Travel home and a wrap-up
It was a good thing that I set the alarm, because I couldn't figure out for the life of me what that annoying noise was at 6:30 in the morning. I finally get my shit together, and bring my bags downstairs and take one more look through the apartment for whatever I forgot.
Since it was early on Sunday morning, it took an entire two minutes to grab a taxi and negotiate a 25 Sol fare to the airport. Traffic was light, and we got there in a short time.
The Lima airport is fairly hassle-free. Check-in could take a while, but I'm American Airlines Gold, so I get to check in on the first class line. Immigration is a snap upon exit, now that AA charges you the exit tax when you buy your plane ticket, so you have one less line to wait on.
Right before I pass into the security area, I see a new sign in the airport:
Yes, Nextel will rent you a telephone with unlimited international walkie-talkie for $35 for a month. I'm not a Nextel customer (in fact, those walkie-talkie people piss me off big time), but if you are one and need to keep in touch with the folks back home, this sounds like it could be a good deal.
I pass through security and wander through the gift shops. I saw the same style pottery that I bought for my mother in town (13 Soles) on sale at the airport for $20 (67 Soles). Most things at the airport are airport-priced, so buy your gifts in advance. There's a couple of Café Britt stores there, so I wandered around and ate the chocolate covered cashew samples until they were gone, and then I bought a bag.
The plane boarded, left and arrived on time. I use the Airport Fast Park at Miami Airport, so I was at my car in nothing flat, and back in my own home an hour later.
WRAP-UP
It was pretty easy to figure out my monetary costs for the trip. I spent about $1,100 in cash, charged about $350, and paid about $60 in airplane taxes (I used points for the flight) and $70 for parking. So it came to $1,580, more or less, or about $175 a day for an all-inclusive vacation. Sex, food, hotel/apartment, gambling, gifts, everything for $175 a day!
The emotional costs are harder to figure. I was glad that I managed to not take the easy route and call Angie, but I have no business dating civilians in a country where the best I could hope for is a 4-or 5-day weekend every couple of months. But yet not only do I do it (twice!), but I am already planning to date the blackjack dealer next time. This is a sure-fire recipe for disaster, but like a moth to a flame, I am uncontrollably drawn to it.
Will I return? Of course. Lima is a great city, the people are super nice, the girls are great kissers, things are cheap, and there's plenty to do and explore. I keep saying that I will go somewhere else next time, but there's so much more to see and do, I really don't want to start from scratch somewhere else.
One of the games I play when I travel is, "Could I live here?" In the case of Lima, the answer is - without a doubt - yes. The city is modern, and the electricity always works. Working there would not be a walk in the park, but a retiree could live like a king on a limited budget. You would need to work on your Spanish, but that's a small price to pay.
Although having the apartment was nice, the Hotel Inkari (at only $10 per night more) is probably where I will stay next time. The bed was better at the hotel, they clean your room every day, and there is 24-hour room service at virtually free pricing. Plus, I felt a little awkward having the girls in someone else's home.
I was glad that I finally got to take advantage of the incall opportunities available there. The possibilities are endless, and at very reasonable prices.
Aside from the internet, I was able to do a lot of research using the newspapers. The classified section of El Comercio has three columns of ads under the heading of 'Relax'. They also have plenty of restaurant ads. Trome has a full page of small ads under the title of 'personals', and Aja and Extra have a few ads, too. All of the papers I bought seem to have a lot of news that requires showing pictures of large-breasted women in bikinis and nightgowns, so they're all worth the 15 to 30 cents that they cost.
All in all, this was one of the best trips I have been on. The combination of my comfort with Lima and the amount of time that I had this time made for a relaxing, fun visit. Getting back to my real life has been a pain, but I can always look forward to my next trip.
That's about it. Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. See you next time.
RT
