Arriving in Lima airport from Cusco is nothing out of the ordinary.
However, driving through Lima is an entirely different story.
I had been told, or warned to put it correctly, that taking a taxi from the Lima airport to Miraflores (a modern suburb) would be a bit frightening. I sort of scoffed at this, thinking to myself, ¨What can be worse than a taxi drive in Africa?¨….something which I have experienced far too many times.
After all, a taxi ride in Tanzania places one in the hands of God. There are far too many distractions on the road to count; dogs, donkeys, cows, goats, push carts, pedestrians, cyclists, other cars, buses, trash, children, and the list only goes on. After awhile, one gets used to it and realizes that unlike drivers in the US, Tanzanian drivers actually expect the other drivers to drive terribly. In the states we somehow have the belief that all other drivers should drive obeying the rules, and exactly as we do. When they even make the slightest error….a swerve… unnecessary touch of the brakes, or anything else…we honk, curse, and cannot believe it. In Tanzania, there are no rules. There are no stoplights except perhaps in one or two cities, and for that reason, the crazy driving method actually works.
So I was ready. Bring it. I walked out of the airport and with my half-way decent bargaining skills, managed to find a taxi that would take me for the correct price, to Miraflores. With my bags checked in at the airport, I should have nothing to worry about. I shut the door to the cab and the drivers looks at me and says ¨Hola! Driving in taxi in Lima is very loco¨. I take a gulp. Fasten my seat belt, and think….¨Did the driver honestly just warm me that driving here is loco¨. And before thinking further, the answer to my question comes quick.
The local transportation in Tanzania had an unwritten rule that ¨There is always room for one more¨. This can be easily seen by overloading of buses, random limbs out of windows, and heaps of people sitting on the roof, or standing on the side of cars.
In Peru, I am fairly sure now that the unwritten rule is ¨It is always possible to go faster¨. Tiny hatchback vehicles roam the streets along with buses and bicycle vendors. The object of the game is to be the fastest taxi driver out there, squeeze between buses, and make 5 lanes out of a 2 lane road. It is amazing that the sides of cars aren`t banged up, seeing as though it feels like a bumper car carnival ride…with your life on the line.
From now on the taxi rides in Tanzania won`t seem so scary and the next time a driver warns me that the driving is crazy, I will believe him.
The story ends on a good note though. I made it safely to Miraflores and enjoyed some shopping before sitting down to have a cocktail. My drink of choice for the day was a Pisco sour. Then I noticed a really large cinema and thought, why not, I have more than 8 hours to kill before getting in another cab to go back to the airport. So I buy one ticket for the Lake House and walk into the movie theatre with only 2 minutes to go before the movie starts.
I am a bit late to grab a drink or popcorn….but one of the most amazing things happens. Everyone has thoguths about cool inventions they would like. Cigarette smokers most likely wish for an airline that still allows smoking. Parents wish for a playground at every restaurant. Couples wish for a bench on every cliff overlooking the ocean. And well, my wish came true for a movie theatre that sells alcohol. Wait, it gets better. A movie theatre that has taken out every other row of seats and replaced them with small tables and leg room. And, on every table there are a few napkins, a menu, and a button you can push for service. During the previews the waitress comes and takes your order. You can get any thing from a margarita to a pina colada, to a beer, or even a glass of wine. You can get a sandwhich, nachos, candy, or ice cream. Just push the button.
In heaven, I quickly ordered another Pisco sour and when it came time to pay the waitress she looked at me and said ¨no, no¨ which I interpreted to mean I pay after the movie is over. Fair enough. I figured I would probably order another drink anyway. I mean, if you ever get the chance to start a tab in a movie theatre, take the oppurtunity and run, right? So after the movie I went to pay and she still insisted I don`t. My guess is that the first drink is free. All I know is that I am easily entertained. With my pisco sours numbing my nerves, I exited Miraflores by way of taxi.
An excerpt from Peruvian Adventures; Blog 2006
Thumbn' My Way 