Miraflores means" see the flowers "and if you look at my pictures you will see why. It is located right on the Pacific Ocean and even though Lima is at sea level and is very dry, I presume the flora and fauna get some humidity from the sea. When I went for my Sunday walk today all over the Miraflores, the Pacific certainly looks nothing like the Pacific I know at Hermosa. The water looks cold and the playa seems very rocky. As I looked down I saw lots people surfing wearing wet suits. Certainly not what you would see in Costa Rica at Tamarindo for example. A wet suit we be so unnecessary in our warm water! 
Just came back from the casino, by the way. Every time I sit at a two dollar table ( Jaco and here) I win, although not usually so lucky at the five dollar table. Last night, I met an Australian guy who imports used slot machines from Australia and rents them to all of the casinos in Lima. Apparently they make fifteen dollars a day and he rents them for five. In Vegas, he said, each slot machine table makes about $150 a day for the casino.
I do find the people in Lima to be terrifically friendly from the taxi drivers to people on the street. Here people actually smile at you. I am convinced that the people in Costa Rica are quite shy and will only smile or approach you if you speak first. Otherwise, there is never even a hint of a smile to a gringo like myself.
Found a beautiful coffee shop today and for the first time had a cup of coffee. I started by saying in Spanish a little coffee and lots of milk and sugar and then changed my mind and ordered hot chocolate but when the waitress starting asking if I wanted a layer of hot chocolate on top of the coffee it got way too complicated so I just drank the coffee, read (or pretended to read a Spanish paper) and watched the Sunday morning crowd, similar to Yorkville Avenue I would suppose.
Then I went across the street to visit the Huaca Pucllana. 
A huaca is a religious site and it is so interesting to see these ruins in the middle of this very affluent suburb. As in the Mexican pyramids, sacrifices were made (usually women between 18 and twenty five, along with a few precious pots and seeds for fruits and vegetables. What is amazing is that I sort of understand these sacrifices to the Gods of the sun and moon. How is it that different that Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son ( except he didn’t and they did). They have the bodies to prove it, as they were discovered in l981.
A huaca is a religious site and it is so interesting to see these ruins in the middle of this very affluent suburb. As in the Mexican pyramids, sacrifices were made (usually women between 18 and twenty five, along with a few precious pots and seeds for fruits and vegetables. What is amazing is that I sort of understand these sacrifices to the Gods of the sun and moon. How is it that different that Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son ( except he didn’t and they did). They have the bodies to prove it, as they were discovered in l981. I went for supper on Pizzas street where the footballers were celebrating their team victory with loud songs and cheering that must have gone on for hours with the ever present police ready to do their jobs if things got out of hand. I wonder what team they were cheering for today? I did want to go to the big game just to get a feel for South American soccer
but everyone I asked if I could get a ticket just told me to watch it on TV…a lot safer and quieter they said, having missed the point entirely. And truth be told, I was so caught up in the burial grounds that I forgot about the game anyway. OK, ready for bed and hope to see the gold museum that Reg suggested when he found out I was in Lima. If I end up going to Cuzco I will have to leave Lima on Tuesday and I am not sure I want to do that just yet. Having way too much fun. It is like the New York of the south
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