Living between shots and waves

Hi my name is Jose Moscoso and today I’m going to tell you a little bit about my neighborhood.
First at all I have to say that all you read in this text is based on experiences living twenty years
in Callao.

Well like I said before I live in Callao specifically in Ancash street. My neighborhood doesn’t
have a name as own but is located between the neighborhoods called Barracones and Siberia.
Sure, you have heard about these places in the news and how dangerous are, and yes, it’s true.
Is what I dislike to living here. In the evenings you can hear the shootings, is really normal for
us, we are used to it. Even though there is a police station pretty close, like four blocks away
from my house. On silent nights you can hear the waves crashing against the shore, it’s a very
relaxing sound. I love the sea and I am lucky that from the third floor of my house I can see it,
and if I focus, I can smell it because it’s really close, just 200 meters away.

People here are very happy; they use to organize salsa concerts. Actually, there is a big one
organized by the municipal government in the Callao’s anniversary. Although then the streets
end up very dirty.

Here almost doesn’t exist traffic, it’s very unusual see traffic except maybe on the streets next
to the market. We have la Parada and the Mercado Central where you can go on foot or if
you’re lazy person you can take a mototaxi. This are very walkable streets, if you don’t count
the thieves, you can even go to see the beaches of Chucuito and La Punta by bicycle, we do
have bike lanes. These beaches aren’t the most beautiful but they’re very calm and clean.

If you like culture and history, Callao has much to tell you, an example of this is the fort Real
Felipe a military building built in the 18th century to defend the port against attacks by pirates
and corsairs.

The last thing I have to mention is the food, here you will find many restaurants that sell chifa
or pollo a la brasa. But remember it’s Callao so if you come make sure you taste ceviche, I
really recommend, even better if you accompany it with a glass of chicha morada, you don’t be
disappointed.

In short, Ancash street it's not such a bad place to live. You just have to see the positives in all
the bad stuff.