Reasons to live in Lima

Hello everybody! I hope that you are all well. In this post, I am going to tell you a little more about my birth city. I have been talking about reasons to live in Rímini and Florencia, two beautiful places that I have been able to spend time in but now it is time to go back to my roots. I want to start this new post about the reasons to live in Lima, whether it is permanently or temporarily, with the phrase "the earth calls". Despite the fact that a lot of things need to be improved in Lima, it can be a city where you can live very well.

In spite of the big problems that the city of kings has, and in spite of the people that come and go from the Peruvian capital, I want to express today some of the reasons to live here which I have thought of due to my own experience living in this Peruvian city.

Reasons to live in Lima

Without further introduction, lets start this new post!

In Lima you eat like a god

The best thing you can do in Lima is eat and not stop eating. It is a city that has a lot of restaurants in every district. Throughout its history, the biggest city in Peru has been significantly influenced by other parts of the world. There is a Spanish influence, and a pre-Hispanic influence, as well as influences from Africa, Italy, China, Japan and so many other places that have impacted the regional food that you find in Lima today.

To come to Lima and not go to a restaurant, a market or a Huarique (a small family run restaurant) is inexcusable. In fact, today there are a lot of different food tours that take you to good places to eat. A city that has the benefit of having more culinary schools than anywhere else in the world and as well as being an international gastronomic destination, Lima is like no other, you come to Lima to eat non-stop.

Lima is the place to be for those who want to specialise in gastronomy and are from a neighbouring country in the region. In fact, three out of ten, of the best restaurants in the world are in Lima, according to the San Pelligrino list. It goes without saying that the new generation of chef's are engaged in the change and the gastronomic boom that has became a symbol of the Inca empire today.

Lima has a variety of restaurants with affordable prices for all budgets. The city of Lima owes all of this to the first inhabitants who came to develop the Peruvian territory. It is one of the things that fills people from Lima with pride because it is so unique.

If you can eat any more then you shouldn't miss the Mistura Fair, although I read that this year, 2019, it will probably be held in the province and not in Lima.

Lima - the only capital city of South America that faces the sea

An advantage for all of us who live in Lima is that it is the only city with a view of the Pacific Ocean that bathes our icy waters where we can find pebble beaches as well as beaches with fine sand. You can start going to the southern beaches in the summer, where you will definitely have fun. Lima is lucky to have some of its districts along the Green Coast which is a favourite place to see the best sunsets as well as doing different sports such as paragliding. Or from the higher part, you can see people surfing the waves, jogging or riding a bike.

For the first time, the Pan American games 2019 will be held in Peru. This privileged location in Lima has been nominated and won this year. These games are the most important in the world after the Olymplics. The blessed Lima sea also offers endless supplies to prepare the best dishes in Peruvian cuisine such as 'Ceviche' and 'Tradito' (fish dishes) and our seafood rice along with so many other options that you can only find in Lima.

A city connected to the world

Due to its geographical location, Lima is an important hub in the region and it is a point to take different flights and international flights to other parts of the world. On the other hand, the Jorge Chavez International airport by Lima Airport Partners has received an award for the best airport in the region on many occasions. Due to this, plans are being made to develop the main airport Peru and make it bigger, which has great potential to be able to develop.

Being the capital of Peru, a large amount of airlines fly from here which are connected with the rest of the region of Peru. As well as some that are even cheaper than going by bus such as the airline strong>Viva Air Peru which is our version of Ryanair in the Inca region. That is why, when you find offers you should not waste them so that you can travel within Peru, which has an endless number of destinations. I have not yet been able to get to know all of them, one life is not enough to discover all of Peru.

On the other hand, Lima is also connected to Pan America, both North and South and the 'Carretera Central' (the central motorway in Peru) so you can take trips to explore Peru. There are a lot of holidays throughout the year for you make the most of and choose an all inclusive offer and come back to the capital full of energy and ready to continue with your daily routine.

The best universities in Peru are in Lima

One of the points that is perhaps the most interesting to those who want to come as an exchange student, is that the best universities in Peru are without a doubt in Lima. It is true that this is also due to the fact that they have been able to advance in the search for decentralisation however we can not deny that Lima has some of the most recognised universities, both public and private. I can give two examples of our universities which are the National University of San Marcos which is considered the 'Dean of America' which was founded on the 12th of May 1551, and private, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. These are two universities that have appeared, despite the little development that the education sector has invested in them. They are also among the best universities in the Latin American region.

