Census Day

It is national census day in Peru and I have never seen Lima this quiet. No one is allowed to be outside their homes between the hours of 8am and 6pm, except tourists and emergency personnel. There isn't much advantage to being a tourist though, since nothing is open, and I mean nothing - no stores, no restaurants - and there are no cabs. It was very weird to wake up this morning and not hear anything. Lima is usually a very loud city - honking car horns, people talking very loudly, traffic, car alarms. None of that is happening today. All I hear is the occasional dog barking, and birds - who knew there were birds! And there is not a single soul on the street, at least from what I can see from my window. Even the guard who watches my street isn't there. Maybe they figure the streets should be safe today, since everyone is suppose to be home. It is a very weird experience - looking out onto empty streets and not hearing the usual city noise.