2005 Lima Reports

[IamLookin]

I am planning to arrive on Feb 21 in Lima probably around 11pm . I have a girl friend there that is going to meet me in Miraflores. Can someone tell me how far and what is the best way to get there? How much should I expect to pay and of course what about safety? I am traveling alone.

thanks

[Member #4351]

The panetón and hot chocolate is for Midnight on Christmas Eve.

[Hoof Hunter]

i did think you were being facetious. it really sounded that way. i stand completely corrected.

thanks lima busy for co-signing david. i did a bit more research, as i recall drinking hot chocolate and some kind of peruvian cake was something that my buddy's family (from lima) insisted we do, while we were making the nye rounds last year here in the usa.

here's something i found. learn something new everyday. gonna report back on how many people i see walking around with empty suitcases at 12.

http://www.extramsg.com/modules.php?...rticle&sid=773

andina: new year's eve dinner; mama doris on splend table
posted by extramsg on sunday, december 11 @ 00:30:59 pst

new year's eve in peru
"every society faces the unknown of the future with a certain degree of apprehension, hoping, wishing for a better time to come. and who is not inclined to practice certain rituals, or to believe in certain tricks to foresee the future, and attract good luck?

we, in peru strongly believe that certain rituals left by our ancestors (the incas and the spaniards) force destiny, bringing to all of us peace, love, and prosperity, especially on the eve of a new year.

i would like to share with you, some of the most picturesque beliefs, that we put in practice every new year's eve. i am confident in these traditions and although they may not work completely, at least they will contribute to enjoying the moment, in a distinctly peruvian fashion.

wear something that has a yellow color. for us, yellow brings good luck.

at midnight, for each of the twelve strokes of the clock, eat one grape; if you do it you will have 12 months of good luck (if you miss a grape, the corresponding month will be bad for you).

if you would like to travel, and visit the place of your dreams, as soon as the clock has finished chiming, take an empty suitcase, and walk around the block. your dreams will come true, and you will come home happy, and safe.

and that is enough, for this have a wonderful 2006 year."

[Lima Busy]

hh,
it was not intended to be a joke. my wife alway's wears yellow underwear. you should see the crowds of girls at la quinta buying yellow thongs. i personally do it as well. the carring the baggage around the block is a good luck wish for travel or a visa to the states in the new year. the 12 grapes must first be eaten and then you make a wish. the burning of effigies while popular i do not understand it. if i had to guess it is the burning of the spainard's.

lb

[Hoof Hunter]

they burn dummies in the streets at midnight, wear yellow underwear, walk around the block with a suitcase and eat 12 grapes.

sometimes there are things that you need to know before going somewhere, so as not to be the only one not wearing white on nye. if ya been, you'd understand. i choose to respect other cultures when i travel.

here's some info on what i was referring to in brasil (rio de janeiro). it ends up being one big celebration. if anyone knows whether anything similar is observed in lima, please answer respectfully.

http://www.brazilmax.com/news3.cfm/t..._carnival/id/7

reveillon: new year's eve with iemanjá
by laurie nadel

rio de janeiro - at the base of corcovado mountain, about 100 men and women dressed all in white clapped and chanted around a makeshift horseshoe-shaped trench in the sand. candles flickering within the trench made urca beach glow with primal inner fire.

at the apex of the trench, which served as an altar, someone had placed a statue of iemanjá, the unofficial patron saint of rio de janeiro who incorporates the holy mother with an african feminine archetype who protects the ocean. revered by some 30-million people in brazil, and honored by millions more on both sides of the south atlantic and the caribbean, iemanjá grants good fortune and blessings for the new year to those who offer her white roses or gladioli, champagne, shiny jewelry, and sweets.

the celebrants who had gathered on urca beach three nights before new year's eve were there to beat the crowds that flock to rio's shores on december 31. as practitioners of umbanda, one of the two main spiritualist religions in brazil, the celebrants took turns stepping into the shallow water to make their offerings and to receive a ritual cleansing which consisted of having their head dunked in the bay by a priest wearing a green shirt. around 1 a.m., when the street lights went out, observers and participants gasped as the lighted image of christ the redeemer who stands atop corcovado seemed to hang suspended in midair, as if giving his blessing to the ceremony below.

