While my intent today was to watch the USA men’s hockey team in the bronze medal game and then tour the local convent, my plans were slightly altered by the fact that I woke up so early. Since I had time pre game I decided to head out to one of the local malls via taxi to see if I could find the parts to fix my lost baggage wheel. I found the Peruvian version of Fred Meyer, Plaza Vea. For those of you who don’t know what a Freddies is, it’s basically a grocery store that also sells some limited hardware, electronics, auto and other house goods. I didn’t find what I needed but I did grab some big bottles of water for my room and a couple of other snacks like dried fruits and nuts.
I made it back in time to catch the hockey game but we went downhill so quickly. Since I couldn’t really stand to watch the onslaught I knocked out a couple of diagrams that I wanted to create for my NGO project as I listened to the game in the background. My Aussie teammate Chris caught me and we walked a few blocks away from the main plaza to a bakery for lunch. He had a meat empanada while I opted for the spinach tart (kinda more like a spanikopita but light bread layer instead of filo dough). I forgot to snap a pic before we finished but believe me when I say they were pretty and tasty.
After lunch we walked past the plaza a few more blocks to the other location of the same Plaza Eva store. Much wider selection but still not exactly what I was after to repair my bag. Chris was able to pick up a few things for himself so the trip wasn’t a complete loss.
Later in the evening my Canadian teammate Kamal and I rode a cab through a very interesting part of town to a massive mall. Next door was the Peruvian version of Home Depot where I found all the hardware I need for my bag and he found a Scotiabank branch to pull out money with minimal fees. The mall is super clean and has all the trappings you would expect at any similar mall you have ever been to. Our cab ride back to the hotel was after dark and we passed through a more seedier side of the city. Now this isn’t anything that doesn’t exist in every city around the world, but a few of these blocks are certainly not written up in the travel guides for tourists. Nothing an LA boy like me or a Toronto lad like Kamal hasn’t seen before.
With the Gold medal game at 7am local time, Kamal and I already have our morning plans in place. I do hope to visit the convent tomorrow, and maybe if I get lucky I can find a replacement wheel so I can start putting my bag back together.
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