The light blue Ruta Recomendable is La Sesosa. Its code is NO02 and it is running between Ancon and Surco, following the Panamericana Norte until Avenida Ugarte, after that following the avenidas Salaverry, Ejercito and Angamos. The last stop is UPC in Monterrico. I once took La Sesosa from UPC to Ancon on a Sunday morning and it took 2,5 hours.

La Sesosa is great for traveling north from Miraflores. But it is also good for traveling to the airport from Miraflores. One would have to transfer at Av Sanchez Carrion (Pershing) to take the IO06 towards the airport. The transfer at this point involves less walking then the transfer at Av Brasil with Javier Prado or the transfers at Av Arequipa (blue line OM23) with Javier Prado and the Via Expresa (Metropolitano) with Javier Prado. So I usually prefer to take La Sesosa, even though it might seem to be a bit of a detour.

From Miraflores the Ruta Recomendable to take to Centro de Lima is the OM23 (blue line). Get on at Ovalo de Miraflores (Parque Kennedy) or anywhere along Avenida Arequipa.

The ride to Centro de Lima will take about 20-30 minutes and will cost S./1.20 if you get on at Ovalo de Miraflores or S./1.00 if you get on at Angamos or closer towards Centro de Lima. The price of the boleto (ticket) is somewhat arbitrary, so you may be charged anywhere between S./1.00 or S./1.50. Never pay more than S./1.50.

Get off at Avenida Grau for the Museo de Arte de Lima (MaLi). From here everything is within walking distance. The next block north is Real Plaza, a shopping center that includes Starbucks. The Sheraton Hotel is also here, as well as the Estacion Central for the Metropolitano.

The Pisco Sour is the closest thing Peru has to a traditional drink. The base of this cocktail is Pisco Puro (pure), a spirit made of grapes. It is similar in taste to Grappa (Italy) or Palinka (Hungary) and a host of other varieties. I cannot recommend Pisco Puro, but the Pisco Sour it is a nice cocktail.

An excellent place to enjoy a Pisco Sour is El Bolivariano in Pueblo Libre. The High Resolution Rutas Recomendables Combi Map includes a discount voucher for El Bolivariano with which you are entitled to 2 Pisco Sours for free. So make sure to bring someone along!

Pueblo Libre has a totally different feel from Miraflores. It is worthwhile to make a trip to Pueblo Libre, if only for the Pisco Sours in El Bolivariano. But apart from that you could also visit the excellent Museo de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú. The museum is pretty much next door to El Bolivariano.

So why on earth would you say about a combi that it is “soup”? (está sopa means it is soup when translated literally)

Questioning of my friends revealed that it means that a combi is totally full, so full that not a soul extra would fit (so in a combi made for 30 people, 60 are already inside).

Allegedly this refers to the practice of making rich soups and filling them up with meat and vegetables until the rim, until really no more could possibly enter. So the next time you hear about a combi that it is sopa, you know that you should wait for the next one!