PERU #6: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 6) – A FISH MARKET & DOWNTOWN

Posted on August 19, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

We had so many wonderful experiences during our first three days in Lima, and our last day was no different. A local guide was with us for several hours and he was fabulous!

The morning began at a fish market where we learned about a typical day in the life of the local fishermen and the women who clean the fish when they are brought in. They seemed happy to see us, tell us about their work, and answer our questions while joking around with each other as they cleaned the morning catch.

It was this fisherman repairing his net that caught my eye though. As good as our guide was, I missed everything he said while watching and shooting this video—something I rarely do, but would have regretted if I hadn’t shot this short clip, because it instantly makes me feel happy:

A little background: Fisherman make very little money in Peru. They are the working poor of Lima and barely make a living. But look at his joy! He has turned what could be considered a tedious task into something fun. At first, he didn’t notice me smiling and shooting this video, but when he did, he rushed over, gave me a little side hug around my shoulder and walked off for a quick break. After he returned, he was back to dancing and the task at hand. We never spoke a word, but I don’t think I will ever forget him.

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

Our morning continued with a drive through the crazy Lima traffic to the beautiful Larco Museum, an archaeological museum with an amazing collection of pre-Columbian pottery, textiles, jewelry, and more, recovered from the 200 archeaological sites within Lima. The privately-owned museum is in an 18^th century building with beautiful gardens and the most bougainvillea I have ever seen in one place!

Even the restroom door signs were, uhhh, educational:

Next, we visited the Colonial District for a walking tour. Lima has suffered many destructive earthquakes over the years, so few Colonial-era buildings remain in what is now an eclectic mix of architecture. As a result, the Colonial District is registered as a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Our tour took us to Plaza Mayor de Lima past ornate government buildings, including the Government Palace and 1650’s-era fountain, while our guide shared a lot of interesting information about Lima. I had no idea, but 75% of the city’s residents are from other places in the world making it very multi-cultural.

The oldest civilization in the Americas was in Peru, dating back to 3,000 B.C. Since Lima is located just 12 degrees south of the equator, the tropical climate was conducive for many varieties of produce to grow. It was also rich in seafood; more than 300 varieties of fish can be found in the region. So, civilizations developed quickly and there was no need for them to migrate in search of food. People settled in Lima for this reason, since many areas of Peru are desert.

Throughout the square, as you may have noticed in a few of these pictures, the policia was hard at work… on their cell phones.

Before heading back to the Miraflores District, we enjoyed a lovely alfresco lunch of traditional Tacu Tacu (Peruvian rice and bean) and continued our walk through town. It was such a fabulous day!

This is how you exchange your money; find somebody in an official yellow vest. Notice the guy on the right. He’s counting his U.S.$. As I watched, most of the stack were 100’s! By the way, counterfeit money is a huge thing in Peru and most of counterfeit U.S. money is made there.

Well, dear readers, after six posts covering four days in Lima, I will be continuing to Urubamba, Cusco, in my next post, but not until after my computer and I take an extended break for more adventures!

Coming up after the break: PERU #7: THE SACRED VALLEY SURPISE & PISAC RUINS

Coming up next: PERU #5: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 5)

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

We got a rare sunny, (mostly) blue sky day in Lima, so following our walking tour and lunch with the group, Bruce and I headed back to the Malecon to watch the paragliders, while the rest of the group went to Barranco where we had already been.

Along the way, I found a few murals: (For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

The entire facade of this restaurant was painted in cartoons.

Paragliding in Lima is a popular activity and the parapuerto on the cliffs of the Malecon was a behive of activity while I watched the paragliders come and go. It was a beautiful sight! Between the paragliders and surfers, it was quite the entertaining day before we headed back for our second viewing of Circuito Magico del Agua (in my previous post).

Before we headed back, the cart offering pan con chocolate was there again to tempt me, so I couldn’t resist another warm, gooey chocolate filled pastry.

Next up: PERU #6: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 6) – A FISH MARKET & DOWNTOWN

PERU #4: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 4) – CIRCUITO MAGICO DEL AGUA

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

We enjoyed Circuito Magico del Agua so much the first night that we returned the following night and invited one of our group members, Pat, to join us. The Magic Water Circuit, which began in 2007, is a permanent installation at Jr. Madre de Dios Parque de la Reserva and has become an icon of Lima. The main attraction has thirteen cybernetic fountains. Music, water, sound, and laser light are mixed to display an amazing show that chronicles the history of Peru with 3-D movies projected into the water fountains and laser displays. Bruce and I had never seen anything like it, and we were in awe.

There are also several other ornamental fountains—one of which holds the Guiness World Record for shooting water the highest. Seeing those alone would have been worth the Uber ride out there.

Although it was impossible to capture the movie images clearly, hopefully these photos taken during the two evenings at the park will give you a good idea of what we thoroughly enjoyed:

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

We bumped into Allison, Joe, and Abby; that’s Pat and Bruce on the right.

