Doors

While we live on a busy corner, behind our apartment is a quiet residential neighborhood. This is what it looks like walking on the streets of our neighborhood. As you can see, it's all about walls and doors -- and you can't see what's behind them.

To get inside, you push a button on an intercom on the wall and, if they want to let you in, someone inside will push a button that opens the door. In some of the newer homes there is a video camera so the person inside can see who wants to come in.

It could be a little front yard (or courtyard) like this one. While from the street it may look like a garage, it is really just a wall but with a garage-type door and often with some grass or plants. It's useful to have cars that aren't too big, because in this little courtyard between the wall and the house is usually the only place to park your car.  This is typical of our neighborhood.

There are, however, other neighborhoods with homes and yards as large as ours was in Flower Mound (but with different architectural styles).  These homes are also surrounded by walls, so you can't see them from the street.

This little courtyard also happens to have a resident.

So what is behind these doors?

A little store called a "tienda" or "minimarket." They have these all over our neighborhood, including several on each block. While there are "supermercados" (supermarkets) here in Lima that are similar to those in the U.S., you don't really need to go to them often, because you can usually find what you need at one of these tiendas just a few steps away from your apartment.

So what is behind this door?  You need to wait until later in the afternoon or evening to find out.

It's Don Wichi's Sandwicheria (Mr. Wichi's sandwich store) with hamburgers (which are good even by U.S. standards) and also a "mixto completo" (ham, cheese and an egg on a bun), and with juices to drink that I've never heard of. They're very good and can be mixed with milk if you want.  This is one of my favorite places to eat, and it's just steps from our apartment!

 What would be behind this long wall?

A sports club with young men playing futbol (soccer). While I suppose they have grass soccer fields in the large stadiums somewhere, everyone around here plays soccer on concrete courts. The parks usually have basketball standards along with the soccer goals on these courts, but I've never seen anyone playing basketball (although I'm sure some do), but there is almost always someone playing soccer.

What do you think is behind these secure, private and imposing, but attractive, walls?

New missionaries. This is the Lima, Peru Missionary Training Center.

This is the Lima, Peru Temple. Note: It is not hidden by a wall. It is an "ensign to the world" and we want everyone to see this beautiful building.

But it does have doors, actually beautiful doors. At this temple, you do not enter through an annex or side doors, but through these front doors. What's behind these doors? Ask Grandma Evie. That's where she works.