Well it’s been an exciting and interesting stay in Lima so far as the pandemic seemingly rages on. It’s early February and I’ve been here a little more than three weeks. I’m just starting to get comfortable and stretch my wings, but at the same time, Lima is regressed to a new strict quarantine. We have to remember that the situation remains in flux almost on a daily basis. And last week it was announced that due to new variants spreading around the globe and certain numbers in Peru rising, a new lockdown was implemented Sunday January 31. 

The borders have been open to travelers since October, which gave me the green light to plan my trip. I knew that while containment measures would be in place, restaurants, shops, and some tourist sites have remained open. I thought, hey I can live with that. I’d rather be on the road exploring the world than staying in my rather stagnant situation at home. However, a few days before my flight in early January it was announced that all incoming travelers to Peru would be required to quarantine for fourteen days. Wonderful. As my trip would be at least a month, this was a sacrifice I could make. Just get there, deal with things as they come. 

I had my tests and paperwork in hand, and the travel went perfectly smoothly. Most of my friends were encouraging about traveling, my family, not so much. While we must respect and consider safety matters for ourselves and others, I believe we need to weigh those measures and act with common sense, and a spirit of adventure. So, I weighed the known risks and determined there was little risk in making the trip. Upon arrival no one at the airport mentioned anything about  quarantine. Hmm. That’s funny. Got through customs, got my ride to the hotel, checked in. No one said anything again. Once in my hotel I realized how ridiculous it would be to literally stay locked up for two weeks. An impossible requirement, practically speaking.

I’m taking Spanish classes with Peruwayna here in Lima. And they are really fantastic. They teach online to students worldwide, so if you are interested in Spanish lessons please look into this school. They are incredibly friendly, accommodating, helpful, and the courses are very affordable. I had several conversations with Alexandra at Peruwayna leading up to my trip, where she kept me informed on the conditions in Lima. She assisted me with travel local information, testing information once in Peru, and kept me abreast of all healthy and safety measures taking place. So although I found an apartment around the corner from the school in Miraflores, they insisted I take my class online for the time being due to the quarantine measures. This was not a problem. Classes with Antonio have been a blast!

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