We hadn’t eaten dinner, so we stopped at the grocery store in Larcomar for some empanadas right before they closed. Yummy!

Coming up next: PERU #5: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 5)

PERU #3: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 3) – BARRANCO DISTRICT

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Adjacent to the Miraflores District of Lima is the Barranco District, considered to be Lima’s most romantic, bohemian, and artsy area of the city. It is THE neighborhood for Peru’s leading artists, musicians, designers and photographers as well as a huge draw for surfers in search of the perfect wave.

Barranco is also known for its murals, which are a magnet for me and my camera. I love color and photographing color— everything from hot air balloons, flowers, and tropical fish and coral (which I photographed while SCUBA diving) to murals. Bruce enjoys murals as well, so we set off on foot via the Malecon, the long way to Barranco, but the route with the nicest views.

On the way to searching the streets for murals, we stopped at Dedalo, a beautiful old mansion-turned-gallery that hosts the work of more than 700 artists. Eye candy! Each of the many rooms displayed meticulously crafted items we admired and enjoyed seeing. For anybody who appreciates beautiful crafts, this is a must-see destination if you ever visit Lima!

Since signs posted throughout the gallery invited us to “please take photos” and post them on social media, I will gladly do so here! These are just a few:

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

Uplifted and inspired, we continued our walk, in search of murals, enjoying the town along the way.

Don’t you just love this repair shop door? It made me laugh!

All the walking to and from Barranco built up our appetite, so we enjoyed dinner at Pardos Chicken in Larcomar, partly so we could enjoy the view of the surfers off in the distance. It was another cloudy, humid day, so this picture doesn’t do justice to the incredible view we had out our booth window:

The actual tour didn’t start until the following day, but we received a call from Raul, our tour leader, just as we stepped into our hotel room to prepare to go out again. “What are you doing this evening?” he asked. Bruce replied, “We are going to see Circuito Magico del Agua! Would you like to join us?” So, off the three of us went to see the most amazing multimedia water fountain show we had ever seen!

Next up: PERU #4: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 4) – CIRCUITO MAGICO DEL AGUA

PERU #2: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 2)

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Our first day in Lima, the capital of Peru, was a full one! After seeing the parade, Parque Kennedy, the Inka Market, and Indian Market (all covered here), we walked the Malecon, Lima’s clifftop walkway. It was located just two blocks from our hotel, so we enjoyed walking different parts of it each day while we were in Lima.

Larcomar, a shopping center built into the cliff, was right at the foot of the boulevard where our hotel was located, so we couldn’t help but to see it. Shopping malls aren’t our thing, but this one was worth a stroll around just to see how it was situated on the steep cliff. There were amazing views from the top level and restaurants!

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

The sky wasn’t the prettiest while we were there, but we fully expected that. Lima is known for its often foggy and always humid weather, but it was winter, so the temperature was in the 60’s. I loved every minute of it! The poor photography conditions was worth the trade-off to be out of the Georgia heat.

The cliff-top walk was beautiful with many small parks and bougainvillea growing everywhere. Our destination for our first walk was Parque del Amour (Love Park), inaugurated on Valentine’s Day, 1993. The centerpiece of the park is a huge sculpture called, “The Kiss” but we were there to see the Gaudi-inspired mosaics that included phrases and poems about love. We loved it!

We had also hoped to see the paragliders that usually fly along the cliffs, but we didn’t see any. Stay tuned, because they will appear in an upcoming post!

We enjoyed a Pan con chocolate, heated on the spot, while visiting Love Park. The U.S. price was the equivalent of only $1.20, and the warm chocolate and bread was delicious!

This is the Peru Sole, their currency.

Around our hotel:

Since the included meals with Overseas Adventure Travel are always multi-course, we usually opt for something lighter and more casual when we are on our own. Bruce wanted our first dinner in Lima to be a treat, though, so we made reservations for Huaca Pucllana. Located adjacent to the Huaca Pucllana ruins that we were planning to see, it worked out nicely to enjoy dinner first and then tour take the evening tour of the ruins.

What a memorable and fascinating evening! The beautiful terrace of the restaurant overlooked the ruins, so we dined enjoying a very unique view!

Following dinner, we went next door to see the museum and take our evening tour. There were just four other people, making the experience intimate and enjoyable.

These ruins were amazing, once we understood the history and construction of the site. Built as a ceremonial center between 450-650 A.D., they were abandoned for at least a century until the Wari society’s elite converted the top of the pyramid into a sacred space where their deceased were interred. Later, the Ychsma people (1100 to 1450 A.D.) used it to bury their dead as well. They also used it as a repository of offerings associated with ancestor worship.

The most amazing thing about these ruins was learning that what we saw was just a fraction of the size of the original site. It was only by accident these ruins were discovered in the 1980’s during excavation work; the remainder has been built over during the past centuries.

The adobe and mud bricks were made and then stacked in this fashion for more stability.

