A Visit to Lima

Too short of time was spent in Lima, Peru.  We spent three nights and two days and that was simply not enough.   Lima is a huge city – people say 10 million people out of a country of 30 million. We spent most of our time in Miraflores and visited San Isidro and the downtown neighborhoods which are upscale neighborhoods.  Our very nice hotel (AnTara) is in Miraflores and has a good location.   We walked to the nearby cliffs to view the Pacific Ocean and perused the mall perched on the cliff (Larcomar).  The hotel is next to a very nice grocery store with ATMs (a necessity). 

We chose to go on arranged tours – the first tour on Saturday afternoon (Jan 6) was a city tour, and we re-visited the view of the Pacific, viewed a pre-Inca mud brick pyramid (Huaca Pucllana), drove through the up-scale community of San Isidro, visited the main plaza in the center of Lima and visited the Church of San Francisco and the associated catacombs (amazing!).  Pictures were not allowed in the catacombs where over 25,000 people are thought to have been buried.

The 2^nd tour on Sunday morning was a tour of two museums:  (1) the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru and (2)  the Larco museum.  Both museums were excellent, and we could have spent much more time there. We were fortunate that our tour guide’s group was only two people (us!).   The collections illustrate the richness and diversity of cultures before the Incas.  The pottery, textiles (truly amazing!), silver and gold metal work were well represented.  As we approached the last collection in the Larco museum, our guide said that the collection needed no explanation and left us.  We were puzzled but entered the world famous erotica pottery collection where seemingly anything related to the topic was vividly shown (in pre-Inca pottery).  Examples of the various collections can be viewed at this web site
 

http://www.museolarco.org/igal_or.shtml

by choosing the gallery selection menu.

We extended our day by having the tour driver leave us at the museum for Huaca Pucllana (the mud brick pyramid), and we were able to view the exhibits with a tour guide and walk to the top of the pyramid.  The area around Lima is a flat desert, so the people built a high place for their ceremonies and celebrations out of mud bricks.  Seventy per cent of the pyramid is original, and since the desert receives less than a inch of rain per year, erosion is not a severe problem.  But earthquakes are a problem and that is the reason the “book shelf” style of brick laying was done. The design seems to have been effective as the walls have been standing for centuries.

From the pyramid we walked back through a very large but quiet artisan’s mall (we were too tired to admire all the items for sale) and Kennedy Park.  Since it was Sunday afternoon, the park was very busy with people and vendors.  From Kennedy Park we made it back to our hotel tired but satisfied after a good day.  See selected pictures below from our visit to Lima.

All in all, it was a great two days, and we will no doubt return to Lima.

Paragliders who will take paying customers for a flight over the Pacific beach and cliffs.

The Main Plaza in Lima wih the National Cathedral where Pizaaro is buried and the Bishop's building (with the brown balconies)

Julie in front of the fountain in the main plaza with the Presidential buildings in the background.

The Police at all corners next to the Presidential Palace.

The entrance to the Church of San Fransico where the catacombs are located.

This chart says it all!  The columns are geographical areas in Peru and the rows are periods of time. The entries in the boxes are the culture that dominated that space. The Incas dominate the highest row.

The textile that the picture does not do justice. This textile was used as a burial wrap for a body in the fetal position by the Paracas.  Probably around 2000 years old.

Gold and Silver regal ornamentation by the Chimu.

Not all can be displayed in the Larco Museum.  The duplicates and extras can be observed.

The pyramid of  Huaca Pucllana is huge and it's all man made.

The custom was to "break pottery" to celebrate some occasion.  Here a large pot with a shark image is going to be broken (the actual pot has been reconstructed from the found shards.)