Cora P.
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I went on the market food tour near Lima center.
I must begin by saying that this tour is not for the faint of heart. It takes you deep in to a loud, crowded market. If you get overwhelmed/overstimulated easily, this tour is not for you. Though it may be uncomfortable for some, it really shows you a different side of Lima that tourists don’t always get to see! This tour also may take you out of your comfort zone by having you try things you may not have had before. I also loved that not only did we learn about the food we were eating, but also a little bit of local history.
The tour itself was great, but our guide Giovana was the star of the show! The señor de los milagros procession was happening at the same time as our tour so my dad and I ended up arriving almost an hour late due to traffic. Instead of ghosting us and saying that because we missed the start of the tour we could no longer join, Giovana stayed in contact with us and shared her live location so we could join the tour when we finally made it to the center. When we finally made it, she excitedly greeted us and did not make us feel like a burden at all. As we went along the tour, it was clear how infectious her positive personality is as all of the food vendors were happy to see her. Giovana was friendly, knowledgeable, and I would gladly go on another tour with her.
Other tips:
- there are 3 bathrooms on the trip (cevicheria, market, sandwhich shop) but I recommend bringing wipes and hand sanitizer because some didn’t have toilet paper or soap
- don’t bring a big bag since the market is very crowded
- expect to overstimulated