11-Sep-2004 -- I noticed conflicting information on the Lima confluence visit from the two visits already made and though this would be good site to make my first confluence report and verify which one was correct.

I left my apartment 10am Saturday 11th September, remembering that it was this morning 3 years ago that all hell broke lose in New York. Infact, my friend and guide while I have been in Lima the last two months had me a little nervous about taking my camera and GPS with me to the area we were going and so he made me return to the apartment and put on a baseball cap to minimize my gringo look.

Last week when I explained the Confluence project to Carlos, he agreed to take me to the place by public transport, but when I explained that it was in San Juan de Lurigancho and near Ave Minerales. He couldn’t believe that it was within 50 meters of his fathers house where he had lived for the last 15 years and he became quite excited that something important was near his home.

I set the GPS at my Apartment door and it read 12.70km to the confluence. We jumped a bus (s/.2.50) on Avenida Arequipa that would take us to Metropolitana and the suburb of San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima. The 1hour and 30-minute ride deposited us on the corner of Ave los Proceres de la Independencia and Avenida Los Jardines Este. Right outside McDonalds Restaurant, However the urge to get to the confluence was much greater than a Big Mac would ever be.

I was waiting for the GPS to lock into at least three satellites when I got the nod from Carlos that we were being watched by some perhaps would be robbers and it was time to move, a quick sprint across the street and into a quieter Jr Los Gravas to lock apposition at S12.00158 and W77.00.362 at 11.28am and altitude reading of 195m.

Wow here we were less than 700meters from the confluence. Now a 15 minute walk through the neighbour hood where kids were playing with a soccer ball while their Dads shoveled 5 meters cubed of stone from one truck to another and families overloaded the three wheeled motor-cicleta taxis to go to the markets.

How to get your GPS to lock into the Lat Long in the middle of a 4 lane busy street is an art in itself, not to mention the fear of being robbed of my equipment in the process. However the excitement of visiting my first confluence override everything and dancing onto and off the road I managed to accomplish the required event by 12.07pm including all pics.

Jumping a bus with a large B on the windscreen and No 10-46 Carlos assured me would deliver me to downtown Lima while he went off to have lunch with his family for the afternoon.