We landed safely in Lima and set our watches two hours forward to accommodate the time zone on the western seaboard of South America. Mrad and Peter collected their luggage.
Our shuttle took us to a well-appointed hotel, Hostal Torreblanco in the suburb of upmarket Miraflores. Unfortunately, it was on a busy traffic circle and we had to use earplugs in order to sleep.
The internet immediately took Inanda and Leezyl's fancy, and the arum lilies made us feel at home.
Christo and Mrad had a good look at the display of ancient artifacts.
The next morning, our city tour took us to Parque del Amor (Love Park) which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. This huge terracotta statue of Lord Shiva and Parvati dominates the park and the dark purple salvias in the beautifully manicured beds gave Lima a romantic feel.
The Gaudi-like walls intrigued us.
These are some of the scenes we saw on our drive through the city:
a centipede shaped walkway.
Tudor houses.
A grove of ancient olive trees and nearby an ancient olive press and vat in which the olive oil was stored.
We had an extensive visit to a famous archeological site in Lima: Huaca Pucllana. The excavations have revealed the temple site of a people from 400AD (nine centuries prior to the Inkas!) and on top of it a second culture, the Wari who used the site as a burial site from 700AD.
The museum had interesting artifacts rescued from the seven layers of the great clay brick "pyramid". The structure was whittled down from 8 to present day 2 and a half square kilometers due to development, but the authorities proclaimed it a monument and tourists have been visiting it since 1984.
The ancient cultures were dependent on the sea. The importance of sea creatures (sharks) can clearly be seen in this pottery.
This little "doll" was found in one of the burial chambers. (The checked appearance is the reflection of my shirt!)
It was very hot but our guide explained the pyramid to us in great detail.
Can you see the 800 year old fingermarks on the clay bricks?
The trapezoidal building pattern helped to preserve the structure.
The lower section (above) was part of the original temple. In the upper section (it was quite a stiff climb to get to the top) several Wari tombs were found. The bodies are wrapped up and food and small animals which they might need for the "journey" are arranged in the tomb. Can you see the unique black maize?
As you can see from the next photo, city development has encroached onto the remaining pyramid. Fortunately, the site is being actively excavated and preserved.
We were grateful to clamber into the cooler bus. We drove towards the city centre. The city had beautiful sights:
The San Martin Plaza has an impressive statue which give homage to Peru's liberator, José de San Martín.
In the center of Lima, wooden balconies (miradores) grace many Spanish colonial buildings. The Spaniards brought this Arab influence (which we also saw in Turkey) to Peru during their reign of Peru.
We arrived in the Plaza de Armas (a UNESCO Heritage site) in time to watch the changing of the guards at Palacio Gobierno, Lima's presidential palace.
We went for a tasty lunch. I enjoyed Cerviche de Pescado (pickled raw fish) - delicious!
After lunch we drove past the "squatter" section of Lima - brightly coloured homes clinging to the side of Cerro San Cristobal on the northeast of downtown Lima. This hill gave us a glimpse of the desert which surround Lima.
Our next stop was the Museo Oro del Peru.
We were not allowed to take any photos of this magnificent private collection, so we suggest that you visit the website (http://www.museoroperu.com.pe/museum.html) which gives an excellent overview of the museum's content. The exhibits are priceless - the ancient golden artifacts were especially beautiful.
On our way back to the hotel, these electrical connections fascinated us.
This is the desert soil on which Lima is built.
However, the proximity to the Pacific Ocean softens the harshness of the environment.
The next day we would leave very early to fly to Cusco/Cuzco.
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