Lima tour & blog

[Carla Barrientos]

Peru is amazingly surrounded by the Pacific Ocean in the west, in the north are Ecuador and Colombia, in the east Brazil and Bolivia and in the south there is Chile. Peruvians speak Spanish (official language) and other languages such as the Quechua (check the Quechua Google version at: http://www.google.com/intl/qu/) lol
The sea brings the country arid flat areas and amazing beaches; the awesome Andean Cordillera shows their snow peaks; and the forest gives us a spectacular environment to conquer with its wonderful animal species and vegetation!
Not to mention the culture. Oh my, Peruvian culture is terrific! To talk about its culture is to talk about its people from time immemorial!
Historic data say that humans have lived in Peru since 11.000 years b.C. That’s a lot lol
They talk about the Chavin, Paracas, Mochica, Nazca,Wari and Chimu cultures. Let’s not forget the Incas (take a look at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Kola) They were the largest empire in Pre-Columbian America!
Each of them created what people from all over the world seek to know: irrigation systems, terraces, fortresses, sacrifice and ritual places, pottery etc.
Then came the Conquistadors, who, lead by Francisco Pizarro, imposed Spanish culture by defeating the Incan Emperor Atahualpa. Wars and fights for the power followed, bringing Peru to be what we know of it now: a multi-cultural country, with lovely and charismatic people, wonders to see and very rich flavors!!!
Come along and enjoy the ride!


Lima
After a calm flight departing from São Paulo, I arrive again in Lima and meet Fernando – the Argentinean transfer guy, who’s married to a nice Peruvian girl. The flight was a little late but he stood there, until 1:30 am, waiting for me! That’s what I call good service!
All the way from the Hugo Chávez International Airport to my hotel in the heart of Miraflores, we go by the coast and I can already see the city lights.
It’s a brand-new Saturday and the nightclubs, restaurants and pubs are waiting for us, tourists! I can see people from all around the globe coming and going… In a few minutes more, it’ll be my turn.
(45 minutes later)
After checking in at El Carmel Hotel (a 3 star hotel in Miraflores neighborhood) and having my luggage taken up here, I had a shower, preparing myself to enjoy Lima nightlife!
I met my Peruvian friend Hellen and Yesica at the hotel lobby and we headed to Barranco neighborhood, precisely to the restaurant Manos Morenas to enjoy some anticuchos (cow heart-beef) and Pisco Sour (typical beverage). Food was great and the clerks were very lovely. We paid U$20 each (3 Pisco Sours each + the anticuchos and French fries lol).
We took a cab due to it being so late. The hotel clerk called it for me! Public transportation in Lima is not so good for first timers, so one should always take a cab, preferable a recommended one! Ask your travel agent about it, or get information at good hotels and restaurants. Taxi fare: U$2,50.
We decided to go to AURA, a very famous disco in Miraflores (U$16 each): good music, beautiful people, safe and well decorated place! After 3 Pisco Sours at the restaurants, I could only have water at the disco to save me from a headache… U$1,50 the bottle.
There were people from all over the world there. I also meet a Brazilian couple honeymooning in Peru. And they were coming from Arequipa, after being in Machu Picchu and the Titicaca Lake.
Night was great!!! I don’t know about the other girls, but I love Lima!
5:15 a.m.. - Back to the hotel and right to bed. At 9 am I have a city tour in group through Lima (U$26) that lasts 3 hours (which will take me to some very interesting sites of the Ancestral, the Colonial and the Contemporary Lima, about which I’ll write later). After the city tour I will probably go to Larco Mar Mall: world and local famous brands, the best restaurants, pubs, discos… And a great view of the Pacific Ocean. I intend to visit the Pachacamac ruins, because the other time I was in Lima, time wasn’t enough…
Well, sweet dreams… good night!!!
Look at the chart I created in which you will find a list of important things about Lima. (completar la tabla xq no he encontrado tanto info como tenéis alla)

Places to… “Must see’s” Places to spend the night Curiosities

Go shopping:
. Jockey Plaza Shopping Center:recently built, it’s considered the best in South America. Its exclusive shops offer from sunglasses to pets.
. The Indian Market (Mercado Indio): crafts
. Petit Thouars Handicraft Market: Textiles, woolen clothes, ceramics, silver and gold jewelry, traditional outfits, alpaca carpets.
. Larco Museum Gallery Shop: ceramic, metal and textile reproductions

