Although we arrived in Lima in the middle of sweltering summer, we were late to discover its beaches. Many local Limenos dismissed the local beaches and we were left with the impression that we needed a car (which we don't have) to get to anywhere desirable. From the cliffs of Miraflores we spied seas of people wading in the water along umbrella strewn beaches and we cringed at the thought of being so tightly crammed onto a beach and consequently opted to avoid the scene. Then in March a surf pro visited the boys' school and invited students to surf. With our curiosity piqued we took a taxi to Playa Barraquito that Sunday and were greeted by encouraging folks. We rebuffed their entreaties that day, but rallied the following Sunday for a family surf lesson. Since that initial foray, surfing has become our favorite weekend outing. I have wimped out for now and have appointed myself as family surf videographer. We have been blessed by a great surf teacher named Kike Tavara who runs Primeras Olas Surf School.
After the lesson, we head down to a sandy and calmer beach where we boogie board, build sand castles, and "descansar." The water temperature has been averaging 70°F and with 3:2 wetsuits we are set. We aren't sure if we'll manage to surf through the whole winter, but we aim to try.