Saturday morning 8 am. I leave the threshold of the Lima Wasi Hotel and cross the street to head towards the cliff-front walkways. They call this the Malecón which is a series of waterfront sidewalks that connect various parks along the cliffs of Lima. The air is cool on my skin but the sun has already begun to burn away the layer of fog that floats just above me, revealing a bright day for the people surfing in the water below or those enjoying a active morning above. I choose to run a stretch of the Malecón to explore and as I pass the final building bordering the unobstructed sidewalks, I pick up my pace into a run.
Almost immediately, I notice the steady stream of other runners making their way towards these same sidewalks, negotiating their way past each other and the few cars at this hour. I see men with adidas shirts and shorts and women with visors and earbuds coming from their ears and swaying with each step. I round the corner and see an older couple walking and chatting together with their dog searching the concrete ahead of them. My run turns into an obstacle course as the Malecón becomes more crowded.
As I wind my way around the cliffs, I begin to pick up upon the subtle rules and expectations for the sidewalk use. The sidewalk has a variety of speeds, runners and walkers, and if someone slower is ahead of you, you can hop off the sidewalk onto the asphalt and pass them. Adjacent to the sidewalk is a two way bike lane that traces the path uninterrupted and is separated from the primary road by tall cones. The runners most serious about hitting a specific mile time, I imagine, as they sport fancy running shoes and vests, run along the outside of the cones in the road, as their path is primarily unobstructed. At this hour, the number of cars and bikes is minimal so the swarm of pedestrians and dogs take the bike lane and road for themselves.
I pass park after park named after notable Peruvians including one ship captain who paved the way for sea trade in Lima. Another is called el Parque del Amor which is the government‘s homage to the couples who come in dozens to the park on the Malecón. Other green spaces are filled with a multitude of dogs roaming and sniffing each other while their owners chat on the benches facing the endless open ocean. I pass couples and groups of friends out for their morning jog and a group of older citizens practicing Tai Chi.
The most fascinating part of my run are the organized running groups of 20 to 40 runners. In the short time I was out, I run by five of these packs, with everyone running in sync. The leaders shout encouragement and keep the pacing of the group so that nobody stepped on the heel of the person in front of them. These groups stay exclusively on the sidewalks which meant the other pairs or individual runners have to maneuver around them. I was shocked by the sheer number of people and animals out running and walking in the morning.
Before arriving in Lima a week before, I had very little understanding of what to expect except for the conception I had of Lima that defined it as a modern and cosmopolitan city with a mix of peoples and cultures. From what I saw that morning, and in open air restaurants and shopping malls, I believe that a large part of Lima’s identity is based on the outdoors of which it is a part, specifically the beautifully temperate weather and the direct ocean access. Now, after my morning run, I also feel it is safe to conclude that Lima is an active city whose citizens enjoy spending time moving in their beautiful outdoors. While it may be easy for me to place this adjective on the city, it is a little harder to ascertain the root of this activeness. Perhaps it is the good weather that graces Lima. After all, a 65 degree sunny morning run is unlike any other. Or perhaps this quality of activeness speaks to the history of the Peruvian people who navigated the deserts, mountains, and jungles all by foot to find trading partners and govern their empires.
What I can say for certain, though, is that this spirit of activeness resonated with me and helped me feel comfortable in an unfamiliar city. I am from Denver, Colorado where most of our parks in the mornings are inundated with people pursuing running, walking, soccer, tennis and many other activities. I enjoyed this experience, not only for the workout that I received, but also to view the people and city of Lima in a different, yet familiar, light.
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