I woke up and discovered that Kathy was still there. We went at it again. She was every bit as willing and able as the night before. After, she showered, dressed, got paid and went on her way.
**********
NAME: Costa Verde Restaurant
ADDRESS: Playa Barranquito S/N Entrada 'A'
PHONE: 477-6377
GPS: 12°08' 380" S, 77°01' 695" W
TYPE OF FOOD: Sunday Seafood Buffet Brunch (photo shot from the cerbiche bar below)
COST: About $25, including tax and tip
NOTES: This buffet is supposedly listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most types of fish on a buffet. I wouldn't go that far, but it was very good. I didn't eat again the rest of the day.
**********
Then I went back to the hotel and waited to explode. When I didn't, I took a short nap.
**********
NAME: Golden Palace Casino
ADDRESS: San Isidro. The taxi drivers know where it is.
GPS: S12°05.776' W077°01.241'
WEB: http://www.casinolahacienda.com.pe/golden/principal.html
TYPE OF GAMES: Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Caribbean Poker, and a couple of other things. And of course, slot machines. This casino is huge -- they claim to be over 3,000 square meters.
MINIMUMS: Blackjack was $3. There were more penny slots then you could shake a stick at.
NOTES: Free drinks, hostesses in evening gowns. Oh yeah, I lost money.
**********
I had big plans for the evening, if I could stay awake. I was going to use one of the outcall girls I found when doing my research. After realizing that a lot of them were off on Sundays, and getting a million voicemails, I finally got in touch with Astrid (http://nenasperu.com/galeria.php?i=fotos&id_nena=915). She quoted me a price of 120 Soles ($37) plus taxi fare. That is pretty much the going rate, I think. We set a date for 11:00 pm (I thought). My beginner limited Dominican Spanish is really a liability here, but I am doing the best that I can. So I go to the Hacienda Casino to kill some time and wait for Astrid.
**********
NAME: La Hacienda Hotel & Casino
ADDRESS: Three blocks down from my Hotel on Avenue Larco.
GPS: S12°07.604' W077°01.766'
WEB: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=76402
TYPE OF GAMES: Blackjack, Roulette, and of course, slot machines. They keep it simple here.
MINIMUMS: Blackjack was $3. Not sure about Roulette.
NOTES: Of all the casinos I've been to in Lima, this is my favorite. The staff here is fairly friendly, and I always seem to run into a character or two while playing. And as a bonus, I won money.
***********
So I get back to the hotel at 10:30 and wait until 12. No Astrid, no calls from her either. I called her number at about 11:45 and got voice mail. I gave up at 12, and decided that I was too tired to go girl hunting, but not too tired to go back to the Hacienda Casino and gamble (and win!) a little more. I finally got to sleep at about 2:30.
VARIOUS NOTES: The currency here is the Nuevo Sole, which trades at 3.25 to the dollar. You can spend dollars just about anywhere here, so it's fairly easy. Also, there are moneychangers on every corner. It seems like it is on the up and up, and I haven't had any problems.
Club soda is referred to here as agua con gas. Whenever I order it, they ask a question that I can't make out. It turns out that the question is "do you want it cold?", so now I just say "aqua con gas", wait 4 seconds, and then say, "si". Works every time.
MONDAY'S PLAN: Screw, eat and gamble.