Peru (finally) Lima Part 1

Peru has been at or near the top of our "to visit" list for years. We even got to the preliminary planning stages a couple of times. However, both times political unrest and visitor restrictions at Machu Picchu convinced us to go somewhere else. If I remember right, our 2024 trip to Argentina was instead of Peru. This year, we were "supposed" to go to Germany. I even had the trip approved at work, going through ALL the hoops. However, we had to switch it up only a month out. Germany was out, Peru was in. One of the first things we needed to do was get our Machu Picchu tickets. Once that was set, we could build our trip around that date. With only 5,600 visitors allowed per day, which is 1/10th - 1/2 of the other 7 Wonders of the Modern World (except Petra). From there, we decided to spend a few days in Lima before going to Cusco for a few more days then coming back to Lima to catch our flight back. Once we had those dates, we came to the hard part - what to do? We used multiple "what to do in Peru" social media posts and videos, advice from friends that had visited, and, for Lima, the trusty ole visitacity site to build out the itinerary. 

Also, as I've taken to doing recently, I listened to a couple Peru-centric history podcasts during the run up. You'll read some of the things I've learned later on. This time, I tried a new podcast, The Rest Is History, and followed Dominic and Tom as they cheekily and irreverently detailed the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in the 1530s, rife with intrigue, backstabbing, human drums, pelting prisoners with papayas, and colorful characters. I also gave a second listen to Mike Duncan's South American Liberation series from his Revolutions show. Well, I tried. I didn't get all the way through that one and it focuses mostly on Venezuela and Gran Colombia anyway. Peru is only peripherally mentioned a few times.

Here's some fun facts:

Just to get y'all acquainted with Peru - 

Peru is big, almost the size of Alaska and twice the size of Texas. 

In population, it's right behind Saudi Arabia and not all that far off of Canada.

The Andes run through the length of Peru, essentially dividing a coastal desert from the rest of the country, including the Amazon rainforest in the northeast.

Lima is the second largest desert city in the world behind Cairo. By city limit population, Lima is as large as New York City and Chicago combined, but when factoring in the metro area, it's just between Chicago and Dallas. Callao is the only suburb and that's where the airport is. 

The main language is Spanish, but plenty of people speak Quechua, the language that was largely propagated by the Incas during their empire some 600-800 years ago.

With a nation of that size, it's impossible to get a full feel for Peru in just 10 days. We split our time between the two main tourism hubs, but we still missed the Amazon and several other important spots.

Travel and Day 1

The flights to Lima went pretty well. Had time to get my guayaba y queso pastelitos from Versailles Cafe in Miami before catching the last leg down to Lima, arriving in just after midnight. We checked into our hotel, (El Golf Hotel Boutique) lugged the bags up the two flights of stairs, and knocked off for the night.

The next morning, I slow rolled it a bit. Mila, on the other hand, had to get up early. We tried out "causita" at the hotel breakfast, glad that we asked what it was beforehand. It was a little ball of mashed potato with garlic and olive oil. It was good, but looked like it'd be sweet.  Would've been a bit of a surprise. 

the hotel is small, maybe 20 rooms, and located in the San Isidro neighborhood

We had a full day planned, but first, of course I had to try out a local coffee shop. Google took us on a 10 minute walk through the neighborhood on our way to Space Cafe. Since I'd originally read that we were in the Miraflores neighborhood, I had an AWESOME joke setup that Mila surely did NOT get tired of over 10 days - I'd see some pretty flowers and say "Mira! FLORES!" I'll never know why I didn't go into comedy.

but for real, the houses and businesses in the neighborhood all seemed to have very pretty flowers growing everywhere, even bursting over the walls like these vereneras (bougainvillea I guess is the real name)

We made it to Space Cafe, asked a bunch of questions about their extensive and eclectic menu, and then hung out on the bean bags while waiting. 

I was told to print this off for work

I got a pretty good lychee latte and Mila got crazy with a lucuma matcha.

