One city, 10 million people and Spanish, how to prepare yourself.

Why did I choose Lima, Peru?

Some background

So, when I was in my cosy student city in Norway called Lillehammer, I was looking for a place where I could escape from the crazy winter cold. I had survived my first winter in Norway since the age of 12 and I was not happy about it, haha.

So where to study abroad where it's warm, cheap, close to sea, Spanish speaking, near to Colombia and a good school? Well, that country became Peru - and it was the best decision I have ever made. So, I had to prepare, as I knew absolutely nothing, nix and nada about this country.

I researched basic facts about the country and quickly found out that over 10 million people lived in this city, that's so many people that I couldn't even imagine how it would be, look or feel living with those surrounding - but I would.

As some may know, Norway has a population around 5 million people and a big country for the amount of people, so the difference was huge and crazy.

To do list before my big adventure

So, the first things I need to do was:

• Find out where my school would be - It was very far from the city centre & cost)
• Find place to live for a year - What districts are best & safe?
• Figure out transportation - how do you move around & stay safe?
• Research what Lima has to offer – smart to join Facebook groups
• Survive with bad Spanish skills – help!

Where to live?

The location of my school sucked a bit, it was far into the land, it was called La Molina and was a relatively safe district. However, there was nothing really there except the University. I decided that I wanted to live in the districts close to the sea, night life and restaurants, which are rated safe. So, the best options for me was;

1. Miraflores
2. Barranco
3. Surco
4. San Isidro

Miraflores is the safest district with security guards even walking the streets, it's also heavily populated so it is not normal to walk streets without seeing anyone else around. Miraflores is the heart of Lima and there is always something happening, there is also always a place to get some yummy food and one of the few English cinemas in Lima.

Barranco was my second option due to their cool scene and vibe. It was where the live music in the streets are played, artists and backpackers are located. It also the place to some pretty good night places. However, a little bit less secure.

Surco and San Isidro are districts close to Miraflores and Barranco, however not as good. All in all, I was feeling more of Miraflores from Ggoogle Maps and needed to find a place, it also helped that some other students from my school was going to live there too, so decision was easier that way. I applied through:

http://www.student-houses-peru.com/

I was also suggested other sites such as WTD Peru, Facebook pages for income students or generally just applying to online sites, all you need is to include keywords such as (student, Lima, exchange and housing) and a lot of options will come up.

So, I found my place and boy, did I have no idea what was coming! I was sharing a 3-storey house with 15 people, all international. I can summarise my living experience as never boring, crazy partying, always dirty, family, creating friendships for life and of course, no privacy. But you know what, it was one of the best times of my 23 years of life and I have gained friends for life who I am continuously meeting after our time in Peru.

Here are some photos from my the people from my house, we nearly did everything together, was a very international and crazy group of people!

If I was a short -termed tourist, I would probably stay in Barranco. I would also like to highlight the fact that I would never live in the centre of Lima ‘down town Ñima’, as it is not that safe and far away from my main areas in my stay. This is also all based on my experience and maybe others have experienced it differently.

Transportation

So, could you imagine what 10 million going to work on a Monday morning looks like? Nup, neither did I until I was stuck in it. It was crazy. Lima had the craziest drivers I have ever seen in my life, there are no rules and everyone wants to be first, and the never ending beeping. Thankfully, there is so much traffic that there isn’t much chance of the car getting up enough speed - thank god. Still the transportation in Lima sucks, there is no better way to say it. If you have ever been there you understand what I am talking about.

Busses

There are busses which are super cheap – for a reason. They are unreliable, packed with people and dirty. You will also feel like you’re on a carousel ride. If you’re in a rush this is not your option. I caught the bus enough times to say that I hope I never have to do that again. However, you do have the metro line buses, but they are always super packed and only covers small areas of Lima. The bus system is also really hard to follow, you pretty much just stand at the bus stop and wait, there is no specific time, it comes when it comes. Some buses don’t even do the same routes, all depending on time of day. But, busses are cheap, and they are everywhere. It all depends on how much time you have to spare.

Taxi/Uber

So, taxis in Lima is a very scary option, especially if they are not proper ones, you can see this by checking their id and taxi number which should be on the side of the car. I would recommend to never catch a taxi alone or at night. I heard a lot stories and let’s just avoid anything happening to you.

