Anyhow, Lima is a trip. There's so much traffic and so many districts that you could stay for a month and not see the majority of it. We focused on some specific areas, so that we wouldn't feel too overwhelmed and like we had to try and see everything.
Miraflores:
This is the "shi-shi" district, meaning well-to-do, where many tourists stay if they aren't just overnighting. It's mainly residential, but with lots of amenities like restaurants, shopping, parks and the walkway along the cliffs overlooking the beach. There a many signs warning against honking or any other undue noise which makes for a pleasant stay. You can rent bikes in several locations and enjoy the long stretch of pathway above or along the beach.
El Barranco:
Commonly defined as the "boho" district of Lima, the place usually comes alive at night and is a restaurant and club hotspot. We went during the day and it was decidedly low key. Being crazy gringos, we walked from Miraflores, along the beach and up to the Puente de Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs), so named after a girl longing for her lover. (Said lover was not of the appropriate social status and Papi was having none of it.) There is a very nice town square and some interesting architecture. I was particularly fascinated by the run down buildings that seemed spooky and kind of romantic. There was a decided lack of boho clothing stores and I came away empty handed.
 | |
| There's some sort of unwritten law in Peru that all the churches have to be yellow. This one is perfect from the front... |
 |
| Not so good beyond the facade |
 |
| Kind of New Orleans-esque, no? |
La Gamarra (in La Victoria area):
We heard about this place on a "places you shouldn't miss, but tourists never go to" list. We walked (again), but this was a decidedly longer hike than to El Barranco and wended through both nice and rougher areas of the city. We only had the most general sense of where we were headed (due to map issues) and had to stop a couple of times to ask people if we were headed the right way. Looking back on it, it strikes me as funny, but we actually talked about how we would know when we'd arrived in la Gamarra. We shouldn't have worried. What is this place, you may be asking? The garment district. It's loaded with factories that make all sorts of clothes; from underwear to ball gowns, exercise gear to custom suits. It's HUGE; probably 5 blocks square with four and five story buildings selling nothing but clothing. It was also packed with Peruvians and not a gringo in sight.
If you've ever been to Las Vegas, you'll be familiar with the guys on the street with their little business cards for "entertainment", well the Gamarra isn't much different except the cards are for little shops buried in the back of a huge rabbit warren of stores. I can't even begin to describe how the multi-story buildings are laid out. There are half floors and landings crammed with stores, narrow aisles and crazy layouts that get you lost in a heart beat and everyone (almost) wants to sell you something. I only found one place that really had no interest in selling anything and that was the place where I was trying to get some tank tops. I gave up. If you get a chance, go visit the district (cabbies do know it) and pick up a few deals (or lots of deals) your only limit is the cash you bring with you. Ron picked up two pairs of jeans and four shirts for $90. (Yes, all black.)
El Centro (Plaza de Armas):
It's a 20-30 sole ride from Miraflores to the historic centre of Lima. On the square are some of the best examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the city; the cathedral and the palace; which has a changing of the guard at 11:40 (ish) am. Down many of the streets are amazing buildings not only in the colonial style, but also art deco creations that are really incredible.
 |
| Spanish Balconies |
 |
| The Palace |
 |
| Art Deco? Spanish Revival? You decide |
There are a number of museums, many offering free entry, plus a range of shopping malls in pedestrian only areas. There is also a large market and Chinatown, not far from the main square. We spent several hours just wandering around and then found a nice restaurant overlooking the square to enjoy lunch.
 |
| Note the lady sleeping on the goat carcass. |
 |
| Gigantic cinnamon sticks (use eggs for size reference) |
 |
| Goose! |
 |
| Plaza de Armas |
The Zoo:
Again, we were the only gringos to be had. I guess not many people stay for any length, so the zoo isn't on their priority list. I have mixed feelings about zoos, but can't resist the lure of so many animals in one place. There were only a couple of animals that I felt had cracked due to their captivity (which, of course, is a couple too many); the rest seemed either content (or resigned), sometimes it was hard to tell.
 |
| Jaguar |
 |
| The Condor (National bird of Ecuador) |
 |
| Andean Puma |
Museo Larco:
This is a fine example of a well executed museum. The display are well laid out, offer several languages and the content is actually interesting. The museum boasts the largest collection of "erotic" pottery and ceramic ware in the world, as well as a good collection of pottery, metal work (precious and not) and fabric samples from the mighty Incan Empire and their conquered tribes.
 |
| The museums unofficial greeter, taking a well deserved nap. |
Curcuito de Agua:
If you like dancing fountains, you'll like this place. We came as night was falling to catch some of the music and light show. There are over a dozen fountains (I believe) with varying levels of complexity and interactivity. The water tunnel was particularly popular, as well as the adults' and children's play fountains.
As an added bonus there was a Kennel Club dog show on the grounds, which I enjoyed, but alas, my battery was running low and I didn't get any good photos. :0(
The final thing about Lima is the people...they're a lot taller than in Cusco or even in most of Ecuador. They are also city folk...in a rush and don't have much time for loiterers or tourists. That's not to say that they're rude, just distracted. It was an amazing adventure and we'd recommend it to anyone with even the smallest sense of adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment