Lima

Before we got to Lima we were told by several people that it was a horrible city so we only left enough time to be there a couple of days before our flight... What we found when we got there was pleasantly surprising... Lima seems to be a bit of a surfing hub which attracts young and fun loving tourists from all over. The cafes are funky, the bars are trendy and the restaurants are varied and serve some damn tasty food so even though it may nit be a beautiful city, in the end we regretted not having stayed a little longer to have squeezed in a surf lesson and some sand boarding. We did however take advantage of the good food, trying out the most amazing ceviche on the planet at La Canta Rana and stuffing ourselves on 'Anticuchos' which are skewered cow hearts... Sounds gory but its actually the tastiest thing ever and you should definitely all go out and try it before you die... I feel a little bit blasphemous writing this as I am actually currently on India where cows is sacred... But what can i say, the truth is the truth.
One of our days in Lima was spent visiting a school in a shanty town 2 hours outside of the city. The school is run by my Year 1 primary school teacher, Sister Patricia who we hadn't seen in over 20 years. We found Sister Patricia practically unchanged despite the amazing achievements she has managed since she left Gibraltar. The school educates some of the poorest children in Peru in the middle of nowhere surrounded by dusty mountains where people live in homemade shacks with no electricity or running water and where malnutrition and tuberculosis are common. The school itself is a brick and concrete oasis which now educates 1000 local children and feeds 500 of those. A couple of years ago the school attracted attention by achieving the top mark for maths in over 1000 schools in and around Lima. Considering the attitudes towards the poor in Peru this is a huge step forward in changing perceptions of what these kids can achieve - it is assumed that because of their background it is impossible for them to do well but, of course, with the right education there is no reason they shouldn't excel and Sister Patricia personally selects all of the amazing staff which are the drivers behind the school's success.

If I thought the 2 months in South America had flown by it was all thrown in to context by meeting someone whose last memory of me was when I was 6 years old... 6 months travelling is definitely not enough! Friends and family, I will see you in about a decade or two...

Key info, Lima
Hostel: Loki Lima, Miraflores - Super cramped rooms but clean and sociable place in a nice area.
Food: La Canta Rana, Barranco - Best ceviche in Lima according to even the locals. The huge queue is worth it!
School: Fe y Alegria #58, Mary Ward, Jicamarca