It should be no secret that we love to go to the zoo, or the aquarium, or the aviary, or anything fun and educational :) Matt finally took us to a zoo here in Lima, Parque de las Leyendas, or Legends Park. We invited the McMillens, the Tidwells (who weren't able to make it :(), and one of Matt's old mission companions, Paolo Tufino.
We told everyone we'd meet at the zoo at 10am. We actually were on time! We were the only ones haha. The zoo has like 6 huacas, or pyramids, throughout the park, if that gives you any idea of the massive size of this place. While we waited for the McMillens, we wandered around Huaca San Miguel and looked at some animals. I was a little worried because a lot of exhibits were empty, but it must have just been that part of the park :)
Huaca San Miguel
Hippos!
Daddy and Henlie checking out the hippos. She really liked them.
Hey. Got any food?
Swans
Black swan
You don't mind if I just step over you, do you?
Zebras
Waving to Mom while we watch the monkey eat his breakfast.
Andean bear
Cute little goat :)
Recycled Christmas Tree.
Those are liter cartons from milk and juice.
I think this guy is a Jaguar.
Backside of the kangaroo enclosure :)
Upside-down hippo.
Maisy on Rob and Henlie on Matt, checking out the hippos.
Isabelle and Henlie looking at the peafowl.
Abby, Rob, Izzy, Maisy, Liberty, Eliza, and Henlie looking at the peafowl.
Tufino and Biggs
Maisy, Libby, and Henlie
I'm ready for my close-up!
This poor guy - all of the girls were more interested in food than him.
I enjoyed the fence construction....
Galapagos Tortoises make lovely perches.
Bears
Eliza, Henlie, and Abby looking at the Zebras.
Pink and yellow flowers.
Henlie and some Water Buffalo.
Lioness
Sleepy Lion
Henlie, Libby, Rob, and Maisy watching the lion take a nap.
Pretty flowers
Black panther walking in one of their cat-trails.
Henlie, Liberty, Maisy, and Rob
After we walked through the cat exhibit, we were hungry and needed to find some lunch. We found some traditional BBQ and hung out sharing lunch, family style. The sweet potato was pretty yummy. Surprisingly, out of the meat options in our basket, I liked the lamb best. I'd never had lamb before. We also had some pork and chicken. The chicken meat was moist, but not as flavorful. The pork was a little too dry for my taste. Also, I discovered I do not like lima beans :)
After lunch, we found a map and decided to head to the jungle zone. The park is HUGE, so we weren't able to get to it all, but at S/.10 ($3.34) per adult, it's super cheap and we will definitely have to go back to finish out the park!
Kid activities
Red and Green Macaws
Andean Cock of the Rock
I kid you not, that is the name of this bird.
I think it's my favorite haha
More pretty flowers
Nom!
Henlie did NOT want her picture taken right now.
While all of the gringos were an exciting feature at the zoo, Henlie was definitely the feature attraction with her red hair. At this point, we were in sort of an open area waiting for some potty breakers to get back to us, and there weren't really any animals, so she definitely got some attention.
We decided we should charge S/.1 to look and S/.5 for photographs :)
Matt says it was probably worse since it was a holiday with a lot of people from the provinces at the zoo. There are more white people in Lima, along with slightly more educated people, so the gawking and picture taking and hair touching is much less.
Also, Maisy wanted to know what was so exciting to draw such a big crowd lol
Our group on our way out of the zoo.
Paolo, Me, Matt, Abby, Rob
Eliza and Liberty
Henlie, Maisy, and Isabelle
Then we found some missionaries before we left for home. I think it's fun to find missionaries now that we don't live in the US. Or maybe just not Utah?
It's even better when we find missionaries who speak English!
The one on the left is from Canada and was originally going somewhere not at all like Peru. He was wearing his MTC tag in some random slavic-type language :) The next one is from Bountiful. The other two I believe were Peruvian.
We had lots of fun at the zoo, and it was even better getting to hang out with friends! Now we just need to set another day to see the rest of it! And remember sunscreen. I sunscreened Henlie before we left and again at lunch. She only got burned a little under her eyes where I didn't quite get sunscreen, and one spot on her wrist. I, however, was TOASTED. I put some sunscreen on at lunch because I knew I'd gotten burned already, but I hung out in a tank top when we got home, and for like the next two days. I'm still peeling, two weeks later! The sun is definitely closer to us here :)
Henlie with her little raccoon sunburn.
So burned.
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