Lima, Peru
A 36-hour weekend trip to Peru meant not enough time for Machu Picchu in Cusco but there was more than enough to explore and do in Lima, Peru’s capital and biggest city. Peruvian culture is rich with history and there were quite a few places to see within Lima and its various neighborhoods, ranging from historical Lima Central to the more upscale and picturesque districts of Miraflores and Barranco. In addition, I was excited to try all the local food that Peru has to offer, with ceviche being on top of the list. Can’t forget about the Pisco Sours as well, the famous cocktail originated in Peru using Peruvian pisco as the base liquor.
First stop in Lima was to visit the Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor). This square is the heart of Lima with many historical sites and buildings surrounding it, ranging from the Government Palace to the Cathedral of Lima. The bright colors of the buildings made the square very lively with locals in addition tourists, especially since it was near Christmas time, in sunny, warm and summer December!
Nearby Plaza de Armas was the Convento de San Francisco (Church and Monastery of San Francisco). This church and monastery complex had quite a lot on it grounds ranging from beautiful courtyards, libraries with historical books and even a comprehensive catacomb network underground which was awesome to tour around. The church portion itself was pretty standard with the interior décor. The ceiling patterns and colors of this place made it really stand out from its European counterparts with the light colors which made the interior of the church much more open and bright.
The complex offered a guided tour for 10 Peruvian sols, equivalent to a bit more than $3 USD, which was an amazing deal. I went on a Spanish speaking tour which wasn’t bad at all given I was able to understand a good portion of the tour. It covered just about all aspects of the monastery ranging from libraries, choir chambers, courtyards, rooms with paintings and the best part of all: including a tour of the underground catacombs complex. The catacomb portion was especially great because it’s not overly crowded and you get really up close with the bones and their arrangements.
While observing the changing of guards at the Government Palace, a group of local Peruvian university professors/scholars asked if I could take a photo for them. This led to a conversation about where I was from and what I was doing in Peru. The curiosity and hospitality of this group led to an invite for Pisco Sours with them, which I graciously accepted. Turned out to be an amazing experience conversing with locals in their native language with my rusty Spanish while enjoying Pisco Sours and some food.
From there, I made my way to the Miraflores district of Lima, one of the nicer parts of town with parks, shops and close to the water where the scenic views of cliffs meet the mighty Pacific Ocean. This area by the renowned outdoor shopping complex Lacomar was a perfect place to see the sunset over the ocean while enjoying local Peruvian cuisine such as a Pisco Sour with the classic Lomo Soltado dish.
Lima, Peru Photos
