Even though we only spent 5 nights in Lima we do know one thing, we like it. By the third day as we were walking along the promenade looking out over the Pacific Ocean we confirmed with each other we could easily come back here and spend a few months in this city.
The views along the coast are lovely. Lots of work being done to increase the access and utility of the coastline.There was a fair amount of low cloud and fog while we were there, however it tended to burn off by the afternoon.The main plaza in Lima is quite impressive. We ended up there on three of our days. This day the police had the entire square closed off. Don’t know why, but it was a bit eerie.The Sunday before when we went down to the Plaza it was much busier.Every Sunday they do a changing of the guard and the public gather for Mass and general socialization. I was quite impressed by the mounted band. A bit trickier than a marching band.I was very impressed with these guys. That does not look easy.At one point about a dozen of these ladies exited the cathedral with their shawls and incense.
We were fortunate enough to do a walking tour where we were the only customers. It was awesome. The fellow loves his city and worked full time as a historian for the city, so his knowledge was staggering. He also informed us that the point of the incense these ladies were using originated due to the need to cover the smell of decomposing bodies in the crypts under the churches. Nasty.
On Sundays the main square is full of colourfully dressed locals.When we took a peak inside the Lima Cathedral on Sunday we found it was packed with people for Mass. I had never seen a church that full for a regular service, kind of neat. When it was over the surge of people entering the plaza was impressive.As is the norm in South America there are plenty of statues around the city. This one of Francisco Pizarro was rather interesting. A Spanish guy who married a local lady and had two children. He is known for helping destroy the Inca Empire. However he is pretty well equally loved and hated by the locals. Half hate him for defeating the Incas and the other half love him for freeing them from Inca rule. Always two sides to every story.There are dozens of these ‘One-eyed Ladies’ all around the core of Lima. Unlike how they are viewed today, these burka-like outfits allowed woman greater freedom of movement and activity around the city because it was nearly impossible to identify them. With the oppressive attitude toward women’s freedom by the Catholic Church and other parts of society between the 16th and 19th century these outfits allowed women an opportunity to rebel and have a more active life. I found it wonderful that they now celebrate that with these statues around town.One of the many hardworking ladies on the streets of Lima.One of the few rail lines in Peru carrying it’s mineral load to the ports through Lima.When our walking guide took us into the City Hall Library I wasn’t sure what to expect. However when he explained the pineapple on top of this I got it. It is similar in shape to the human pineal gland and is referred to as the ‘Third Eye’ to help with expanded consciousness. Did I mention that the tour was three hours long and this guy was very bright and enthusiastic.The power of the church in the history of Lima is obvious by the number of churches. They are everywhere. This is the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo.The Church of La Merced is a popular starting point for tours in Lima.The interior of the Church of San Pedro hints at the gold taken from the Incas.As does the interior of the Basilica of Santo Domingo.On our walking tour our guide took us in to a grittier part of town to see the smallest church in Lima, The Chapel of the Bridge.It measures a humble 6 x 20 metres in size with no gold.The Church and Convent of San Francisco is on the agenda of most walking tours.The reason for this is the view of just a few of the remains in the catacombs under the church. It is estimated there are the remains of around 25,000 people under the floor of the church. This is where we learned the reason for incense.Many of the buildings in the historic area feature these second floor wooden balconies. Mainly made from wood from Nicaragua (long story) they allow for a better view of the street without undue weight.We found the streets to be very clean and safe everywhere that we went. Admittedly we didn’t ‘t go looking for misery, but what we did see we were impressed with. If you are wondering about the lack of people, we did our walking tour in the morning and businesses don’t even consider opening before 10AM.Even when we went into the areas most tourists don’t go the streets were reasonable clean and non threatening.This shot of the preserved old city wall along the Rimac river sums up my thoughts on Lima. They are working hard to preserve their history while pushing to improve the facilities and usability of their city. I look for forward to returning in a few years to see how it is going.
