We rolled back into Lima absurdly late after what can only be described as a journey from Huacachina. The bus seemed determined to drop every other person at their various hotels before us, and just when we thought we were nearing the end, we were shuffled into a van so they could “get us home faster.” (This may also have had something to do with the bus driver’s shift ending—apparently he just… stopped driving.) To cap it all off, we had to slip the van driver some cash to actually let us out at our hotel. Peru, lesson learned.
With nothing but bus snacks the night before, we woke up starving at the now-familiar Wyndham Costa del Sol. After a proper breakfast and a quick cleanup, we tried to figure out how to make the most of our final day in Lima.
We headed back to the Inka Market, where we’d done the chocolate-making earlier in the week, to pick up gifts and mementos for friends back home. Somewhere between souvenir stalls, nature called—but the bathroom wanted payment (a very real thing in Peru, as we’d learn). I didn’t have change and stubbornly refused to find an ATM, so we walked a couple blocks to a department store and quietly took advantage of their free restrooms instead. Travel hack unlocked.
Directly across the street was a McDonald’s, and Amy wondered aloud if it tasted any different in Peru. Naturally, we had to find out. Fries, nuggets, a Quarter Pounder, and two Happy Meals later, the verdict was in: McDonald’s tastes exactly the same, no matter the continent. I attempted to order in Spanish at the counter but eventually surrendered to the touch screens—especially once the girls started making very specific special requests. Ice cream required a separate counter entirely, called the McCafe Dessert Center, just to keep things interesting.
From there, we wandered through Miraflores Central Park, stopping to admire the famously well-cared-for cats lounging everywhere, before continuing on to Larcomar—the dramatic cliffside outdoor mall near where we’d stayed earlier in the trip. We picked up another duffel bag (necessary, given how much Peru we were bringing home with us), grabbed snacks for the Amazon leg of our journey, and each chose a cool Swiss Army knife.
A few days earlier, while out on a run, I’d spotted an cool looking oceanfront restaurant that was fully booked during our first stay in Lima. Miraculously, they had availability that night. So we dressed up, perhaps like people who weren’t entirely sure they’d survive the Amazon, and headed out for a proper farewell dinner to the city.
La Rosa Nautica was incredible. The ladies were handed flowers at the door, and we were escorted to a table overlooking the ocean just in time for sunset. Below us, surfers in wetsuits caught the high tide, while countless Incan terns nested and wheeled around the pier beneath us. Bread for Charlie, Amy found many wines to choose from, and I did my usual maneuver of trying to dodge the vegetables on my plate, but the server gently explained that in Peruvian cuisine, everything on the plate is intentional—and strongly encouraged me to eat them. Fair enough.
With a great bottle of wine and an unforgettable meal behind us, we caught a cab back to the Costa del Sol, enjoyed a final cocktail at the bar, and packed up for the next chapter of the trip.
The Amazon awaited.