Day 21, Cacti and hot water issues

Peruvian internet cafés, much like many others are often populated by 11-year-olds getting very loud and excited over games like Lemmings or Quake...which can be a bit stressful when you are trying to cope with a keyboard whose settings do not correspond to its labels, printing important pdfs and understanding Spanish messages about potential viruses on the computer!
San Miguel is a rather non-touristy place. At a first glance from our HUGE balcony, it looks like a pile of rubble/construction yard with some streets. But when you take your time, you start to notice trees, flowers, decorative windows, carefully arranged flower pots and little bakeries. Down the avenue somewhere behind the next six or so blocks of buildings, you can make out the sea, and some very tall islands. In the other direction lies San Miguel Plaza, with a big shopping mall, DIY stores and supermarkets, as well as the language institute where Michael submitted my CV a year ago.
The flat, located on the fifth and top floor, is very nice, albeit slightly empty still. Yesterday and this morning we did our best to fill the vast balcony - we went plant shopping. Now we have various herbs, a hibiscus and some green things as well as a cactus, which Michael insisted on getting, and keeps injuring himself on (not that ¨I told you so¨ would ever cross my mind). I am still coming to terms with the joys of Peruvian everyday life, like not having any hot water on tap. We only have an instant heater in the shower, said shower being earthed to the tap in the outdoor sink on the balcony!! I shall remember not to water the plants or do the laundry while Michael is having a shower... The tap in the kitchen is cold water only, so I insist on boiling water for washing up, which seems to irritate Michael slightly - he thinks it´s silly.
Today we also planted lots of seeds, like three different kinds of chili (aji), tomatoes and various flowers. The weather is nice and sunny, probably between 25 and 30 degrees. I think we´ll go inspect the seafront later, buy some food and get me a sim card for the phone, and maybe a USB stick. Am struggling with a full hard disk and lack of CD writer at the moment.