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lima nights and the weird way humidity makes everything stick

@Oscar Finch2/10/2026blog
lima nights and the weird way humidity makes everything stick

okay so i landed in lima and immediately felt like my shirt was glued to my back. the weather report said 21.12°C but it felt like 21.59°C and somehow that extra 0.47 degrees made all the difference. humidity was 88%, which basically means your hair turns into a science experiment within minutes. i just checked and it's...still like that right now, hope you like that kind of thing.

i didn't expect the city to be this layered. the historic center looks like it's been through a hundred revolutions and still shows up to work every day. someone told me that the best ceviche isn't in the tourist traps but in a tiny spot called *La Mar over in Miraflores. apparently the line starts before sunrise and the guy behind the counter once yelled at a gringo for asking for ketchup.

"if you want real flavor, go where the taxi drivers eat,"

said a woman at the hostel who claimed to be a part-time shaman. i believed her until she tried to sell me a crystal that "absorbed bad vibes from the Pacific."


if you get bored, Cusco and Arequipa are just a short drive away. well, short for peruvian standards, which means anywhere between 12 to 20 hours depending on roadworks and whether the driver stops for a roadside guinea pig roast.

A boat in the water next to a dock

a man running down the street in a red shirt

A black and white photo of a large body of water


the food scene here is like a conspiracy you want to be part of. i heard that Central restaurant has a tasting menu that maps peru's altitude zones, but good luck getting a reservation unless you know someone who knows someone who once dated the sommelier. for something more grounded, Isolina in Barranco serves portions so big you'll need a nap halfway through. check it out on TripAdvisor.

there's also this weird thing where the fog rolls in every evening and makes the whole city feel like it's stuck in a noir film. locals call it la garúa, and it's apparently the reason everything in lima looks perpetually damp. someone at a bar said it's also why the city never really sleeps-too much moisture to let anything dry out, including the night.

if you're into street art, Barranco is your playground. murals pop up overnight like mushrooms after rain, and some of them are so political you'll want to reread your history notes. i overheard a local saying the best ones are hidden in alleyways near the Puente de los Suspiros.

and yeah, the altitude isn't crazy here, but the hills will still kick your butt if you're not used to walking at sea level with a backpack full of camera gear and regret. speaking of gear, i brought my Fujifilm X-T4* because i heard the light here is unpredictable, and boy were the rumors true.

anyway, lima's the kind of place that doesn't try to impress you, but somehow ends up doing it anyway. just bring a good rain jacket, a sense of humor, and maybe a spare shirt. or three.

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About the author: Oscar Finch

Optimist by choice, realist by necessity.

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