April 9-11--Lima, Peru

Our last days in Peru were with our goddaughter and family in Lima.

We took the kids to the zoo.

And we babysat while Noemi and Alejandro voted in the big national election.

Lima-First leg 2015

We landed in Lima early in the morning of Friday, 16 January. Alejandro met us at the airport. He grew up in Lima (and north in Huacho); is the husband of Noemi, our goddaughter. They have three delightful children so we are the grandparents (¿"grand-godparents"?) of Alexander nickname Chani, age 6, Dayana, age 3, and little Bianca, 10 months (born March 12). Sunday was a good day for a family outing to Lima Central, the Plaza Mayor and Parque M            with ruins from the XVII century  plus a section with kids rides.

Sam is fabulous with wrestling and tickling and paper airplanes and lifting high in the air. He was making this little zzoop sound as he lifted Dayana up and so she would reach her arms up and say zzoop to ask to be lifted. So sweet.

Daddy Alejandro with baby Bianca

On Saturday we went into the central part of Lima to buy our airline tickets to Lake Titicaca and to get some efficient LED lights for the house of Noemi and Alejandro. We knew that Delfin and a dance troupe from Taquile were in Lima and had talked about meeting downtown somewhere, but could not connect by cell phone; did not know how we would meet. ¡There they all were in the Solar Gear Stores! Where else would you expect to find a group of people from a village with the most intense use of solar energy anywhere?

More details later. I write this from Puno, now, hanging out at 13,000 feet, first day aclimatization to the altitude, so taking it slo-o-o-o-w.

Lima for a few days

On Sunday April 28 we flew to Lima in anticipation of our May 1 airline flight home. Our god daughter, Noemi, lives there with her husband, Alejandro and their two children, Alexander  (pronounce it with a Spanish accent), age 4 in kindergarden and Dayana, nearly 2 and still nursing. Alejandro does piece work knitting alpaca sweaters on their own knitting machines; Noemi works with him on the simpler parts.

Alejandro with his knitting machine

We stayed in their home up 192 steps on the hill in the Rimac section of Lima. Definitely not your tourist accommodations, but they have electricity and running water, a shower and really cool washing machine. The spin is separate, like those bathing suit spinners at some swimming pools. Our clothes got dry very quickly on the line after a quick spin. We enjoyed spending the time with the family and getting to know the kids.

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Alexander

One day we rode the new electric train to the end of the line, Villa El Salvador, and had a wonderful ceviche lunch in that town famous for its seafood. Clean and smooth ride, very fast and modern.

Lima's electric train

Typical Wiring in Peru; contrast with the modern electric train.

I don't think DMEA (our Colorado Electrical Co-op) would approve

One day we went around on our own, in particular to visit the solar store to see what is available in Photovoltaic panels and efficient lights. No LED lights in the 12 volt section as good as what we brought to Taquile this trip. We did buy a couple of LEDs rated for the 220 volt grid for Noemi and Alejandro's home. We replaced a 60 watt incandescent with a 5 watt LED, which gave a lot more light. Then for the kitchen a 7 watt to replace the 8 watt florescent in the kitchen. Not quite the energy savings of replacing the incandescent, but a lot more light for the energy use.

Lima is a city of many variables. These dancers from the jungle livened up the street on Labor Day.

Wednesday, May First, was international Labor Day so no school for Alexander. We went to the Zoo!
Lions and Tigers and Monkeys, Oh My!

We tried to buy more LED lights for their knitting workshop on the way home, but the shops were closed early for the holiday, so we gave them money to buy the lights.