Lima - first full day in Peru

We had such a good night´s sleep, thank goodness! Showered and ate the hotel´s continental breakfast (white buns with butter, jam and instant coffee - not the greatest!) $US per person.
Took a taxi to Miraflores, a touristy area of Lima. Visited South American Explorers Club, getting necessary info about traveling throughout Peru. Discovered it is not wise to take a bus from Cusco to Lima, as the roads are not well developed and it may take us a week to arrive back here in Lima at the end of our climbing trip. We found the people to be very helpful indeed.
We then went to make our air reservations at LAN, booking our flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, the jungle area of Peru. We will be on an Eco-Amazonian tour from June 17 - 21. All is confirmed.
As we were starving, we made our way to a lovely restaurant, indulging in ´ceviche´, raw seafood, marinated in lime juice, a dish Peru is famous for. Absolutely delicious! This was served with a slice of sweet potato & a slice of red pepper, which was extremely hot! On the side were the fattest and juiciest corn kernals we have ever had. Roasted corn kernals served with a pepper sauce and limes were served as a munchie snack. Cafe con leche & tea completed our amazing meal!
Spent the afternoon doing a walking tour around Mireflores, visiting Parque Centrale and Parque Kennedy - parks filled with lovely flowers and shrubs. The parques were quiet today, but apparently on weekends, they are colourfully filled with artists and peasants selling their wares. The ocean mists were blowing in, causing quite a cooling effect, so we bundled up in sweaters, and found another restaurant to warm up in, this time indulging in dessert.
Browsed in some Peruvian artisanal market shops, noting that llama wool and silver articles were prevalent for sale.
Oddities we have noticed: It is not recommended in many places to flush toilet paper down the toilet, even in upscale restaurants. One must place one´s soiled paper in the waste bin beside the toilet. I need to get used to this... Toilets are low to the ground, my knees are complaining. (Generally speaking, Peruvians are much smaller than North Americans.)
On the other hand, Peru has digital high definition TV, something we do not enjoy in Canada as yet.
Many folk art statues and pictures depict people with grossly extended necks. We have not learned the symbolism of this as yet.
We find it odd that any drivers are left alive after one day on the streets of Lima. Cars have noticeable scapes & we think cab drivers should be admired for their patience. Car horns literally ´drive´the cars. A university study of many taxi and bus drivers identified them as sociopaths - can you believe this!
8 million people in Lima, yet the city has no metro system, just a hodge-podge of small battered buses, with a person on board calling out to people to take ´their´bus. Competition is fierce.
The air is polluted with all this traffic - smells are very interesting.
Weather is coolish - wished we had packed more autumn clothing, but will purchase what we need.
Security is extremely important in Lima. Most buildings are gated, and all gates are locked. Military Justice Dept. has rifle-equiped guards outside the building, inside the locked gates. Jeez! Everyone claims that this is a necessity in this country.
Ate a nice evening meal at a Peruvian-Italian restaurant. We must say that the Peruvian people are very warm and friendly, and that we have been well taken care of by everyone. We´re glad we are on this adventure.
Hope all our family and friends are staying well. We will take care, and hope you will too.
Claudette & Bruce