Small side streets that used to see very little traffic have suddenly been converted into major thoroughfares. I don’t think it’s a matter of perception that the streets seem to be jammed with vehicles these days. Lima needs the bike paths, because the automotive traffic is becoming unreal. Wouldn’t a silent Lima with no vehicles and…gasp…no car alarms be wonderful? The only sound you’d hear would be the occasional ring of a bike bell? The introduction of a bike path is a far cry from that exalted fantasy, but it’s a step in the right direction. The stop/start driving of combis is enough to make even an iron stomach go a little green, and I’ve never considered myself as having an iron stomach. Back in the old days, I’d walk rather than take public transit whenever I could. Lima is a city that is perfect for cycling. One change that I’m really happy with is the new bike lane that runs along Larco. I’m pleased about that one though because it means the property owners I met early in my travels are doing extremely well these days-assuming they weren’t swindled into selling their property for a fraction of its actual value. In the last few years, rent has doubled in Miraflores and it’s 10 times what it was when I moved here in 2001. These days you’re lucky to find a similar meal for twice that. I remember getting a steak dinner with salad, potato and wine for S/. Dining prices are significantly higher than they used to be. Amusingly enough, the guys who were smugly declaring the upcoming crash in 2009 are still offering up unsolicited advice to the next flock of suckers that steps onto the Jorge Chavez tarmac (some things never change I guess, as much as you might want them to).Īs you walk around Miraflores or San Isidro, the number of new buildings is staggering. You’d hear people say things like, “I’m thinking of buying, but I’m waiting for the market to crash so I can get a deal.” Folks who said that are still waiting. Buildings were going up like crazy and constructors kept jacking up the prices at what everyone assumed was an unsustainable rate. The one thing I know for sure is that the Lima I wrote about has almost ceased to exist.īack in 2009 all the Facebook experts were talking about how the housing crash in Lima was imminent. Now with a couple of infant children in tow, Lima is much different than it used to be, although sometimes I wonder if my own changing perspective has resulted in the perceived evolution. I’ve been living in the US for the last five years, but I try to get back to Lima whenever I can. Perseid Press has recently released a book I wrote which deals with my misadventures while living and working in Lima, Peru between 20.
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