Lima Day 2 -- A City Tour

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Tour of Miraflores, San Isidro, Lima Centrale, Barranco

After a late night to sleep and a very quick continental breakfast, I was on a morning city tour
that the Mami Panchita Hostal arranged with onsite tourist agency named Raymi Travels. My simple and room 11 faces Federico Gallesi street, and the traffic began with raucous earnest at 6 a.m. Earplugs kept me at peace until 8 a.m., a time almost too late to make the tour, but the sleep needed.

There was but one other tourist along, a stout gentleman in his middle 50s Jorge from, I think, Venezuala. Our driver Jorge and guide Jason picked me up at 8.30. Jason is a native of Callao, Lima´s seaport and airport district 20 minutes north and west of both Lima center and the San Miguel district, where I´m staying. Jason is a 21 year old cutting his teeth on the professional guide circuit. He has 7 weeks left in his private English school training, as he said the public school English language programs are scant. He is intent on a career in tourism, as are many, and spoke of the challenges involved of doing that in an emerging nation, with recent memories of the Sendero Luminso.

We picked up Jorge, who as it turns our has various firm and crude opinions on certain topics, at his hotel in Miraflores and started out on our tour. We saw:

The Park of Love in Mirasflores. Here is large scuplure by Victor Delfin of a couple in a
reclining embrace. Mosaic tiles with phrasings of love line the park walk walls. Down below the cliffs of Miraflores, the Pacific surf is loud and large, but not enough to topple upscale Rosa Nautica Restaurant off the pier.

The adobe built ruins of Huaca Pucllana. The structure from 200 AD Lima culture is in the shape of
a pyramid. We didnn´t go in, though I would´ve preferred it. Looks interesting. The modern city has all but swallowed it up, but a steel fence surrounds it now. Park de Amor http://www.go2peru.com/Lim_foto06.htm

The Parque de Olives in San Isidro. These stalwart Olive trees, large olive press screws fashioned from oliver trees (?), and the large clay vessels that held their oil have been spared the dozer. Also spared the dozer and earthquakes are several large Spanish courtyard and Tudor style houses.

Now a jerky, smelly, noisy traffic line on our way to the city center and the Plaza des Armas. which
Jason prefers to call Plaza Mayor, in the Spanish style. (Sounds less threatening than the Plaza of Arms).

This has Pizarro on a horse, with a llama (the animal), not llama, spanish for fire, on his helmet, an error of the literally translating artist.

Then, I think Santa Teresa church and after the Monasterio de San Francisco, with many skeletons in the catacombs. Slightly haunting they way someone has organized all the skulls into circles within circles.

Then the Barranca neighborhood, called the bohemian area. Renovated flats and a nice park area, with some lingering earthquake (1993) damage. Limínos head here and to Miras Flores to party.

After tour´s end, I eat at Lorenzo´s on the avenue 6 blocks from the hostal. The lime sauce based Ceviche was interesting and tasty, but not the chicken fritter and fries after. Ceviche is raw fish in
lime sauce and onions. Tasty I thought. With the ceviche came a spicy sauces based on red peppers
and a root vegetable, possible something like radish. Steamed corn on the cob, also, but not like
ours, larger kernels even than field corn, pale, and soft.

As well, roasted corn, much less salty, softer and better than the salty ´Corn Nuts´ that we get in the States.

I walked to a small park, looked in a few shops, but a snack for dinner, and then over to a small park area by the Pacific, where I found a statue of John Lennon standing, with guitar, near a skateboard park where some kids were working their chops.

Now, time for bed, up early for flight to Cuzco.

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Photos

Delfin Love Statue
Victor Delfin Statue in Parque de Amor, Miras Flores

A Pacific View
A Pacific View off Miras Flores (Lima). Humboldt current keeps things cooler and misty. The pier below holds Rosa Nautica Restaurant

Olive Garden in San Isidro
San Isidro Olive Farm Artifacts, an oil screw press and container

Plaza de Armas Lima
At the Main Square, Lima

John Lennon San Miguel
John Lennon Statue, San Miguel (Lima)

Hostal Mami Panchita
Hostal Mami Panchita. My room up front. Two blocks from the Pacific in San Miguel, a residential and market district. My room faced this the street to the right, Avendi Gallesi.