I landed in Lima late Thursday night and was completely surprised by all the traffic and people on the streets at midnight. My taxi driver said it was completely normal, and while I’m aware that there are 11 million people in this city I didn’t expect to see half of them still awake and out that late. I’m staying in the Miraflores district, one of 47 areas making up this sprawling city. It is alongside the Pacific and apparently it is overcast 8 months a year. The marine layer sits on this city making it rather cool and humid but it never rains except for a couple weeks in summer (January). Technically Lima is a desert despite being coastal. The hotel bar and restaurant were also hopping but thankfully my room is high enough up to not hear the horns that drivers in Lima love to use.
This morning I headed out to explore the neighborhood. There’s a well known shopping street nearby which led directly to the main park of the district. Where I discovered a floral festival underway, the Palacio Municipal and the Iglesias Matriz Virgin Milagrosa. From there I continued on to an ancient site — a pyramid from 650.
Huaca Pucllana was built by the inhabitants of the Lima culture during its heyday. Over subsequent centuries the village and main pyramid was taken over by first the Wari and then the Yschma cultures. The bricks had been made by hand and the edifice has only survived this long because it doesn’t rain in Lima—clay bricks would not have lasted in a wet ecozone. It was a pretty amazing and there was a wonderful guide who explained the history. On one side area of the center there were several alpaca and a mama llama and her baby—half alpaca!
I had to rush back to meet up with my previously booked walking tour group, so rather than think about lunch I stopped into a very effectively run McDonald’s!
The walking tour was of the old part of Lima District and we learned much about the history of the Spanish colonialism and the fight fir independence which finally happened in the early 1800’s. We walked through the Plaza de San Martin, the liberator of Peru, and the plaza Mayor with the cathedral and municipal and governmental palaces. Lastly a visit to the Iglesia de San Francisco and the catacombs there. I can now cross catacombs off my list of things to see—lots of femur bones and skulls.
I had the tour guide drop me at a park that has the largest illuminated fountain show in the world, with 13 fountains, some with interactive features. I had read about the Circuito Magico del Agua and enjoyed people watching and the seeing all the colors in the night sky. I made my way back via taxi even with my limited Spanish and have just enough time to write this and pack for my trip to the highlands tomorrow. A long but wonderful day in Lima.
