Before we get to Lima, I want to share my thoughts about driving (or in my case being driven) in South America. I touched upon the subject when I wrote about the traffic congestion in La Paz and El Alto. Although I didn’t discuss my suspicions with Berner or any of the drivers, I quietly (and perhaps mistakenly) concluded that a combination of disregarding speed limits and the placement of random pedestrian road crossings must be (or must have been) widespread across the continent.
As you can see in this screen shot from Google Maps taken in Puno (a city of more than 100,000 people)
road surfaces throughout the countries we visited were variable and it wasn’t unusual to see dirt roads just a block or two off a main highway or well-paved road.
I don’t know if drivers simply got excited when they saw long stretches of paved roads or whether they simply felt a need for speed but I think collisions with pedestrians or livestock must have at one time been rife. I deduced this with no supporting evidence beyond noting the pervasive presence of speed bumps not merely through residential areas (something we see together with other so-called traffic calming measures spreading throughout the greater Washington metro area) but speed bumps randomly placed along major arteries. This led me to conclude that drivers need not merely a reminder to drive cautiously but rather require an actual physical impediment. If, at first, I found these measures a bit jarring, and the congestion in La Paz a trifle surprising, neither prepared me for the drivers or the congestion in Lima – a topic to which I’ll return. But first, let’s begin our exploration of the capital of Perú.
Bigger than you think.
I’ll have two brief stops in this city – long enough to say that I’ve been to Lima but in no way long enough to say I’ve truly visited it. (This is akin to my assertion that I’ve been to 49 of the 50 states in the U S. For example, I once had lunch in Kansas City, Kansas but that’s my only contact with that state.)
I’ll start with a few basic facts. As of March 2015 Lima’s population was 8,894,412 making it the third largest city in the Americas behind São Paulo, Brazil and Mexico City, Mexico. It’s comparable to New York City though slightly larger in both raw numbers and population density. (In the most recent estimates I could find, New York had a population of 8,550,405 with a density of 10,431 people per square kilometer compared to 11,000 in the urban sector of Lima.)
It was relatively sunny when our flight arrived and, while I didn’t note the temperature, it felt that we would have our warmest day since leaving Rio. As we waited for our van, I faced this reminder that no matter where one might travel
some aspects of America are never too far away. The trip from the airport to the hotel provided the first hint of Lima’s traffic congestion. In the early afternoon it took us nearly an hour to drive the 21 kilometers to reach the hotel. We spent much of that time in a circuitous maneuver to exit the highway into the Miraflores district where we’d spend the night.
After we checked in and took a short walk down the block to a convenience store to grab a light snack, Jan and I met Berner to ride into the city center where he’d take us on a walking tour. (While I’m sure Berner did his best, this walk would be every bit as informal as his tour of Asuncíon. With only two of us in Lima, I’d guess that JLA quite reasonably nixed the cost of hiring a city guide.)
Before touching on what we saw, I have to start with that ride into town. Miraflores is one of 30 districts that comprise the city of Lima and I’d describe it as an upscale urban area. Our hotel was just a few blocks from several parks and the Pacific Ocean.
(This completes my ocean-to-ocean journey. I thought this picture – which I actually took on my return to Lima – was particularly interesting because of the way the waves evoked the tiled patterns in the sidewalks along the beaches in Rio de Janeiro.)
Lima horns – or I will never drive in Lima.
Our hotel was about 10 kilometers from the Plaza San Martín where we’d begin our walk in the old city. I’d guess the ride took at least half an hour but it wasn’t the time that left the deepest impression on me. It was, instead, the hair-raising chaos of Lima traffic. Despite being in a taxi, as I observed the customs of Lima drivers (including our cabbie) I concluded that what we in the States deem as traffic rules and laws are mere suggestions to Lima’s drivers. Here’s a summary:
- Lane markers are generally ignored. I’m not sure how they accomplished it but it seemed like there were times when three cars rode abreast in two “lanes.” The car on your right is likely to be as close as seven centimeters. The one on your left no farther.
- Squeeze left. Then squeeze right. If you see a three-centimeter space ahead or to either side, claim it. A 150-centimeter space is like an ocean. He who gets to the spot first wins and he who hesitates is lost. Or at least loses.
- Always be alert for turning vehicles. Right turns can come from your left and left turns from your right. Turn signal use? For the most part, fuhgeddaboudit.
- Don’t expect politeness to be reciprocated. Stop to let one car in and half a dozen will follow. Remember, it’s all about getting to the spot first.
- If you’re a pedestrian, assume no vehicle will stop. Slow down, perhaps. But a stop isn’t guaranteed.
Here’s a five-minute video that captures a bit of what it’s like. (You begin to get a real sense about halfway through.)
The second part of this post will continue its look at Lima’s traffic and driving rules and offer a bit of advice should any of you choose to visit the capital city of Perú.