During our two weeks in Peru we unexpectedly fell in love with Lima and ended up spending much more time in the city than we had first planned.Lima is large city with a diverse array of neighborhoods. We stayed in the Miraflores neighborhood, a nice upscale barrio, which has many restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. It also has a beautiful walking malecón, where one can stroll through parks and public areas while gazing at the beautiful pacific beaches below.
Lima, although the beaches are rocky not sandy, is a very popular surf spot and every day many Limeños go surfing in the frigid pacific waters. This area is also a popular parasailing destination where people fly off the cliffs for a birds eye view tour of the Lima skyline and beautiful coastline.
Also along this stretch of the coast there is a very famous shopping mall called “Larcomar” which is an architectural marvel since it is built into the cliff side overlooking the ocean providing beautiful views of the ocean.
In the heart of Lima is the plaza mayor in the downtown area of Lima. The plaza is surrounded by important historical buildings and churches from the colonial period and have been kept up and beautifully preserved.
Many of the buildings have intricately carved wooden balconies, which look out on to the plaza and the central fountain. These wooden balconies are unlike anything neither Sophie nor I had ever seen before and had been remarkably well kept and restored.
While exploring the downtown area we visited the San Francisco convent to visit the famous catacombs. The catacombs are a network of caves and passageways that served a multitude of functions, however their main purpose was that of burial galleries underneath the church. However it is believed that the passageways connected buildings and some even lead all the way out to the sea to escape if for some reason the city were under attack. Underneath the church we explored the small passageways and piles upon piles of bones, skeletons and skulls. While underneath the church both Sophie and I had fears of an earthquake striking while we were in the catacombs, luckily one did not occur, that is until we were en route to Santiago de Chile.
As part of an art promotion, throughout Lima in all the areas we visited, there
were colorfully painted cows on display that we felt compelled to take pictures of.
were colorfully painted cows on display that we felt compelled to take pictures of.
While Lima is a great city to explore on foot, every time you cross the street you put your life at risk. The drivers are absolutely nuts and they definitely have the right of the way. It seemed as if some drivers were trying to hit you while you crossed the street. While there are streetlights and crosswalks, every time you must cross a street it is a challenge. Luckily, during our time in Lima we never had more than a couple close calls, but I’m just glad we made it out unscathed.
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