Asia – As I remember it!
One hundred kilometres south of Lima is a place called Asia. I remember passing Asia about thirty years ago. In those days, the road traced a straight line penetrating through the arid desert. There was nothing but sand and more sand. There would be no green until one reached the next river coming down from the Andes which would create a stretch of green vegitation that would last for a few kilometres. After, distanced from the water source, the desert would take over again and continue for miles until the next small valley of green.
Asia – Now
However Asia is now unrecognisable. Over the last thirty years it has become an exclusive area of private beach resorts where the more affluent of Lima society have their Lima getaways. Typically these houses are mostly used during the summer months of January and February.
Good-Bye Desert
This area, between the main Panamerican highway and the coast has undergone a complete facelift as exclusive private communities have been constructed. Gone are the sand-hills, which have now been converted into lush green gardens with walkways bordered by trees and bougainvilleas, winding between the beautiful white summer houses.
The Houses
The houses are large, spacious and look out towards the sea. Many have little swimming pools. Everything is relaxed and open, with bicycles left outside and doors left open. Security is tight and there are always domestic staff working in the houses to keep an eye on things.
The Beaches
Looking out towards the sea, the wide, spotless, well-cared beaches stretch along the coast.
As access to these beaches is for residents and guests only, they appear to be wild and empty spaces except for the invasion of a multitude of wading seabirds in the early mornings and evenings.
Moving Around
Many of these enclaves are designed as safe pedestrian areas and people walk, use bicycles or get around with ever popular quad bikes (cuadro motos) which can be found parked by the beach or outside many of the houses.
Other Facilities
And if you don’t feel like going to the beach, there is always the generously sized, swimming pool and other amenities such as children’s games, tennis courts etc.
The Boulevard, Asia
As the area of Asia grew, so there was a growing need for purchasing basic household goods, food and groceries. First, a small grocery store opened with enormous success.
Then, little by little the major stores opened branches in Asia, and inverted strongly towards the development of this new gold mine. Now there is a sumptuous, modern shopping mall with a large supermarket and all the best shops and restaurants you could wish for.
You can eat like a king and buy the latest in-fashion. Need new designer sunglasses? That is not going to be a problem in the Boulevard!
The busiest time however is in the evening. As the beach goes to sleep, everyone gathers on the Boulevard for evening fun, whether it be dining in a top restaurant or going to the cinema or theatre. And for the young at heart, there are the concerts with groups from Lima and the many trendy “discotecas” that thump on until the early hours of the morning.
And if you really want to go the extra mile, you can always be tempted to buy one of those latest all-electric Honda or Hyundai models which are there waiting for you to try out.
A Few of Many Alternatives
I am very grateful for having been invited on different occasions to houses in Asia and have always enjoyed my stay. However I confess this is not really my cup of tea.
There are many other beautiful public beaches between Lima and Asia which are great to visit, open to everyone and to my mind, more “authentic” in nature.
One such beach that I like is at Punta Hermosa, where the little town hugs the sea front and meets the sea with harmony, good vibes and plenty of tasty fish restaurants.
I am also always surprised to see the expanse of the beaches of Punta Negra. Although crowded at week-ends, a fifteen minute walk along the beach, and you are on your own, even on the busiest of days.
And a real, real favourite of mine, just 40 km. from Lima, nestled below the sea cliffs, the beach “El Silencio”. Beautiful, but careful, the waves are strong!
And even in Lima itself on the Costa Verde there are nice beaches. It takes about ten minutes for me to go from home to the sandy beach named Sombrillas. The Lima beaches are popular and accessable to all, but of course, without the privacy or exclusiveness of Asia. At week-ends they get very crowded, but there is a delicious mixture of people from every part of Lima and all walks of life, coming to enjoy some sunshine and relax on a day off from work.
And above all, the tunnels and sandcastles I make with my grandchildren at Sombrillas are every bit as solid and well-designed as the ones we make in Asia. And ……I don’t have to drive 100 km. to get there!
Realities
As readers may know, I love Peru, and here I am highlighting the extremes. These occur in one way or another in all countries. In England or USA there will be the man with a mansion and a Ferrari and another with a semi-detached house and an ordinary saloon car. That is indeed the way things are.
I indeed feel privileged to own my home in a very pleasant part of the city of Lima and am able to enjoy a meal in a nice restaurant or travel with all my basic needs met.
Although Peru has great riches in minerals, the benefits are not shared by all, and many people, especially in the provinces do not have the facilities which by right, they should have, and are deprived of essential needs such as good education, health-care, work opportunities and salary etc. There is a tendency to focus the wealth on the capital, rather than the provinces, especially those situated in the south where the recent civil unrest has been most active.
Extremes
To end with, I introduce the family Quispe who kindly invited me into their small adobe house in a village in the south of Peru near the town of Puno. This charming lady was cheerfully talking about her work and daily routines which have continued in exactly the same way for generations and generations.
Their possessions are minimal, (perhaps we can learn something here), their accessabilty to all services including education and health services is poor, but this lady’s spirit was still riding high.
Here in Puno, it is often not the designer sun-glasses that are needed, but a stout pair of shoes instead.
One only hopes that future governments will remember the forgotten people who make up a large percentage of the Peruvian population.
Two extremes indeed ….. so it goes……… enough said for now!
Wanderings! 
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