OK, that being settled, we hopped into an Uber on the way to spot 1. Uber in Peru is fairly cheap, with most rides being $3-$5, and the most expensive airport ride hit about $20. That's for a 1+ hour ride through brutal traffic. Compare that to $60 for the 15 minute ride from the airport when we got home. In no traffic, but a little bit of rain. Also, traffic in Lima is considered to be among the worst in the world. Like, top 3 worldwide. Glad I wasn't driving.

Visitacity wanted us to go to back to back monasteries, but that seemed a bit much. We ended up picking the San Francisco monastery as it looked cooler in pictures. As an added bonus, there is a series of catacombs underneath the monastery that was rediscovered some 80 years ago. Used throughout the colonial period, roughly 25,000 skeletons have been found down there, but excavation has been halted because further digging could compromise the foundations of the convent and surrounding buildings. Additionally, there wasn't much chance to take pictures, so they're a might bit sparse here.

In the bottom right hand of this picture, you can just see where they're doing beautification on the courtyard in front of the church

the church was finished in the early 18th century and has stood through many earthquakes

                                     

The museum offered a guided tour as part of the entrance fee. There was a lot of really cool 16th and 17th century artwork as the guide explained that many Peruvians received high-level art training. An interesting one was a take on the Last Supper, this time around a circular table with traditional Peruvian food on offer to Jesus and the disciples. Judas was easy to pick out with the devil whispering in his ear. The guide also explained how the catacombs were Lima's primary burial ground and how the monks would throw multiple bodies in the same hole and quicken decomposition with lye. After they were nothing but bones, they would classify the bones by type. There was even some creepy looking art projects, perfect for you Halloween lovers out there. Again, we weren't allowed to take pictures.

fitting that a cat was crawling around the shrine to St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals

the red and white baroque style of the nave was striking

I feel that's probably not original

here you can see a lot more of the walled-off construction

Since we were in the historical center and 3 coffees is never enough while on vacation, especially day 1, we wandered into the Museum of Peruvian Coffee located in a little artisanal market area.

It wasn't exactly a museum in the sense of displays and such, but it was a place that took coffee very seriously. I ordered a special coffee and it came with an explanation of everything from the growing to cultivating to proper preparation, something I actually used while making my Sunday morning pour over today.

He's my friend

So, I got "that" coffee. The little guy I've got in my hand represents a coati. (I'll post a picture of a friendly one we met in Panama last winter in a bit) What happens is that these guys live on the coffee finca. They go around eating the coffee cherries. They are also fed different types of fruits, particularly citruses. They break down the outer shell of the cherries and are fermented along with the fruits in their stomachs. After, umm, extraction, they are sanitized (I'm told) and they are processed as normal coffee beans. The slow process and added cost of pets leads to some of the most expensive and unique cups of coffee in the world. Certainly, it was about 2-3x the amount I spend on a cup of coffee, even at Peru prices.

this coati thought Mila was really cool and walked right up to us while we were in a Panamanian jungle reserve

waving goodbye to her new friend

I mean, it was pretty good, but not the best coffee I've ever had. Sorry Peru, Panamanian geisha still's got one over on you for signature coffee

After my coffee, I walked into a stall, looking for a bottle of water. We ended up with much more, as Edgar was a smooth salesman who, as we luckily discovered later, genuinely offered good prices on souvenirs-along with a few free shots of pisco. That always makes it easier to get the sale.

Now laden with a big bag of goodies, we wandered around the maze of stalls and vendors, coming across a couple of murals.

before ending up in Plaza Mayor, the traditional center of the colonial center. Although the area had been inhabited for over a millennium, Pizarro and his merry band "founded" the "City of the Kings" so that the flood of arriving gold-hungry Spaniards would have a place to land. They built the city up and his house was on the main square. Now the Government Palace sits on the site where his house had been located, having been constructed after a series of earthquakes and fires had destroyed the original mansion. Pizarro was assassinated in that house and we saw an impressive painting of that scene later on in the trip. 

the view walking into the Plaza

While this was obviously a spot for tourists, it seemed that there were more locals milling around the area than tourists. 

taken from the steps of the Cathedral, you can see the Government Palace (Pizarro's old crib) over her left shoulder and the Municipal Palace over the right

We were getting a bit hungry, had just spent a couple of hours touring a convent, chapel, and catacombs, so we decided to forego spending $25 to tour the national cathedral. The one thing I kinda regret missing is Pizarro's tomb. With such a complicated past and the veneration of the Incas and revolutionary heroes, it is a bit surprising that the original conquistador is still displayed in a place of honor.

Mila bought a little hair tie from this lady before receiving permission to take a picture

We had been told that there were several good restaurants right off of the plaza, so we followed a barker down an alleyway over to Senior Blue. Our waiter was Venezuelan and there was a group of drunk Americans watching a Premier League game on the TV, but the food was great and the beer was Peruvian.

We both got lomo saltado, just with different sides

Cusquena Trigo became Mila's go-to on the trip but we started with the Dorada. Me being me, I almost enjoyed listened to the couple sitting next to us. The man was some 30 years older than his date (we'll say she had a highly curated appearance) and was trying to impress her with his adventures and tough guy persona. I picked up a couple of lies but just chuckled to myself. Behind me you can see a statue of Jose Olaya, the namesake of the alley.

Olaya was an indigenous fisherman that relayed messages between rebels hidden inside Lima and the government of Callao. Oh, he would swim those messages. At the entrance of the alley, there's a plaque showing the spot where he was executed by firing squad. His last words? "If I had a thousand lives, I would gladly give them for my homeland."

After finishing dinner, we hopped in an Uber to go on a hunt for the famous "Bridge of Sighs." No, it's not a Tom Hanks movie about Cold War Berlin, it's a real pedestrian bridge located in the Barranco neighborhood. The original 150-year-old bridge was inaugurated on Valentine’s Day and got its nickname from serving as a favorite meeting spot for lovers.

 and... it's closed for repairs. drat. those pictures are from the walkway after the bridge.

We walked to the end of the walkway to find an overlook. Barranco is a ravine, so we looked down at the neighborhood's namesake and out to sea.

Bridge notwithstanding, the Barranco neighborhood is known for its "artsy" feel and we could sense that.

she likes birds, right?

After a quick stop at a bodega for some snacks and a bathroom break (never pass up a free bathroom while traveling), we finished the night at the Magic Water Circuit of Reserve Park. 

The park is home to 12 fountains of varying size and design. We showed up shortly after 9, just as the last show of the night was getting underway. While the fountains are always on, three times a night they do shows with lights, music, and video projected through the water. It reminded us a bit of Disney's Hollywood studios' nighttime show. Just, you know, no Mickey or Moana. 

A few of the different fountains around the park

We walked the entire circuit, not exactly sure of the timing of the shows. Since the park is large, we didn't notice the show that started right around the time we entered. The place was full and this was the first time we noticed that Lima is a 24/7 city. 

the main fountain mid-show

The Peruvian flag, we were too slow to catch it in all its splendor

hey pretty lady

After the show and a few pictures, we continued along the circular path, taking us to the Tunnel of Surprises fountain.

We found out why it has the name "Tunnel of Surprises." That is, a few of the jets intermittently spurt, wetting passersby. So, no one quite gets out completely dry.

After meandering through the rest of the park, we decided to catch a ride back to the hotel. The next day was going to be a very very long day.

Day 2: Our first outing

Juancho told us to meet him in the street at 6 am. He'd texted the night before, saying we were the first pickup as we were the furthest away from the meeting point. While standing on the curb, we saw a few early morning joggers. Juancho pointed out that this is a newer occurrence, as Limans had only started focusing on their fitness in the past decade or so. 

this shot is a preview of later in the day, but now you can picture Juancho. Oh yeah, he was our guide

We climbed aboard a huge passenger bus, complete with some 50 comfy seats and a bathroom in the back. You know the rules, #1 only. We drove around in a darkened Lima, stopping at different hotels in San Isidro and Miraflores to pick up other tourists. 

