A Spot Of Culture

Museums. The domain of childhood boredom and monotony. Not so the National Museum in Lima; battles, alliances, empires, sacrifices, far flung trading routes and the fabric and intracacies of society all pass before you as you wander the halls. I suppose I've grown into the concept of impressive displayed artefacts woven into a story that defines our best guess at a long gone civilization.

Especially when the civilization makes ceramics depicting what Bill Clinton could only describe as "lewd acts"; it's great to know that as long ago as 2500 years they were getting busy with the kind of things that you wouldn't chat to your parents about over dinner. Or, in fact, ever.

Lima, Peru
4th November 2009

Parents and Plans

The long anticipated arrival of the parents has finally happened; after numerous twists, turns and changes of plan we've all managed to land in the same city with the intention of spending the next month together bumbling around Peru while a job opportunity that I'm chasing up near Cuzco simmers with typical Latin American time frames.

Relaxation is the watchword; we'll be spending a couple of days around Lima before heading to the impressive coastal town of Paracas to lounge around for a bit, followed by a jaunt up the railway to Huancayo before somehow getting to Cuzco to help Ma realise her dream of visiting Machu Picchu. There will doubtless be other bigs and bobs; as plans go it's a simple one, but that's how we like it.

It's great to see The Olds again after a 10 month dry spell, and with so much happening for us all since I took my leave of Blighty in January there's a lot of catching up to do, as well as consuming the copious quantity of home-made flapjacks smuggled through customs.

Lima, Peru
27th October 2009