Lima, Peru

FYI, our ship lost internet connectivity for several days due to mechanical issues.  The service part was delivered to the ship in Manta, Ecuador, so we are up and running again.

We sat for hours anchored outside the port area of Lima, Peru waiting for the fog to lift.  All ship traffic was held three miles out until things cleared up.  We could hear many ships dropping their anchors but the mist was incredibly thick so we couldn’t see anything.  The captain kept us advised every hour but it began to look like we would possibly not be able to make port.

Around 12:30 p.m., the fog lifted and our ship was given first priority to dock.  We docked in Callao which is the port city of Lima.  Nowadays, the two cities have conjoined and it is impossible to tell where one ends and the other starts.  Lima is about 12 degrees south and 77 degrees west.  We are nearing the equator so the days have become much more humid and hot.  Today is pretty pleasant and in the high 70’s.

The guide we hired online was waiting for us and took us to our car and driver to begin our tour of the city.  Luckily, the captain had given everyone an extra three hours in the city to compensate somewhat for docking six hours late.

We were shown the old city section of Lima with its beautiful spanish colonial plazas.  We walked around the old post office building which is now an open air souvenir market before heading to old town’s main square, Plaza Mayor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The president’s office (Palacio de Gobierno) is off the square as well as one of the most awesome cathedrals we have ever seen, the Iglesia de San Francisco.  I would say it gives you the feeling of St. Peter’s in Rome.  Ornate chapels lined the perimeter of the main church.  They had many clothing and ceremonial articles on display that the Pope used when he lasted visited here.  Francisco Pizarro, the conquistador who defeated the forces on the Inca Empire and delivered South America into the hand of Spain, is buried here in one the cathedral’s chapels. 

We then walked over to an old monastery and a park that displayed some prehistoric walls before driving over to one of the more modern sections of the city.

Barranco is an area where artists have colored the various building with multicolored paints.  We visited an incredible art gallery where Jeff almost got a horse but the owners just wouldn’t budge on the price.  Our guide then took us to a Welch woman’s house that reminded us the types of homes in the French Quarter in New Orleans.  Everything was covered in Peruvian pre-Columbian art works.  While Jeff and the woman regaled each other with stories, I wandered the wonderful house taking pictures.  Jeff bought several things and then we were driven through on an area called Miralfores.  Miraflores is a bit like Santa Monica, Ca with its beachfront condos and ocean enjoying surfers.

We then headed to the neighborhood of Pueblo Libre where our guide gave us a tour of a most unusual museum called Museo Larco Herrera.  If you ever make it to Lima, do not miss this museum.  45,000 items from the Incas are on display here.  While most of the golden items were long ago melted down by the Spanish, a collector was able to assemble this incredible array of pottery and jewelry.  The collector discovered the items in a single tomb.  Just amazing!

It was then time to head back to the ship.  We were not able to see the Pachacamac Ruins because of our late arrival.  But we’ll definitely be back to Lima and will see it next visit.  Lima is a wonderful city and worth seeing.

Good night!