I will be honest with you; Lima wasn’t on my bucket list.  It’s not that I didn’t want to go there; it’s just that I had been to Lima on a cruise many years ago and the city hadn’t left much of a lasting impression on me.  Ahhh, but that’s a downside of cruising.  How much can you really see in one day—or a part of a day?

To be very honest with you, we were supposed to have been on an American Queen Voyages expedition cruise in Alaska during the last half of July.  The company went bankrupt, so our cruise was canceled.  (Thankfully, we will be getting our deposit back no later than the end of September, according to the court settlement, so no money was lost.)

Why did we choose Peru to replace that trip?  We had traveled a few times with Overseas Adventure Travel and enjoyed our experiences, the tour was highly recommended by people on our past OAT tours, we wanted to see Machu Picchu, and we wanted to get out of the Georgia heat (In July, it’s winter in Peru).

The tour started in Lima, so, we decided to fly in early and explore more of the city on our own—a good decision, because we had some great experiences and a fun surprise!  My impression of Lima during our four-day visit definitely improved dramatically!

Based in the Miraflores district, we set out to explore the area the morning after our arrival.  Just a couple of blocks away from our hotel, we heard Spanish being spoken on a megaphone.  Then we saw more and more people—with signs—as we got closer.  Oh no!  Was this another political protest?  A possible riot brewing?  There were police everywhere! We hesitated before getting closer, but then we saw… a parade!  Who doesn’t love a parade?  It was a national holiday in Peru, and the celebration was on!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

I was curious where the parade was going to and what else we might see on the route, so we followed along.  In addition to school marching bands, the fire department, cultural dance clubs, and service organizations, we came across the police department’s K-9 unit.  I have been in some foreign cities where it was illegal to photograph government installations, military, and police; so, I was hesitant to take any pictures, since I hadn’t researched Peru’s policy. The police were lined up with their (mostly) obedient dogs and I really wanted a photo!  I asked the one who looked like he was in charge if it was ok (by pointing to my camera and asking, “Photos, si?”), and with a proud grin across his face, he commanded attention from his unit, so I could get a good shot!  Jefe (“boss” in Spanish) didn’t have much luck getting them all to cooperate in sync, but no worries!  I was having a good laugh watching them all; it was quite entertaining!  He also let me get in the line, so Bruce could get a picture of me with the pooches. 

Through Jefe’s “interpreter” (the cop to my right in the photo who spoke very little English— and I speak about as much Spanish!), he invited us to watch them march to the end of the parade route.  The parade got backed up, though, due to the competition judging at the end of the route, so we continued to the craft markets after visiting the cats across the street in Lima’s central park,  Parque Kennedy.

The cats are THE attraction at the park.  Back in the 1990’s the park was inundated with rats, so residents of the area brought their cats in to eliminate the problem.  That they did!  Ultimately, a group was organized to feed, leave fresh water, and care for the cats.  Now, people visit the park to watch, cuddle, and pet the cats and the park is rat-free.  Win-win!

Our travels on foot took us next to the Indian and Inka craft markets where I feasted my eyes on all the colors:

Fortunately, our hotel was well-situated, but we still walked all over the Miraflores district and beyond…

Next up:  PERU #2: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 2)