Peru this Week recently learned about a new speed dating company in Lima and wanted to know if this was the beginning of an organized dating trend in Peru. To find out, we sent a Carlos Juan de la Torre (who you may remember as the “gringo” from the Peruvian movie Madeinusa) to participate in one of Speed Dating Peru’s events and let us know what it was like.  This is his report.

Lima is a city with many attractions, a city for all people and, overall, a fun place to live. There are many clubs to attend, cool pubs, places to listen to live music, interesting stageshows and, of course, several cinemas. There is no way a date can go wrong, but if you are new in town or have not had much time to make friends, the dating scene can be a bit daunting. Thankfully Speed Dating Peru has come to the rescue.

To be honest, I was feeling a bit apprehensive about the event, having spent some time wondering what sort of crowd this kind of gathering would attract. I admit to having opened an account with an online dating site a number of years ago, and so mental images were being formed in my mind, but I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised. Here I was, sitting in a very sexy bar - the Oceanus Piano Bar at the Hotel Los Delfines in San Isidro. This is the kind of place that you imagine a new version of Scarface being shot in. The music was upbeat, pushing me towards action and some of the ladies were definitely inviting. Everyone was nicely dressed and the room was brimming with anticipation for the game to start. After a brief introduction about the mechanics involved - women stay seated, men rotate to each for 5-minute mini-dates - it was time for the person-to-person introductions to begin.

After a couple of minutes it all started to flow gently, conversation picked up and I really started to enjoy it. Preconceptions can be killer sometimes, but, in the end, I set myself up for a nice surprise. Fifteen ladies were in line waiting to be chatted up, something that really does not happen often in Peru. In Lima it can be intimidating to speak to someone out of the blue. Most of the time, it has been quite a challenge and I have been mostly turned down quickly, even though I must say I am a decent looking chap.

One by one the mini-dates were happening with much enthusiasm as I caught myself looking forward to meeting some of these girls in a different setting. Conversations went from the typical “What do you do?” to “What brought you here?” There were some laughs, some alluring looks and definitely some good times. Sipping on a complimentary pisco sour made everything go even smoother and a couple of hours flew by quickly.

By the end I had already chosen the ladies I would love to hear from. I never thought I could meet someone I would actually like to take out on a date and here I was asking for more time in some in the mini-dates. This is definitely going to start a trend in Lima. Even though I was not chosen for a follow up, I would be glad to repeat it anytime.

Carlos Juan de la Torre is a Dominican-born writer, actor and film enthusiast who has lived in London, Madrid, and Lima mainly by following his heart’s desire. He is an avid traveler and adventurer who is always looking for new experiences. You might have seen him playing the "gringo" in Madeinusa, Claudia Llosa’s directorial debut. You can check out his blog at www.lavistacompartida.blogspot.com.

Leave a comment. It will be sent to a moderator for approval. We do not publish profanity or offensive remarks. We only publish comments in English.

* Username:
Security Code:	Please enter the text in the box above.
* Comment: