Strolling in Lima cont'd.

For a brief moment in the sun and sweet breeze, a waft of a very lovely scent of exotic flowers swelled over me. What a stunning aroma! The flowers here are visually spectacular, tall and nobly tilting in the ocean breeze, and the apartment buildings are enlivened with bright colours - dark avacados, royal purples, oranges, greens, shades of reds, olives, yellows and other endless mixes. All akin to their Amazonian parrots and typical of the native Peruvian zest for life. Robust statements of colour telling me these people, despite their hardships, are so desirous to be alive.

The Peruvian natives, and the mingling of the Asian blood with Spanish and native, make for a gorgeous people. The natives though have the whitest teeth and the most disarming smiles I have ever seen. Black-haired and light chocolate skinned, they wear their colourfully embroidered shirts and dresses with an alluring naturalness and the men persevere in their hard scrabbling lives with with a fierce pride. There’s a happiness among them and a beauty that those jag-driving sneermeisters in Mira Flores will never understand.

The red-capped twirler dancing about precariously at the red light in the black gassy traffic was about 12 years old twirling his festooned baton by using another one as his base. He could actually get his baton quite a remarkable distance into the air, then retrieving it with the other one for more minor gymnastics. He was a sweet looking cherubic sort with those lovely teeth and youthful hope, but that tell-tale look in his eyes of resignation to some despair destroyed the knock-down beauty of his countenance. I tossed him a few solas -"Gracias Senor!" - and he went back to his starting place and began anew. Just no choice.

It’s always a great relief for me to travel. Canada can be so suburban, bland and uptight. Our politicians remind me of morticians. At least down here, when the people are upset with their leaders they march in hordes from their Amazonian villages and throw them out of the Presidential Palace and take their best shot with the next regime.

More from Lima next week.