Peruvian Parks

[Martin Hash]

Peru is country is full of children’s playgrounds, amusement & water parks. These places obviously operate on a shoestring: you can tell by looking at them; as the attractions wear out, they’re simply left to collect dust and a new one is put in front of the old one, three deep in some cases. The sidewalks are cracked, the food is of questionable cleanliness & safety is chicken wire around the racecar track. It makes no difference, the kids are enthusiastic and the parents are used to it. I was impressed by one playground with interactive musical toys and another that was open late at night with the fog rolling in while kids blithely ran hither & yon.



My son, Haven, had a taxi pick us at our apartment and deliver us at a water park across town. We got there just an hour before they closed so no entry fee. Contrary to the States, the parks serve hard alcohol which takes the boring out of them for grandpas: I had a couple pisco sours while watching my grandson splash around. It makes going something I look forward to: women & children frolicking around while I slowly get smashed while watching all the activity go on around me.



When the life guards started whistling everyone to get out of the water, we raced over to the dry areas, in particular, the dinosaur playground. The whistlers were at work there too but Haven wasn’t concerned: he took my grandson in through the closed exit, and spent another 15 minutes there with him while the whistlers waited. He wasn’t the only one, this is how parks in Peru close: it takes a long time for people to finally leave. Once you get used to people ignoring the rules, you ignore the rules: I guess that’s why I was able to have those pisco sours.

Dinosaur Playground.JPG

Dinosaur playground