Scott and I took a quick jaunt up to Lima last week to replace my, um, missing passport at the US Embassy.
Mmm, yeah. I lost it somewhere in the fray of trying to get back from Machu Picchu and getting terribly ill. Cusco hates me.
Lima, however, was great. We went up on Tuesday night and got back Friday morning. Highlights:
US Embassy & Replacing My Lost Passport 
It literally took us 2 hours to do all of the necessary steps for replacing my passport at the embassy, including going across the street for a new passport photo. It’s hard to explain how smooth the process was compared to all of the other bureaucracy we’ve had to put up with on the Peruvian side. There’s just something to being able to pay a fee to the person you are dealing with behind the counter, instead of having to go to the National Bank down the street. It was a relief to get it taken care of…
Starbucks Lovin’
Yes, we went to Starbucks twice in the 48 hours we were in Lima. I had three different drinks… a Chai Frap (nicely made up by the barrista, as this wasn’t on their normal menu), a cafe mocha, and an iced Awake tea. The Starbucks in Miraflores also has free internet. Talk about nerding, Seattle style… We spent almost an entire day there.
Master of Photoshop Clipping Masks
During all of that Starbucks time, I learned how to use Clipping Masks in Photoshop. They’re actually really easy, but it took me about 4 different tutorials to figure it out. Check out the new header… Yeah, those circles are clipping masks. I can swap those photos out for anything I want. I’m awesome.
Fancy Food
When we weren’t sipping caffeinated drinks, we were eating good food in Lima! We had some awesome pizza in Barranco at Antica Trattoria. And a long lunch on the water at Rosa Nautica, watching the surfers and the fog hang over the cliffs.
Over Night Bus Rides
I still love over night bus rides…
Love the new banner, too cute!
[...] bribing a Bolivian border guard, negotiating re-entry into Peru with immigration, applying for a new passport with the American [...]
[...] Starbucks for breakfast and interneting! Master clipping masks in Photoshop! Fancy lunch on waterfront. Night bus to Arequipa. [...]