LIMA
city of roughly 11 million people. There is a perpetual grey fog over the city
and surrounding area for months at a time.
I heard one say it was the grey of a donkey’s belly. That would describe it fairly well. We arrived July 23, 2013 and left
November 25,2013, almost the entire
winter season for South America. During
that time it was cold, wet, and grey.
Don said it reminded him a bit of Seattle except no rain. It rains less
than half an inch per year in Lima. The
pollution is high giving the buildings a black dust or greyish film layer. This does not distract from their elegance
and grandeur. The architecture and
colors here are awe inspiring.
We saw the changing of the guards at the Palacio de
Gobierno also known as the Presidential Palace, a lengthy process. We went two
times and did not stay from start to finish either time. It is colorful and something you should do as
long as you are there.
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| changing of the guard |
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| they dressed up the dog to come watch this daily event |
The Convento de San Francisco is part of the Iglesia de
San Francisco and houses a library of over 22,000 leather bound books and parchment scrolls going back to the early 16th century. The knowledge and beliefs recorded on these
documents and books blasted my imagination.
These hand covered leather journals, written with quill and ink
representing the authors opinions of life and God. The meaning of it all (the universe) being
discussed and written. I doubt they had
it figured out any more than we do. (No pictures were allowed in here.) The monastery also houses crypts that were
not discovered until 1951 and contains the skulls and bones of over 70,000
people. It was creepy to walk through
them. The monks would bury people one on
top of the other using lime in between to keep down the smell. Some of the crypts are for one family line,
some are singular for famous benefactors, others are for the masses. One in particular, a large circular brick
crypt contained over 25,000 bodies.
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| Iglesia de San Francisco |
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grate in floor looking down at a crypt (pictures were not allowed in the catacombs)
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The Museo de Inquisicion- This was the headquarters of
the inquisition for the Spanish from 1570 to 1820. It contains the original tribunal room and
the dungeons complete with torture chambers.
This place was the judge and jury for anyone committing crimes against
the Catholic Church. These crimes could
be an accusation against the church, a lie, anything against the church. Horrible deeds were done to people here.
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| judge & jury - original desk used |
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| the rack to stretch you apart |
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| looks like waterboarding |
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| me - this was a cell they would keep people in for months at a time. |
MIRAFLORES a modern 21st century suburb of
Lima. The parks, shops, all rival those
found in the USA.
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| view from the park |
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| park |
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| Larco Mar Mall, built into the side of a cliff |
In the heart of Miraflores lies Huaca Pucllana. It has a hollow core running through its
cross section and is believed to have originally been built in the shape of a
frog, symbol of the rain god. It is said
that he spoke to them through a tube connected to the cavern. This site is very touristy due to its
location. There are many replicas of the people and their labors placed throughout the
excavated areas. The bricks here are
placed vertical lending less space in between giving more protection from
earthquakes. The guide said that the place
was rebuilt by the inhabitants every 15 to 20 years placing the new ontop of
the old. To date they have discovered 3
different cultures that occupied the site.
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| notice the bricks |
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| our friend Fiorella helping make a brick |
MISTURA: The largest food show of any kind we have
been to. This place was a mecca of
anything and everything Peruvian. We
went on a week day morning when they opened at 11 a.m. The line was already quite long. Thousands of people attend this
week long event. It show cases the pride
of Peru, its food. There are over 3000
varieties of potatoes, over 2000 varieties of avacados. I have no idea how many types of corn, but
many. Not only do they showcase food but
Pisco, a grape brandy, the national drink.
We ate and drank from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. We had managed to collect a set of glasses
from the Pisco we drank but then I forgot them in the cab! That is still upsetting. The more pisco the better my spanish! Don danced with a devil woman wearing snakes
and I was filmed on live T.V. A great
day sampling the food and people watching.
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| the line before opening |
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potatoes, reportedly over 3000 types exist in Peru
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| the breads are super delectable |
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| barbeque the next longest line |
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this
is a sweet potato |
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| watermelon roses |
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| does he look nervous? the head to the 2nd snake is looking at his hand behind her |
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| delicious |
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| soap bubble hug |
We also spent Captain Don’s birthday in MiraFlores with Don’s
brother Ron who had come from California just in time for the big event, and our
new friends Gonzalo and wife Magdala Ravago at a restaurant called El
Mercardo. Gonzalo ordered several dishes giving us a wonderful sample of the menu. We do not know
which was better, each offering it’s own uniqueness.
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| happy 60 Captain Don |
Sun setting we crossed the bridge and entered the village
of Barranco to meet up with our friends from La Punta, Fiorella and Frank. It had been awhile since we enjoyed the
night life of a bar, live music and dancing.
We found a local place that claimed to have live jazz. NO. It
was live, but certainly not jazz in any language. The area of Barranco is known for its
entertainment and the place was quite crowded. Although we did not notice anyone much over 30. We left and walked around a bit ending in the
plaza. There Fiorella stood center stage
and sang her version of Marilyn Monroe’s Happy Birthday to Captain Don. A heartfelt fun way to end the day.
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| Fiorella and Frank, friends from La Punta |
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| Ron and Don, "the on brothers" |
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| Fiorella singing happy birthday |
One of the things Don had wanted before leaving Peru was
to eat Cuy, the furry little animal we know as the guinea pig. While brother Ron was with us we traveled
into Lima for some sightseeing and cuy.
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| I did not taste it but I do not think it tasted like chicken. |
Lima, the city
with the grey veil. Underneath lies the heart beat
of a country alive within its legends, boundless in its quest for greatness.
Continued in Peru
- Part III – The coast of Paracas
to Nasca and Huacachina, the desert Oasis
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