve frequented this place many times. They’re famous for savory ceviche dishes and Piso cocktails.

It has a fun backstory – the Peruvian owner told his father he was going to law school in Spain while actually attending culinary school. Eventually opening his super successful first restaurant in Lima. Rumor is, the dad got over the betrayal.

Considering it’s popularity, taking no reservations and only opened from noon to 5:30, five years ago, con suerte, we were able to get a table in Lima.We were lucky again this time. There were two seats at the bar. With stuffed bellies and two Pisco Sours we staggered back to our hotel and slept after having been awake for 25 hours.

Peru has three regions. The coast, the mountains and the jungle.

Lima is on the coast.We stayed in Miraflores a few blocks from the Pacific. Foggy until noon, clear for a couple hours and then foggy again.

Bustling everywhere – from Miraflores to the historic downtown region.

Precipitation in this capital city is one of the lowest in the world – following Cairo, Egypt and the middle of the Sahara. The buildings suffer from the effects of exhaust and no rain.The historic district has grand buildings and big parks.

The catacomb tour of the Monastery of San Francisco (UNESO World Heritage site) was interesting. Archeologists have uncovered the bones of 25,000 people and discovered tunnels that connected the Cathedral to the Tribunal of the Holy Inquisition.The best part was the library containing 25,000 books dating back to the 14th century.

We had our ears lowered at a barbershop run by a young guy who lived in California for 25 years and came back to Lima to go to art school and live a more laid back life. He and his partner hired barbers who fled Venezuela.

Off to Iquitos to see the Amazon…