This is an excellent map because it gives you a really good impression of the layout of Lima and the surrounding rocky landforms – the mountains! These mountains are basically the foothills of the Andes and they come that close to the coast line for most of Peru.We live at the very top of the San Juan de Lurigancho valley, virtually on the edge of this map. This area is also called Canto Grande. By the way the surrounding sides are just as steep as the map suggests.
You will notice a small green area on Av. Independencia at the head of this valley, that is about the position of the big Metro shopping complex we visit for those little ‘extra special things’, such as fresh meat, toiletries and the occasional bottle of drinkable wine! It is approximately nine kilometres from our bus stop to Metro. While it is another nine to ten kilometres beyond the top of the map to visit the people in Valle Sagrado, a very new and rapidly developing area – they even got lights up the middle of their only access road two weeks ago! And when the authorities delivered all the extra poles for the houses the women had to collect them and then carry them to their homes!
It is thought that about one million people live in this particular valley, while the population of Lima is estimated to be nine million. Fifty years ago Lima was eight hundred thousand people and surrounded by cotton and corn fields and then the “campisino” invasion became a reality, the farmers migrating from the mountains into the city. Supposedly for the better life!
A local bus will get us into Lima Centro in about one hour while the bus journey to the airport in the bottom left of the map could take one and a half to two hours depending on the route and speed!
Miraflores, by the ocean, is one of the classy areas of Lima and contains both residential and commercial sections. A great place for tourists and you can also be reasonably sure that the locals would not even know that Canto Grande exists!
Just near Lima Centro you can see La Victoria, reputedly an extremely dangerous area yet it contains literally thousands of small retail outlets. You can just about buy anything in La Victoria, if you still have your wallet!