The trip was a three-tiered adventure. First a 250km,  2 1/2 hour drive to Paracas. The first hour or two of the trip, it was still dark. First, it was because the sun was down, but after that it was a thick fog that obscured the view. Eventually, however, we could actually see out the bus windows, it was obvious just how dry the area was. It was a bit odd, with the coast to the right and a dry, arid desert to the left.

The small town of Paracas is named after the Paracas civilization that lived in the area 2,000-3,000 years ago. We stopped at a tourist plaza, basically, to go to the bathroom and grab snacks before getting on a boat.

We got way too close to the front, it was harder to see from up there. The peninsula to our left had mountains that reminded me of Nevada. Just as we were about to clear the peninsula, we pulled up a little closer to get a view of the Candelabra of Paracas.

dated to roughly 200 BCE, the purpose of the geoglyph isn't completely certain. It was possibly a navigational aid had religious symbolism. or both?

there is likely a relationship with the Nazca lines. Granted, the tour guide also said it may have been made by the Masons.

Standing over 550 feet tall and carved two feet into the rock, the site is a national landmark—one so protected that anyone caught messing with it faces jail time. In the desert landscape, there has rarely been a need for upkeep over these two millennia. 

After slowly passing by the candelabra (potentially a San Pedro cactus), we headed out to the open sea. We'd been warned that Paracas means "winds" and that the sea could be pretty gnarly, but luckily it wasn't too rough. We made our way out to the Ballestas Islands, also known as the Peruvian Galapagos. The small archipelago is covered with animal life and highly valuable bird guano. Tourists aren't allowed to land on the island but a couple of park rangers stay there year-round and guano collectors come through about annually.

You can just see something on the ledge above the arch. Let's zoom in.

Hmm there's something up there...

IT'S A PENGUIN!!!

by the way, my favorite animal is the penguin. We thought we were going to get a chance to see some on a Channel cruise in Argentina, but were sorely disappointed. No such letdown in Peru. The guide had said we were likely to see them, but no guarantees. The boat captain said he would go on a search for one if there weren't any on the islands but no need. There was one on the ledge that I could just barely make out but it's not showing up in pictures. We paused and watched the little fella, a Humboldt penguin, work his way down the rocks.

hard to make out

contemplating his next move

We eventually had to move on around to the other side of the island. There were several other tour boats in the island and it seems that they have a pretty regimented route and timeline that they follow.

How could she just sleep through all that noise?

there were a couple sea lion pups over there. these guys weren't nearly as loud or annoying as California sea lions but we heard the males making some weird noises

The rocks were covered with seabirds, namely gigantic pelicans. The guide kept pointing out Peruvian boobies, but I only saw a bunch of birds. After spending about 30 minutes trolling around the islands, we headed back to the pier. 

fishing boats at anchor

After getting off the boat, we grabbed empanadas and a coffee at a cafe. (Found out that "cafe pasado" is essentially an Americano) We jumped in the bus for a short ride to the next stop - a pisco vineyard.

We ate lunch at Tres Nietos, the vineyard and restaurant. weird thing-all their stuff said "Nietto" but also Tres Nietos.

carapulcra con sopa seca, a dish combining two emblematic southern Peruvian dishes. We've got spaghetti noodles in a basil sauce with a kind of stew with potato and beef

Mila had the arroz con pollo but surprisingly, we have no pictures. After eating, we headed over for a tasting of some of the different types of pisco that the vineyard produces.

the bar while our host gets set up. wish I could remember his name

We started late because the same group that had been late at every single opportunity thus far was late yet again. At least they were consistent. Pisco is a grape brandy and the drinks we sampled were wide-ranging. We mayyyy have accidentally taken a shot before given permission (we were following along with hist toast!) and were penalized a shot of one of the stronger varieties. Oh well. Since we had already bought a bottle of passion fruit pisco the day before, we decided to not buy anything.

that's what it's for, right?