Here’s a fun fact: People think Maccu Picchu is ancient at 574 years old, but Huaca Pucllana is 1,100 years old!

Coming up next: PERU #3: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 3)– BARRANCO DISTRICT

PERU #1: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 1)

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

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!

Of course, the cats don’t necessarily stay in the park…

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)

Excerpts From a Past Travelogue: South America, 2009 – Cruising from Peru to San Diego

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Before starting my travel blog, I used to send travelogues of my journeys by e-mail to my friends and family. I saved some of those e-mails as a travel journal to look back on, so I thought I would share some of those with you.

The following are excerpts from travels in South America, in 2009. After a pre-cruise visit to Valparaiso, Chile, Mom & I boarded Royal Caribbean’s “Radiance of the Seas”, for a “working” cruise, to San Diego. On board, we taught arts & crafts classes to the passengers:

Hola!

I am at an internet shop in Lima and ít´s only $1/ hr. for internet.

The Radiance of the Seas is a fabulous ship! The Jewel of the Seas (sister ship) used to be my favorite ship on Royal Caribbean, however, the Radiance was the first in its class.

Leo, my contact person on the cruise staff told me that the company dumped tons of $$ into this ship to make a big splash and great impression when it was revealed. Although it is now 8 years old, it looks just beautiful! There is so much gorgeous wood used throughout the ship, wonderful glass art work, tasty decor in all the public areas, etc. It is definitely the most tastefully decorated and built-out ship I have ever been on.

08-01

08-10

The food on the ship has been good, however, they serve much more fish than shellfish; typical of Royal Caribbean as compared to Princess. I miss the shrimp I ate often on the Sun Princess, but the fish is good, too… And, the chocolate desserts are delicious, as was last night´s Dulce de Leche Cheesecake!

A favorite place to enjoy lunch on the Jewel of the Seas was the Seaview Cafe. They have one on this ship, as well, so I enjoyed a nice salad while dining near the railing at the aft end of the ship. It was sunny and in the low-70´s- beautiful! And, it´s a quaint little seafood cafe with a great ambiance inside and out.

As for the entertainment, it is fabulous! We saw a terrific aerialist duo on the first night, the Beatle Maniacs (Beatles tribute band), a couple of nights ago, and a great production show last night. Overall, I always find the guest entertainers to be great on Royal Caribbean. And, their Brazilian band in the Atrium is awesome!

Our cabin is in a fantastic location- if it ever gets rough. We are located at the bottom, on deck 2, mid-ship. Excellent!

Now, for the ports… Lima is a very busy and loud city. And, it´s not very photogenic in the city. But, we didn´t take a tour today and really didn´t see much. After taking the shuttle in, we walked up to the Indian Market and other crafts markets and bought a few things.
Then, we headed back and here I am at the internet. Not much seen and nothing photographed, except at the markets…

From what I understand, the northern part of Peru and the inland regions are a must-see! Since we are on a ship and it can´t be done, I am satisfied just doing what I did. That will have to wait for another day, I´m afraid.

Our last port was La Serena, Chile. The free shuttle took us into town and we spent a full day there. I enjoyed the architecture, the people were very warm and friendly, and it was a comfortable place to get around on foot.

The big surprise of the day was being there for the 84th anniversary of the military and local police. There was a ceremony and parade, so we got caught up watching all the festivities. The highllight was seeing all the groups of school kids lining up to parade in their school uniforms; each school a different one. The kids were so friendly and happy! And, they loved being photographed. More importantly (to them, at least), was seeing how they looked in the photographs! They crowded around after each one so they could see themselves and giggle. Cute! It was so much fun.

After roaming around the crafts market and picking up a couple of things, we headed next door to the largest grocery store I had ever seen! I bought chocolate, of course, as well as some spices for Bruce. Then, we stopped over at the deli and picked up a couple of empanadas to enjoy for our little lunch. Delicious!

Overall, it was an enjoyable time walking around the town and having a relaxing, slow-paced day. And, it was nice not being herded around on a tour. As a matter of fact, the only tour we booked is for Ecuador, and it´s only for 31/2 hours. It will be a relaxing cruise…

Following our stop in Peru, we visited Manta, Ecuador, and Puntarenas, Costa Rica, before ending our cruise in San Diego. Due to an outbreak of the swine flu, in Mexico, we had to skip our ports in that country.

Here are a few photos from Ecuador:

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And, a few from Costa Rica:

Our cruise ended in San Diego, so I will leave you with a view of downtown, from the ship:

Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools… and CHOCOLATE!

Tag Archives: Peru

PERU #6: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 6) – A FISH MARKET & DOWNTOWN

Coming up next: PERU #5: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 5)

PERU #4: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 4) – CIRCUITO MAGICO DEL AGUA

PERU #3: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 3) – BARRANCO DISTRICT

PERU #2: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 2)

PERU #1: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 1)

Excerpts From a Past Travelogue: South America, 2009 – Cruising from Peru to San Diego