Welcome to Lima, Perú, the 30th largest city in the world and the fifth largest city in South America by population. Although it is located adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, it is a desert, and it never rains, although it’s often extremely humid. Lima is famous for its gastronomy: ceviche, pisco sour, chicha morada, Inka Kola, potatoes, pollo a la brasa, cuy, and chifa are a few of its most famous staples.
Lima is also the backdrop to the fall semester of my junior year, during which I am taking classes in statistics, history, Latin American studies, and linguistics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
I have been here for a little over two weeks, and so far my favorite experience has been my trip to the towns of Paracas and Ica with the other international students. The trip began at 3:30am on a Saturday; I was starting my day as the party across the street was winding down. First, we embarked on a boat tour to las Islas Ballestas, which is famous for its marine life, including the blue-footed booby, Humboldt penguins, and sea lions.
After visiting Paracas, our bus took us to the famous Laguna de Huacachina, a desert oasis right outside Ica.
We then proceeded to (try to) sandboard the dunes in Ica. Whether or not you fell while going down, your shoes would be completely filled with sand from when you made your way back up to the top of the dune to try again. It was a great cardiovascular workout, for sure.
After a long day of driving, sandboarding, trying new foods, and getting to know the other international students, we headed home. It was a great start to the semester and an amazing introduction to Perú!
This post was contributed by Elena Pojman, a 2018 Global Ambassador.
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Sounds like a wonderful experience, Elena! Grandma and Grandpa