If you have spent any time at all in Lima in winter – and I suspect the poverty of the early 20th century, although different from the current poverty, was about the same – you see why Vallejo was able to write such depressed poems about this city. The pollution, the traffic, the general deterioration, and the fact that many beautiful old parts of the city are somewhat moribund, are the main Banes. I think I will go on vacation to where the sun shines, namely the SIERRA. In fact I may be gone by the time this post comes up.
Although I prefer Peru I might secretly be Argentine or Uruguayan because I love the CAFE HAVANNA, of Argentine origin, and the LIBRERIA EL VIRREY, created by Uruguayans. These are both located on a very ritzy street in San Isidro. Besides the books, what makes the bookstore so attractive is that its florescent lighting is the warm-toned kind, not the cool-toned kind which predominates here. Besides the coffee, what makes the Havanna so attractive is that it has halogen lighting.
In any case I have decided rather eccentrically that the right districts to live in are LIMA 1 (I used to live near the Plaza Francia), BARRANCO, and certain districts of PUEBLO LIBRE and MAGDALENA DEL MAR. I am very tempted to buy incandescent light bulbs. It would be ideal to buy one of the beautiful old nineteenth century buildings and restore it, or to return the entire Plaza Bolognesi and Paseo Colón to their original beauty.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
It´s the neoliberalism and not just the war. They´ve privatized everything, and on and on.
Also, I just read in CARETAS that Lima is the most polluted capital city in America!!! The Americas, that is!!! It is followed by Santiago, and then Mexico. It has almost twice as much air pollution as S. Paulo!!! After S.P. is Rio, then L.A. and N.Y.
If it’s worse than Mexico, it must be bad. My eyes burned in Mexico City.
It´s like not being able to walk more than a few blocks because of succumbing to the fumes! With exceptions in a few well ventilated streets, of course. I get allergic reactions to the smog in Mexico and SP but I can still function … in Lima it´s really limiting and I´ve heard that Santiago in winter is like that too (I´ve only been there in summer and it wasn´t nearly as bad as Lima is now).