Barrigas llenas, corazones contentos we got back in the bus for the last leg of the trip. 30 minutes later, we were filing out of the bus and looking up at the dunes that dwarfed our bus. Juancho had really pushed upgrading the dune buggy ride to 2 hours, stating that the settlement at Huacachina was not much to see. While I don't regret upgrading to 2 hours, I could have easily passed a peaceful hour sitting by the oasis.

walking out from the bus parking lot

                        

Huaca China herself, the princess that birthed the lagoon and is a sneaky mermaid that still lives there

Huacahina is the last remaining oasis in South America and the settlement surrounding it has only about 100 permanent residents. There were little restaurants and shops, but no hotels and we could see the "potable water" trucks coming in and out. Apparently the lagoon is still naturally fed, but some of the local businesses have pumped water into the lagoon as well.

After a quick 15 minutes or so, we started the walk up the dune to our areneros.

great plan

Maybe 200 meters up the hill, there was a whole paddock of dune buggies from several different companies. 

subiendo

                                

He looks proud

Juancho had split us up by group and luckily we weren't stuck with the perpetually late guys. It was me and nine women. Wonder how that'll play out? 

We squeezed four across, struggled into the harnesses and off we went! The first 20-30 minutes was an exhilarating, high-speed run up and down and across the dunes. Granted, we were in an 11-person buggy, so it wasn't as crazy as you might imagine. Oh, those nine women? screaming their collective heads off. Well, Mila balanced in some giggles with her screams.

I got some video too but I think Mila's turned out a bit better. 

We stopped at the top of a hill, meeting with the rest of our group and several other groups. Up top, they talked us how we were going to slide down the hill. They made it sound super scary, stressing the proper way so that you don't go spinning and rolling down the hill. We were led by an older Canadian lady, who, although she was terrified of the dune buggy ride and had asked to slow down, jumped at the chance to go down the hill first.

They slicked up the bottom of the board with wax too

looking over the edge

It was fun, but halfway down the hill I realized it's just hot sledding. No different than what I did hundreds of times as a kid. That being said, not all of our compatriots grew up sledding and went down screaming. Or didn't go down at all.

We actually had 3 hills to go to, which is apparently the main difference between the one and two hour tours. We jumped in the buggy and took a more restrained ride to hill two.

Hill three was a twofer, and the second hill was the slowest of the bunch.

We took our buggy over to "the spot." Here we were going to hang out a while and watch the sun go down. And, of course, took plenty of pictures.

we heard the buzz of other buggies zipping around, but most of them were eventually headed to where we were. One of the drivers mentioned that they had essentially paths that they stuck to through the sand in order to avoid each other

you could make out Ica, one of the larger cities in Peru

no, that wasn't ours

and yes, that's my hat she stole for this trip. Apparently mine fits her better than her exact same hat

you can see that there were dozens of people milling around the top of the dune, looking for perfect picture

I took a few minutes to just enjoy the view.

three weeks later and there's still sand in those shoes

I can't just sit without having to pose

this was unposed at least

We sat up there for about 30 minutes watching the sun go down and taking pictures. I also enjoyed the people watching, as people from around the world sought out the perfect social media shot.

looking for the set up

more apple than heart

Eventually, we had to get back in the buggy and head back to the oasis.

Tried to get a video on the way back.

We came back, discovered something important about Peru, ordered some pretty darned good arroz chaufa, and shared it while watching the buses rearrange themselves in the parking lot. Oh, that important thing? "Normal" Coca Cola is the reduced sugar kind.

We shuffled on and settled in for the 5+ hour ride back. Of course, the guys in front of us carried on. This time interrupting announcements with a video call and then watching shrimp cooking how-to videos at full volume. Eventually, they nodded off and we had an uneventful rest of the ride. That is, until some of the ladies got really angry about the drop off order. Poor Juancho. We got to the hotel somewhere around midnight, tired and happy. Luckily, the next day wasn't supposed to be as crazy.

I had initially thought that I would capture the entire Lima portion of the trip in one post, but this got long.  Let's go for a second part. I'm writing while going to class so it may take a bit.