iemanjá, also known as yemoja or janaína, is one of the deities called orixás which have spiritual dominion over elements of nature that include fire, wind, thunder, stones, marshes, and rivers. orixá worship predates christianity by thousands of years but it was prohibited in brazil until recently. (the practice of making offerings to iemanjá for the new year was illegal until the 1950s.) african slaves who were forcibly transported from their homelands were persecuted or killed by the portuguese landowners for following their religion. to protect themselves, they syncretized each orixá to a particular catholic saint. that way, they could say they were worshipping jesus or the holy mother or saint anthony when their masters interrupted their religious services.

for example, xangô, the god of fire who also rules justice and the courts, became st. barbara. oxalá, also known as obatala, or god the father, was syncretized with christ the redeemer whose statue stands atop corcovado. oxum, who is called ochun in the caribbean, is a manifestation of the holy mother of charity (caridade). the original symbol of iemanjá depicts her as a buxom african woman but in most of brazil and the caribbean, she is depicted as the virgin mary sometimes called mary of the miraculous medal, standing in the sea with her open hands extended. she is also presented as a seductive mermaid.

those who are serious in their worship of iemanjá in brazil generally belong to either the umbanda or candomblé religion. umbanda, which combines ecumenical elements of congo, angola, yoruba, roman catholic, spiritualist, kardecist, and indigenous brazilian spiritual tradition, is widely practiced in rio where there are hundreds of "centros espíritus umbandistas." the term "karrdecist" refers to alain kardec, a 19th century french spiritualist whose prayers are used to invoke ancestral spirits.

candomblé, which predominates in salvador, bahia, has african soul roots. in candomblé terreiros (temples) in rio's zona norte, the orixás are not catholicized. each orixá retains his or her original african character. each person comes into this world accompanied by both a mother and a father (male and female) orixá who serves as a guardian angel and intermediary between the material and the spiritual world. knowing the identity of one’s orixás gives an individual greater self-awareness and balance in all areas of his life by helping him to achieve harmony within himself and the world around him. (one can only find out who his orixá is by consulting the appropriate oracle. the orixás communicate directly through the oracle, which can only be interpreted by an ordained priest or priestess.)

personal beliefs notwithstanding, the practice of offering white roses, jewelry, and sweets to iemanjá is as widespread in rio as is our custom of leaving a plate of cookies for santa claus on christmas eve. ano novo, also called reveillon, is the second largest festival in brazil, attracting between 2 and 3 million people to rio's beaches every year. while brazil's biggest festival, carnival is well known around the world, reveillon has not received much publicity outside south america. unlike carnival, which has well-organized samba schools, ano novo retains a more spontaneous character despite attempts by rio tourism officials to create an infrastructure for it. six years ago, rio's mayor cesar maia went so far as to invite franco zefirelli, the italian film director, to "direct" the new year's celebrations. it was an idea that failed to get off the ground, largely because ano novo is a spiritual pilgrimage that is unique to each person.

nonetheless, the official contribution to the revelry is impressive in its own right. avenida atlântica is closed to traffic from lunchtime on december 31 until the following evening. there are fireworks over the ocean at midnight, brazilian bands playing live music from mega-stages with giant speakers set up along copacabana beach, and spotlights from the oceanfront hotels sending spectrums of color into the sky. for a city with a reputation for pickpockets and street crime, rio is surprisingly mellow on new year's eve. even more surprising: in the past several years, there have been no reports of robberies, muggings, or fights during ano novo.

along the 2.5-mile long mosaic sidewalk, artisans, fortunetellers, and food vendors set up stalls and informal stands made of cardboard cartons covered with plastic tablecloths. after dark, flower vendors sell white roses and gladioli for iemanjá on every street corner. umbanda and candomblé practitioners also bring small blue wooden sailboats laden with fruit, sweets, and jewelry for iemanjá. according to custom, if your sailboat floats out to sea, iemanjá has accepted the offerings and you will be granted protection and good fortune in the new year. if the boat returns to shore, you can expect disappointment. at the very least, your wishes will not be granted.

[Member #4351]

they burn dummies in the streets at midnight, wear yellow underwear, walk around the block with a suitcase and eat 12 grapes.

[Hoof Hunter]

What's shaking in Lima for NYE?

Any great ideas? The beach? Barranco? Any p4p to be had to celebrate the NYE in grand style?

Not monger-related: Are there any local rituals that are observed in Lima during NYE?