Have fun:
Daytime:
. Larco Mar : is Lima ´s first tourism and Entertaninement center , located in the district of Miraflores. The shopping and entertainement complex is built into the cliffs of the Parque Salazar with a nice vieux of the Pacific ocean
Larcomar offers a total entertainement experience, bringing together a variety of name brand stores and restaurants.
together with the best soteres specializing in artisan work, alpaca clothing and peruvbian products.
larcomar offers bar , movies, bowling, electronic games national and international food, discotec, etc
. Monterrico Hippodrome
National and International horse races four days a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
. Bullfighting: in Lima it is Spanish-style(the bull is killed in the end). The arena is the oldest in the Americas the spectacles take place in late October and November.
. Sheraton Lima Casino: roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker, and countless slot machines
At night:
. Barranco bohemian neighborhood (typical pubs, arts…)
. Miraflores neighborhood (fine restaurants, theatres, galleries. discos…)

Eat:
. Larco Museum café: restaurant located in the terrace and garden of the museum

. Main restaurants:
- Mangos
- Señorío deSulco
- Punta Sal
- Segundo Muelle
- San Ceferino Trattoria
- Manos Morenas
- Manolo’s
- La Rosa Nautica

. Main pubs:
- . Antropology and Archeology National Museum
. Historical Center: the Main Square, the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the Municipal Theater, the "Desamparados" Train Station…
. The "Gold Museum": private museum of legendary treasures of Peru's ancient pre-Columbian civilizations
. Las Leyendas park/zoo: flora and fauna of Peru's three distinct habitats: the coast, the Sierra, and the jungle.
. San Francisco Church:
one of the few examples in the Americas of the mudejar, or Andalusian Moorish. Collection of antique books, and the vast catacombs under the church, discovered in 1951
. Chinatown: where Peruvian and Chinese cultures blend. Great Chinese food and view of Chinese Arch at Capon Street
. Plaza Mayor: here in 1535 Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded Lima. Important colonial institutions were established around the Plaza and remain today as part of the historic center: the Cathedral, the Parroquia del Sagrario (Parish of the Sacristy), Palacio Arzobispal (Archiepiscopal Palace), the Municipality and the Palacio de Gobierno. The large bronze fountain in Plaza dates from 1651. The Act of Independence of Peru took place here in 1821.
. Chorrillos neighborhood: famous for its beach resorts at La Herradura, restaurants, particularly the picanterías (specializing in spicy dishes) and the astronomical observatory 'El Planetario'.
. Museo Larco: overview of 4,000 years of Peruvian pre-Columbian history
. La Nación Museum: authentic artifacts about the entire span of human occupation in Peru
. Museo de La Inquisición: Prisoners were tortured in the basement of this building during the Spanish Inquisition between 1570 and 1820. Visitors today explore the underground dungeons and torture chambers. Frightening life-sized wax models of the victims are also to be found
. El Olivar Park: 500 year old trees. Beautiful birds a peaceful place well guarded by police.
. Los Suspiros Bridge: one of the main tourist attractions of Barranco neighborhood.
. Huaca Pucllana: archaeological ceremonial and administrative site built in the IV century A.C., considered by the Incas a holy village.
. JW Marriot Lima - 5*

. Miraflores Park Hotel - 5*

. Meliá Lima - 5*

. Miraflores Las Americas - 5*

. Sol de Oro – 5*

. Sheraton Lima Hotel & Convention Center – 4*

. Plaza del Bosque Apart Hotel - 4*

. El Pueblo Resort and Convention Center – 4*

. Hotel Ariosto – 3*

. Antigua Miraflores Hotel – 3*

. El Carmel – 3*

. Crowne Plaza Lima – 3*

. Gran Hotel Boliver – 3*

. La Casa de Los Sanchez – 2*

. Five minutes from the city center is the Soccer Stadium where Lima's most popular teams like Alianza, Cristal, and "U" play every weekend. International games are also hosted here.
. Typical food: creole (spiced meats, seafood, or poultry) – anticuchos (cow’s heart-beef), ceviche (seafood), papas a la wancaína (potatoes with a typical sauce)…

. Typical beverages: chicha morada, Pisco Sour, Inka Cola

. Cerro Azul Beach is great for surfers in search of good tubular waves.

. “El Beso” (The kiss) sculpture in Parque del Amor (Love park) along the Pacific shoreline
.

