Lima is not half as bad as everybody makes out. Sure it's polluted, plagued by the odd strangle mugging and home to the most appalling urban squalor you will ever see. But aside from that, a significant chunk of the city is actually quite swanky, cosmopolitan and exciting. The museums and churches are fascinating, the traffic frenetic but it'll keep you on your toes, and there's enough boutiques, department stores and restaurants to rival the likes of New York.