Lima, Peru

Cathedral of Lima

I never harbored any intention to visit Peru. For me, Machu Pichu was not one of the seventh wonders of the world, it was the name of a friend's bunny rabbit. Then a couple of years ago, my friend Ingrid, one of the illustrious Hens, said she was joining the Peace Corps and was hoping for assignment in Peru. Of course I told her, "I'll come visit you!"  I say the same thing when anyone I know is going to live someplace foreign and cool, and 99% of the time,  a visit never even comes close to happening. On this occasion however, I decided I was not going to let myself wiggle out of a visit. I mean, when will I ever get such a chance again? I can scarcely imagine anyplace more exotic than Peru. So, now Ingrid has served in the Corps for 2 years, and is looking at returning stateside in January, I packed bags and headed on my first trip to South America.

Plaza de Armas of Lima

Senora Ingrid, at the Museum in Lima

Ingrid works in a little village south of Lima. She took a bus to meet up with me Lima where we stayed at 'the Friend's House', The House is a hostel where several of Ingrid's Peace Corps buds turn up and I got to meet several of them.

The day I arrived, we toured Lima, starting with the Museo Nacional de Arqueología Antropología e Historia del Perú - quite the mouthful.

We enjoyed playing dress up for a bit with Inca shawls and pottery. I think the things may have been meant for kids, but we're just bigger kids.

The museum has an inner garden area that I eagerly birded, finding Vermillion Flycatchers
and a new species that reminded me of White-winged Doves

There were many spooky looking skulls that had me thinking of ancient alien theories

I was quite taken by this ancient pottery owl that so
closely resembles the Wise Potato-chip Owl

 There was a little hall that featured replicas of Peru's famous mummies. I noticed several patrons were hesitant to walk across the glass bottomed area - of course I just tromped on past, hoping I wouldn't end up knee deep in sea shells.

This glass bottomed hall seemed to scare off some
museum guests who hesitated to cross it

Facinating Incan tapestry that looked almost 3-D in construction

Ingrid following behind yet-another group of Lima
school children exploring the museum.

Our lodging in Lima was a little hostel, much frequented by Ingrid's fellow Peace Corps members. She said it gave her a feeling of home, to run into so many people she knew while staying there. I liked it too, it was like a two story home with a living room, dining room and kitchen downstairs, and two stories of bedrooms above. Here is the view from our room, number 6.

You can make out the little door to the left of the carport doorway. Beyond the big gateway is a small Lima street, which for its small size is absolutely bustling with cars, cabs and citizenry. Still, as busy as the street was, the room was nice and quiet.






Later that day, we ventured back out, and took a cab to downtown Lima. There we did a little sight seeing, and had a nice, fairly tame dinner at a local restaurant. Later Ingrid directed us to a ruins, via a wild bus ride and a short walk. The ruins are in the middle of Lima and in the photo below the ruins look more like a Lego castle than genuine ancient ruins.

The cool thing about the ruins is that they are in the middle of the city, and just across from the ruins, affording a great view is a restaurant. Ingrid and I had dessert at the v. swanky restaurant.

View of the ruins from inside of the restaurant.

If you are interested, Ingrid had a lovely chocolate pastry with exotic nuts and loads of syrup.

I had a mix of ancient grains (quinoa and the like) with a big scoop of lemon flavored ice cream and flowers for toppings. Yummy.


Tonight is the last night in Lima for now. Tomorrow we head off to the desert town of Nazca.

These are the Creatures in my Neighborhood

No way some gussied up insect will ever take the place of birds in my heart, but sometimes I do give the little guys a look. A couple of days ago I was driving home on a back street and I spotted juvenile Yellow-billed Magpies.

I enjoyed scrambling to get these shots of the little guys using my iPhone camera as shot through my binoculars.

These young birds crack me up with their yellow 'spectacles'. The flock was composed of a half dozen birds, which I assume were a family group out foraging for lunch.







The little flock flew off, just about the time I noticed something interesting in the house next door.

Beautiful, Big and What the hell is it?

Sipping at a Zinnia

Have to admit I was immediately smitten by these over-sized flutterbys. When I got home I did a bit of on line research and discovered these beauts are Gulf Fritillarys. The surprising thing about them is although they are not native to California, they've been here in the area, from Sacramento to the Bay area, since the turn of the start of the last century.

A few days later I did a repeat visit to the butterfly yard. The owner ventured out to find out whom  the woman wildly snapping photos of his Zinnias might be. We introduced ourselves and had a lively chat about butterflies, the wonder that is retirement and Zinnias. Not realizing I am Mistress of the Gulag Garden, he encouraged me to collect as many dried Zinnia flower heads as I cared to, so I can have a go at growing the butterfly attractants for myself. I know. Not going to happen.

Never-the-less, I enjoyed my butterfly spotting and here is some of the butterflies flutter-bying.

A Birdy Birthday

A one, an' a two... ♪ Happy Birthday to you! ♪

Hey birdie! Turn around when you sing to me! Oh well. Today was a nice calm day on the ocean out of Half Moon Bay. Lots of good birds, and including the photo opt for Tufted Puffins I've ever had.

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My favorite sea birds though are Storm Petrels and today there three species seen. I only glimpsed an Ashy Storm Petrel but these were good looks of these other two species.

Black Storm Petrel

There were a few Black Storm Petrels that have deep wing beats - which I'm starting to recognize but I need to see another few hundred of them for say... a month or two before I get it down pat.

Wilson's Storm Petrel

This Wilson's Storm Petrel was far enough out I couldn't see it's white rump band through my binoculars, but it did show up in the photos I took. You can even see the pale secondaries.

The boat found a fishing boat that was surrounded by flocks of Sooty & Pink-footed Shearwaters, Black-footed Albatrosses and one lone Laysan Albatross.

The Laysan had true 'Betty Davis' eyes

Check out those beautiful long wings

 I took it as a happy birthday treat that I got a sweet little 'Dall' for my birthday.

A genuine Dall - a Dall's Porpoise: one of a small group that shot by

We passed a few Northern Fur Seals, out airing their flippers

So it was an uneventful-ish pelagic trip but it was fun. Don and I made friends with a fellow birder named Anne on board. She too was on yesterday's and today's trip and I'm hoping we run across her in future again as I need all the birding buds I can get. Oh! And I always show the birds and mammals of these trips, but not often the others. Here's a Mola Mola - an ocean sunfish which are cool because they like to wave to everyone on the boat.

Waving Mola Mola fin

Here is a video of  some Mola Mola fish that look as though they were designed by Terry Gilliam.



Today was a lovely Birthday. After the trip I drove back south to Barbara's house for another couple of days of totally unnecessary R&R. Why not? It's my birthday!