Lima, the city that never sleeps

Lima is a fun city, a city where after working or studying all week, you go out at the weekend in search of entertainment in its several bars, pubs and clubs. For example, there are places in the tourist district of Miraflores around Kennedy Park or in the shopping centre Larcomar, as well as some amazing places in the traditional area of Lima in the Barranco district. This is the district where I have had the chance to live for almost a year, exploring its streets.

I cannot forget to mention the centre of Lima, especially if you are interested in rock music. Around the San Martín square, there are several interesting styles of night life. Not to forget about the bars where you can order some delicious cocktails, such as 'chilcano', 'pisco sour', or 'algarrobina', all of which have a Peru's main export as their base, which is Pisco. In Lima there are a lot of places where you can go to have fun. The truth is that even though I have lived here all my life I still don't know Lima's ability to be able to entertain its 10 million inhabitants. You can get to know the city so quickly, it's as each district has its own story that can transport you to a different era, which gives you so much when you visit it.

To sum up, you are sure to have fun nights in the Miraflores and Barranco districts and of course in central Lima and throughout the capital.

Lima, a thriving and business driven city

Lima is a city where entrepreneurial dreams come true. There are small and medium sized businesses in Lima. Despite the economic crises that the country has gone through, it is constantly progressing and not just because of the good or bad management of the authorities but because of the ingenuity of the people of Lima and the rest of Peruvians, who also come to the city in search of new projects. Recently in Lima, there has been a large influx of Venezuelans on the streets and this is a new reality that we are faced with because of the crisis that is happening in Venezuela. This is not only in Lima but in different parts of Peru other countries in the region. However this should be assumed as a trial period so that things improve everyday and we can all move forward together.

It is common to find so many businesses along the streets of the city as well as street vendors that are starting to take their first steps in the search of opportunities. Of course there are a lot of problems in Lima that can't be covered up, but despite everything, there are people who get by, day by day.

An amicable climate with every 4/5 days being sunny

Perhaps so people from Lima would not agree but I am. Especially when we have several sunny days and then the sky is cloudy and it looks like it is going to rain but it never rains in Lima. It is one of the best things that happens in summer. Despite its humidity, I love this aspect of Lima. Although the sky is grey for the majority of the year, it is still a good city to see the contrast of the sky with it's houses in the historic centre which are highly important in all of the things that happen there.

Be that as it may, the fact that in Lima it hardly ever rains and when it does it is more of a "drizzle", is a benefit. Anyway, lets remember that in Lima, you don't need to bring an umbrella even in winter and our winters are not as cold as it does in other countries or in other parts of Peru.

There are Huacas, Museums and the historic centre to visit

Yes, since Lima's historic centre is considered a World Heritage site by the UNESCO, visiting it is one of the best things that you can do in Lima. Where we have many colourful houses with lattice patterned balconies to fall in love with and not to forget the beautiful 'Plaza de Armas' with monuments around it such as the Government Palace, Lima Cathedral, the Archbishop Palace and the Municipality of Lima among many others.

On the other hand, it is interesting to explore the variety of Huacas in Lima as there are more than 400. So if you are a future archaeology student, you will have a great time in Lima. Although, I also have to be honest that many of them are not in a good state, the Huacas are archaeological centres which remind us of the importance that Lima has had from ancient times. Now that we are about to celebrate another anniversary of Lima, it is a way to pay tribute to Lima's past and not only the colonial past but all of the variety that exists today.

Conclusion

I wanted to let myself get carried away by the feelings that my birthplace gives me, a city that I will never stop loving, a Lima that has a lot of things to offer to the world. Of course there are problems and things that can be improved, but that does not stop Lima from being a city where despite everything you can come to look for opportunities and to learn many stories from living there. Everything depends on how you look at it.

If you come to Lima, I welcome you to a city where you will either love it or hate it, there is no in between. I hope that in your case, you come to love and protect it, just like this person from Lima who is writing this post.

Thank you very much for reading this post! And I hope that it is useful to you. If there are more reasons to live in Lima that I have forgot to mention, write to me and I will update it. See you soon!

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