Highlights: photographing the Biblioteca Nacional and the 100 sole note, catching a glimpse of the Peruvian President.

Pictures taken: 72

Travel: Flew from Cusco to Lima

Favorite photo of the day:

I got up early… what is it with vacation and all the early mornings? I had a flight at 8 so i got up at 5. I checked my email, grabbed a quick breakfast and ran into Curtis (one of the Canadian guys) and exchanged contact information. They had left earlier than me the day before to get to their rental car and make an 8 hour drive back to Cusco. I checked out and walked down to the Paza de Armas to catch a cab to the airport.

The flight ran just a little late. I boarded the plane and there was a young boy in the center seat. I had the window. I scooted in and noticed that he was talking to someone across the aisle in the center seat also. I contemplated offering my seat to him and only withheld figuring if i did so i would end up sitting between two big men that hog the arm rest on both sides of me. I offered my seat to the boy’s brother when i saw that the person sitting in the window seat across the aisle was actually someone that i ate lunch with during my tour of the Sacred Valley.

She and i shared a taxi to Miaflores – a more upscale neighborhood of Lima – which is where i had planned on staying. She was staying at a hostel so i decided to give it a try.

After checking in i took a taxi to the Biblioteca Nacional de Peru. But this library wasn’t at all like the one on the 100 sole notes. So i walked a while and then took another taxi to central Lima and found a place to get my hair cut.

From there i walked to where my guidebook showed the national library being and it was the right building. I took some shots – feeling a little conscious about holding up $30 in an area with a lot of people walking through. Without incident i then walked to the Palacio Torre Tagle but there was no way i could take a picture with the 20 sole bill in a perspective that would show the building. There was a lot of activity around the building – which houses the foreign affairs department.

I went back near the Plaza de Armas and ordered some food – but was on the phone with Cena (asking about her back pain) when they took my order. My fat finger must have pointed to the wrong menu item because i didn’t get the steak instead they brought fish. It was good and came with a salad which was cut vegetables, shredded chicken and a dressing. The meal was only 7 soles.

I ventured into the Plaza then and noticed heavy crowds over by the Palacio de Gobierno so checked that out. Sure enough, after waiting about 20 minutes the Peruvian President Alan Garcia emerged.

Apparently i missed an earthquake. There was a 6.0 quake on this day at about 1 PM with the epicenter about 120 miles south. I didn’t feel anything.