Today was one of those unexpected days that happen occasionally when travelling. I woke up early and realised that I hadn’t bought milk yesterday so couldn’t make a cup of tea, which was somewhat irritating given that I had actually got a kettle and fridge in the room. I tried to read the ebook Lonely Planet and plan my escape. I was feeling less than enthused about visiting Lima. Then I got dressed and went to the supermarket, which wasn’t open until 8.30am so walked around Miraflores for 10 minutes and returned to make my purchase.
Even though I had got the facilities in my room and delightful patio area, I decided to go downstairs for breakfast and use the wifi at the same time. I had just finished eating when another guest, whom I hadn’t even realised was there, appeared downstairs. As he was wearing an Irish rugby shirt, I assumed he was Irish and made a comment. As it happened, he wasn’t Irish but a Spanish political journalist, ex war correspondent, aspiring documentary film maker and currently contracted to Google communications department in Madrid. Any thoughts of updating the blog disappeared as we started chatting. And continued chatting for most of the day.
At one point, he went out for coffee and I continued with what I had been doing, but when he returned, we continued discussing (or rather, he did most of the talking) history and world politics, in general, but Latin America in particular, which was his ‘speciality’. The Irish rugby shirt was a result of time spent in Ireland making a documentary about I.R.A. member, Shane O’Doherty, who had apologised to the families of the people he had murdered during ‘The Troubles’.
I eventually decided that I should go for a walk and see something of Miraflores, at least, so Carlos decided to come too. We walked along the Malecon, stopping for coffee, and he didn’t stop talking. It turned into a most interesting and entertaining day.
Eventually, he went off to meet an ex girlfriend and I went to the supermarket for some much needed sustenance, which I ate on my patio, accompanied by some of the wine left over from last night (for, surprisingly, there was some!).