Uber is the way, all the way. It’s cheap and safe. It tells you how much it will cost before you order it and you have all their details and rating. It is reliable and there are so many Uber’s around that you will never wait long for one. I used uber 95% of the time and only used taxi if I had a male with me or it was day time and I had no valuables on me.

What does Lima have?

Good food

Lima is massive city with a taste for any taste you might have, it covers any restaurant you might be looking for, many vegan options even, which is a surprise as Peru has the culture of a lot of meat in their diet. Peru is mentioned to have the best cuisine in South America, which I can believe. You will not be disappointed with the food when you are there. You can also find the worlds 6th best restaurant, which explores all your senses, it is called ‘central’ – just do it.

Some of the food we had, you can find anything you want to eat and Lima has it. I almost forgot to mention the insane fruit selection that Peru has, it is cheap and so good. You can find good fruit everywhere. I especially liked the fruit lady at the end of my street. So lovely - I miss her.

Markets, Art & music

The street musicians have pure talent, even some sing English. Most can be found in Parque Kennedy or in centre of Barranco, they will get you singing and dancing, no doubt. I have a good friend who is a street musician and if you are ever I Lima, I can introduce you two, he is extremely talented and sings 24/7, no joke.

There is a lot of markets that are always taking place in Lima. My favourite can be found in Barranco on the weekend which represents individuals sharing their art, fashion creation, food, drinks and if you’re lucky a performance with music and dance. You can find this marked by looking up ‘La Feria en Barranco’. There are also many thrifts shops and art shops which a bit are more pricey, most are located in Barranco.

Night life

This side of Lima will never disappoint you. It’s like the party never ends and before you know it the sun is up. They have a club/bar for any type. If you want a fancy night out or crazy partying, Lima has got you covered. I personally went mostly to the club called ‘La Casona de Camana’, it’s found in down town Lima, which isn’t the safest but we always made sure we went there together and left together. The owner is a friend, so he always took care of his ‘gringos’. I had some of my best nights out there.

This is us dressed up for Halloween, ready to go out and get on it!

I would recommend if your new that you get a group of friends together and join WTD Peru or other Facebook events, this will also get you a bigger social network for other activities such as travelling. These Facebook groups also organise cheaper trips and all planned. I did some with them, but found it better to create my own adventures. All up to you.

Exercise

With my crazy life style there was not a lot of exercise going on with a routine, between school, travelling, partying and sitting in traffic it left little time. However, there are so many types of activities you can join. There is yoga always being done at the ‘malacon’ which is the park near the coast line, usually free but would recommend to tip. Always something going on. I also myself, joined a Crossfit gym which was at a very good standard and ok price. Some speak English too. My first semester I joined the gym called ‘Smart Fit’, don’t do that, its always packed and as mentioned, not enough time and a waste of money. You also have a good opportunity to learn how to surf! How cool is that.

Here is a photo of Jakob who just finished his first surf lesson with that insane sunset!

If your going to school its most likely that they will have a big offer of sports and dancing. I recommend joining these, this will give you a good break from school and good chance of meeting new people.

The Spanish

This was probably the biggest factor for me coming to South America and challenging myself. As I am adopted from Colombia, I feel like it is a must to learn Spanish, which was said easier than done. I had some basic Spanish skills from my time as an Au pair in Madrid, but did you know that the Spanish from Spain to Latin America is veeeeeeeeery different? Well i didn't. Thankfully I found it to be easier to understand and learn in Peru, I also had the best Spanish teacher at school. His name was Dante and I don’t think I have ever seen a teacher so passionate with learning. He knew very little English which made the process of learning Spanish quicker, weird right?

So, the first days in Lima were very challenging but exciting with all the new surrounding and way of life. The level of English in Peru is not very high and therefore this encouraged your need and want to develop your Spanish a lot, well for me at least. I feel that travelling in South America your experience will be 10 times better when you can communicate and understand the locals, guides or websites of areas.

What’s to come next?

So my next posts will be about all the exciting trips to take when your in Peru and I promise to add the most stunning photos and what to do and what not to do. Learn from my mistakes!

I hope my blog will want to make you get on a plane and explore Peru!

Here is one photo taken from the Amazon, this is what i will talk about in my next post.

Photo gallery