(for example in Brasil, people wear white clothes to the beach and observe/perform an annual ritual - nothing demonic or anything, just cultural/spiritual) - pretty interesting stuff

[Lima Busy]

Most people refer to the "Benchley Arms" as the english pub, it is across from the Norky's on Pardo and next to a hotel, do not know the name. There is also a "Irish Pub" that some people mix up as well.

LB

[Fun Pete]

I was wondering where the English Pub is (not the Old Pub on Calle Pizza)? I wlaked Pardo in the 2 block but couldn't find it? Also someone wrote it is next to the Swiss Hotel, couldn´t find such Hotel either?

Thanks

[XXL]

if i remember right there used to be two atms, now only one. it's one of those old-fashioned atms that swallows your card until the transaction is complete or get aborted. i find it scary, preferring to stick to atms where you only need to slide in your card in a slot so there's no way the atm can confirep001e your card.

i'd much rather change a banknote and wait to get the big cash later from the atms at other places like larcomar.

in many airports around the world money-changers have been winning the turf war and atms have been getting fewer in numbers.

[Hoof Hunter]

As soon as you clear immigration, there is definitely one in the middle of the baggage claim area. You cannot miss it. It is in a secured area, away from non-passengers, as are 2 money exchange counters. Never had a problem with using it.

NOTE: once you get your soles from the ATM, be sure to get change for 100 soles, down to at least 10 soles. You will need the change. Trust me, it's hard getting change at night for anything in Lima.

ATMs in the Lima airport? Where?

[Dickhead]

ATMs in the Lima airport? Where?

[Lima Busy]

Well, it is my first night in Lima. I went to Calle Pizza where there was about 200 Police officers in front of the Bierhaus, TV media present. From what I got, the Bierhaus decided to stay open past the Curfew, so now the police put big cement blocks in front of the main door permanently closing the place. It is still early, 9pm, let´s see how the girls situation will be . Seems like the curfew is on and the bars staying open will now have to face new measures. A girl told me some one video aired on TV the the Who situation in Calle Pizza, drug problems, etc. that´s why the city is taking these steps. I wonder where the new street action will be?

Actually the Bierhaus was closed several weeks ago. The blockades have been up for several weeks with the front door welded shut. Last week they opened up the side door on Bellavista and let people in that way. I could see all the police down there about 8pm (My apartment overlooks everything). They were there because Wed night is the start of the weekend.

Calle Pizza's was never a late night place to begin with. The Chica action was alway's from about 7-12. The effect of the new laws was to drive away the local crowd, having one of the major bar/restaurant owners either commit suicide or murdered. The drug action is the same, most of the chica's avoid pizza street on their stroll because of the periodic sweeps which are ever increasing.

FunPete, If you are interested in SW action, they are in the park now and normally stroll down Diez Canseco to Larco. As most locals and expat's never use them(there is so much better out there) we are all hoping they will go away. Alot of us have wives and families that like to walk at night and view most of them as a nuisance. Most of what is going on here is not happening out in the street. These girls are not allowed in the bars and clubs for a reason! I will admit that there are a couple of "sweethearts" around occasionally, but they are far and few.

LB

[Fun Pete]

Well, it is my first night in Lima. I went to Calle Pizza where there was about 200 Police officers in front of the Bierhaus, TV media present. From what I got, the Bierhaus decided to stay open past the Curfew, so now the police put big cement blocks in front of the main door permanently closing the place. It is still early, 9pm, let´s see how the girls situation will be . Seems like the curfew is on and the bars staying open will now have to face new measures. A girl told me some one video aired on TV the the Who situation in Calle Pizza, drug problems, etc. that´s why the city is taking these steps. I wonder where the new street action will be?

Calle Pizza update!

Week nights curfew is 1am, 2am on weekends. Alot of the bars are ignoring the curfew and getting $1000 fines. There is a movement underfoot to apply this thruout Miraflores.

Bueno Suerte Todo,

LB

[Jaimito Cartero]

So who's screwing up the program? Fess up. Please let's not fuck up a perfectly good quality-massage, cost-efficient place.

I actually found the 30 minute massage (with 20-30 min more of action) to be the best deal at 30 soles.

I had Paloma ask me for 50, and since it was my first time (and I hadn't read about any tips on here), I ended up giving her 40. All other chicas got 30, except for Karina who got 20.

I've had this same discussion in the Brazil forum recently about guys who tip agency girls who no one tips. You start out, and 1 year later, they're all high pressuring you for tips.