ALL HIKERS

PRE-HIKE DAYS IN LIMA, PERU

     Beth and I arrive in Lima three days early to allow us plenty of time to visit the city.  We start our exploration of Lima with a trip to the historic downtown area.  On the north side of the square is the Hotel Bolivar, named for Simon Bolivar, who helped in Peru's liberation from Spain in 1824.

Bolivar Hotel
5-20-2008 @ 10:45
Inside Bolivar Hotel
5-20-2008 @ 10:49
Ceiling of Bolivar Hotel
5-20-2009 @ 10:49

     In the center of the square is the Plaza de Armas and a monument to Jose de San Martin who first declared Peru's independence from Spain in 1821.

Monumento de La Libertad
5-20-2008 @ 10:53
Plaque on statue
5-20-2008 @ 10:54

     On the west side of the square is The Cathedral, built in the 16th century with its carved choir stalls.  On the other side of the square is the Palacio del Gobierno, the President's Palace.  There is quite the military and police presence in this area with numerous guards and armored personnel carriers.  Each day at noon the palace has an elaborate changing of the guard ceremony.  Beth and I watch as the band begins to play, marking the start of the ceremony.

The Cathedral
5-20-2008 @ 11:24
The President's Palace
5-20-2008 @ 11:36
Changing of the Guard ceremony
5-20-2006 @ 11:45

     After watching the changing of the guard, Beth and I find a little restaurant and have lunch.  We then walk over to the 16th century San Francisco Convent.  The interior is amazingly intricate with many rooms of wood carving and a large room with individual wooden seats.  After that the tour goes through the catacombs, which until 1821 served as a public cemetery for slaves, servants, and those without money.   This underground labyrinth is a series of wells where bodies were stacked and covered with lime to reduce odor and disease.  One container has bones and skulls arranged in a circular pattern.

San Francisco Convent
5-20-2008 @ 12:56
San Francisco Convent
5-20-2008 @ 1:08
San Francisco Convent
5-20-2008 @ 1:12
Catacombs
San Francisco Convent
5-20-2008 @ 1:25
Catacombs
San Francisco Convent
5-20-2008 @ 1:26
Catacombs
San Francisco Convent
5-20-2008 @ 1:28

     After our convent tour, Beth and I walk over to a city park next to the river Rio Rimac where several examples of walls constructed by the Incas are on display.  The park's grass and flower gardens are immaculately maintained. 

City Park
5-20-2008 @ 2:12
Inca built wall in a City Park
5-20-2008 @ 2:08

     We decide to visit the market.  On the way there, we pass the building that houses the Peruvian Congress.  As we get closer to the market, some type of public demonstration is taking place in the middle of a busy street.  The police are all around, but allow the protestors to continue.

   
  Congress Building
5-20-2008 @ 2:21
 

     The market place is indeed interesting.  Most of the vendors display their goods in the open.  There is just as much variety as one of our supermarkets, just it is all out in the open.  Meat, chickens, pigs feet, and fish were all readily available.  Near the market is Lima's version of Chinatown.  I found it much more clean than other Chinatowns I have visited in San Francisco and New York.  We have had a full first day here and around 5:00 we head back to our hotel.

The city market
5-20-2008 @ 2:30
The city market
5-20-2008 @ 2:31
The city market
5-20-2008 @ 2:32
Hanging meat at the city market
5-20-2008 @ 2:33
Chickens at the city market
5-20-2008 @ 2:40
Pigs feet for sale at the market
5-20-2008 @ 2:42

     On our second day, we take a taxi to Peru's largest museum, the Museo de la Nacion.  The City of Lima has sold numerous advertising plots on the side of the freeway.  They are small flower gardens manicured to fit each client's logo.  They are quite eloquent.

   
  Advertising on the freeway
5-21-2008 @ 11:14
 

    After walking up to the front door of the Museo de la Nacion, we find that it is closed for two weeks.  It's around noon, so we decide to visit the Museum of Gold.  It has an amazing display of knives, swords, pistols, and rifles on the ground floor and beautiful displays of gold in the basement.  It's now mid-afternoon so we feel we have time to visit one more museum today, the National Archeological Museum.  It chronicles the archeological history of Peru with very good displays on Inca history, the part we are more interested in with our upcoming hike.  After another full day, we go back to the hotel.

Museum of Gold
5-21-2008 @ 12:59
Archeological Museum
5-21-2008 @ 3:05

     To start our third day, we walk about eight blocks to the Huaca Pucllana ruins.  They are right in the middle of town and are extensive.  They give us a first glance of Inca construction techniques using adobe blocks.

Huaca Pucllana ruins
5-22-2008 @ 11:32
Huaca Pucllana ruins
5-22-2008 @ 11:33
Huaca Pucllana ruins
5-22-2008 @ 12:29

     After lunch we go to the suburb of Barranco and the Pedro de Osma Museum.  The museum is hard to find, even for the taxi driver, because it has no sign.  It is one of several private homes with extensive colonial art and furniture that has been turned into a museum.

   
  Pedro de Osma Museum
5-22-2008 @ 3:03
 

     We want to visit one more place before calling it a day.  A national publication lists a bridge that's not too far from here as one of the thousand must-see places in the world.  We walk eight or ten blocks and reach the Plaza de Barranco, a small town square.  Students at Peru schools are required to wear uniforms.  A group of high school boys has just gotten out of school and ask to get their picture taken with Beth.  We then walk across the bridge, which wasn't quite as exciting to us as the national publication thought it was.  However, on the other side of the bridge we see the oldest church in Lima.  It appears that restoration of it is underway.

High school boys with Beth
5-22-2008 @ 3:24
Foot bridge
5-22-2008 @ 3:30
Oldest church in Lima
5-22-2008 @ 3:36

     We notice that Lima, like the United States, has pizza delivery, but here it is by motorcycles.

   
  Motorcycle pizza delivery
5-22-2008 @ 4:06
 

     We have enjoyed our days in Lima and take a taxi to the airport motel so we will be ready for the flight tomorrow morning to Cusco.

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