On the 5th August on a wet, windy and generally unpleasant morning in Cape Town I got up, bleary eyed at 4.00am Our flight left at 6.30am and the streets were deserted. Dad had organised a friend of his, Andre from Odessa, to drive us to the airport through the deserted streets. It was actually Dad’s 79th birthday but at that time of the morning, neither of us did not much feel like celebrating.


On arrival, Cape Town International appeared deserted . South African airlines had not even opened their checkins and the surly attendants all arrived some 30 mins late. This was not a good sign before our 13 hour flight. Our change over in Johannesburg was uneventful. The next plane was crowded and again quite unpleasant. The air attendants all did their best to make us feel like we were taking up their time. One even declined to make me a cup of tea two hours before we landed saying “there is not enough time.”


Sao Paulo Airport was just as awful as I remember it from my last visit. Terminal One did not seem to have changed in the six years since my last trip and was chaotic and just plain uncomfortable. I spent the next four hours gazing jealously at Tam’s new Terminal opposite from my terminal’s concrete morgue like interior.


At Sao Paulo, we were to change to a Lan Peru flight, but although SA airlines had checked through our luggage to Lima we were given no boarding passes. This actually seemed par for the course as a group of confused travellers lined up at the departure gate. Eventually Lan’s crew arrived to check us in and confirm the bags had gone directly on board, but we did understand that some travellers flying in from a Middle Eastern destination had exited the terminal trying to find their gear and were having trouble getting back in .


Eventually, we left for the red eye connection to Lima. It was a relief to finally arrive a full 26 hours after leaving Fish Hoek. Peruvian customs at Lima welcomed us with huge queues and bureaucratic formalities that tested our patience but after three hours we were checked in at the Friendly Hostel in Mirraflores in downtown Lima.


The next morning, despite the jet lag I was up early to re-aquaint myself with the overcast cold Lima weather. Sam, my nephew was meeting Dad and myself there and he arrived for breakfast, looking remarkably like Crusty the Clown after volunteering in Belize. 


As Dad had missed his birthday, I had decided to take him and Sam to a famous Cevicheria in Lima called Wong’s. After a spot of internet research it became clear that Javier Wong was both an innovator and a celebrity . His restaurant is located in one of the roughest areas of Lima in what is - his front living room. Booking is generally very difficult (we were very lucky) and Javier will only lets you in if he likes the look of you. There is no menu and you get what is given to you.


Ceviche is the national dish of Peru, but also claimed as such but many of its neighbouring countries. I have been told that the Incas were eating raw fish when the Spanish arrived (others say the dish came from Spain and local flavours were incorporated), but the Conquistadors instigated the addition of citrus fruits to the dish. It was later on in the 20th Century during the era of Japanese immigration that a marinade called “Tiger’s Milk” was created by the Japanese chefs. At this point Ceviche came into its own. Its Javier Wong’s own Tiger Milk that sets him apart from the rest plus his insistence on using only Sole fish (and huge Sole at that) which has lead to him being labelled the “father of Cerviche” .


Ceviche is now eaten right across Central & Southern America in a variety of forms, but it is Javier Wongs ceviche which is considered the benchmark. He has since become a celebrity and many of our fellow 20 or so guests were immediately snapping his photos as he started the preparation in the main part of the restaurant.


The meal was fabulous. Four courses all based on these gigantic Sole. Some with raw Octopus, some stir fried with vegetables and chilli. All delicious we devoured them quickly. At the close Javier invited us for a beer after he had shoed the others out of the door. An excellent meal and a memorable experience that took our mind of the overcast dull drizzly weather.


The rest of the time in Lima was spent relaxing and hearing about Sam’s travel. I did manage to bump into an old friend, Mike Reid from Melbourne which was great. Sam and I did manage a rather quick trip out to the national museum, but that was it.


On our final day, Bryony, Will and Annie arrived from Bristol. Unfortunately on exiting from the airport, the taxi which I had booked was attacked by a man with a hammer at the second set of traffic lights after leaving the terminal. The window where Annie was sitting was smashed and her backpack snatched. All frightening and very sudden.


That night we spent ages in the police station filling reports and giving descriptions. Unfortunately Annie lost her camera, iPhone etc etc, but at least she was unhurt. As it turned out, at the end of their stay in Peru, we found out in Cusco that a gang stealing from tourists arriving at the airport was arrested by police in Lima - so lets hope this was them.


With that experience behind them we set off the following day to Ica.