Saturday in Lima (poner la fecha)
I woke up abruptly with my tour guide phoning me at 8:30 (the city tour starts at 9 am)!
In no time I took a shower, my belly belt (money, photocopy of my passport, credit card, map, sun lotion, mosquito cream), my camera (which I keep out-of-sight in a small purse I carry) and headed down to the lobby!
Breakfast? The table was amazing: fruits, juices, bread, ham and cheese, cakes, chicha morada, milk… But as I was out of time, all I could do was grab a piece of cake and a glass of chicha morada (check the recipe at http://peru-recipes.com/2008/01/chicha-morada)...
By the way, talking to the guide, we came up with the idea of, after finishing the city tour around 12:30 at Larco Mar, I’ll grab something to eat in one of the restaurants there and at 1:15 pm tops, I’ll take a cab (U$17 – 1 hour ride) to visit the Pachacamac Ruins (U$2).
Here is an overview of the tour!
A few words before I begin: as part of the Inca Empire until its discovery by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, Lima has three historic “parts” (City tour: U$26 – lasted 2 hours 55 minutes lol):
1) In Ancestral Lima we visited Huaca Pucllana (an archaeological site built in the IV century A.C.: ceremonial and administrative centre, considered by the Incas a Holy Village. “We learn about the life and rituals of its ancient inhabitants and admire its typical pyramidal shape, very characteristic of sacred pre-Hispanic edifications of coastal Peru”. The ruins and the museum are really worth visiting.. It was the watching point of the “fortress” against pirates and it’s very large! It’s not open on Tuesdays and, pay attention to the guide!, he’ll explain you astonishing details of the site!
2) In Colonial Lima (the city was the capital of the Peruvian Viceroyalty) the landmarks are its architecture and the urban design of the city (“streets filled with colonial houses adorned with Moorish-style balconies”). The tour takes us to Paseo de la Republica, Plaza San Martin and Plaza Mayor, where we can visit the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), Palacio Arzobispal (Archbishop’s Palace), the Catedral (Cathedral) and the Palacio Municipal (Municipal Palace). In fact, this part of the city reminds me of some cities in Spain because this is the part where we see what foreigners have brought to the country in their times.
Here I meet some people also taking the tour, but by bike! My God: why in the world haven’t I thought of doing this? Next time maybe…
In this part is where the most beautiful buildings of Lima are set. To see Peruvian golden, ceramic and textiles treasures, don’t miss the Museum of the Banco Central de Reserva. In Convento de San Francisco (Convent of Saint Francis), there is “the biggest collection of religious art in America, we can admire the Choir Room and the Monks’ Library, the Sacristy, with its collection of Zurbaran and Rivera paintings. The Big Patio of the Main Cloister, decorated with Seville tiles from the XVI century, its beautiful Moorish arches and its subterranean crypts known as The Catacombs, where you will feel the presence of Lima 's colonial past” (for priests of other times are buried there buuu) not sure what this is supposed to be??.

3) Here’s for the modern and contemporary fellows: The Olive Grove of San Isidro, Miraflores neighborhood and Larco Mar Mall are the most traditional residential areas in the capital. Once in Miraflores don’t miss the Indian Market on Petit Thouars Avenue, where we can find typical things from every corner of Peru. And excuse me for a second: Larco Mar is my favorite part of modern Lima because I simply love to browse around the great stores, restaurants and discos and take a look over the ocean from here! Larco Mar is an excellent shopping and amusing center in Lima! One shouldn’t miss visiting it!

Out of time again, I had to take the cab to the Pachacamac ruins with my ceviche bag in hands! It tasted really good, perhaps because I had missed it a lot! (Ceviche recipe: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1194615)
After exactly 57 minutes in the cab, we arrived at the site of my first-visit of the Pachacamac Ruins! Some may say it’s just rock over rock. But it is not!!! If you pay close attention to the history and try to put yourself into it, you will be able to feel the you’re not alone there! It was a great and very important sanctuary to which Incas paid respect, because Pachacamac priests held the power of fortune-telling and of deciding people’s life or death!.... It was the most important oracle of the Andean world!!! Wow, it’s a preparation for the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and the other ruins in our way!
Useless to say that my Saturday ended and Sunday met me at AURA disco (Larco Mar) again! If you like enjoying the nightlife, don’t miss it!!!