Lima: A City to Watch (and visit)

Arriving in Lima at midnight is not an altogether unpleasant experience as one might imagine. The airport was lively,but not a madhouse, and the traffic into the city was light. My first impression was that the people seemed to have a bit of a lift in their step. A sense of optimism seemed to permeate the air. As we sped through the streets to get to the hotel, I could not help but to notice that the streets were clean. And while the municipal workers clearly were at work to make that happen, the cleanliness observation has held up.

Lima is a city that holds her cards close to her chest. It was only after a guided tour today by a superb tour guide that it began to dawn on me how much this city has to offer. As it turns out, he confirmed my suspicion that something is up in Lima, and Peru. With economic growth of up to 10 percent per year with low inflation, there is reason to be optimistic, particularly after the troubled years of the 80's.

It is always more fun to visit a city that is prospering. And Lima is no exception.

This is not to say that it is a city without problems. One can hire a full- time maid for $400 American dollars per month here. And the transit system could use the able hands and inspiration of Jaime Lerner, which directly relates to the sir quality issues, both now and in the future.

On the flip side, restaurants won't even serve ceviche in the evenings. If the fish is more than 3 hours out of the water, it is not fresh enough. And this is only a hint at the relatively new emphasis on the culinary scene. It's a scene to be taken seriously. Peru now has more culinary schools per capita than anywhere else in the world. This is a hint of things to come. After all, with 19 restaurants opening per day in Peru, chefs will be in demand. It stands to reason that the tourist dollars are just getting started here