Advertisement
Lima, Peru- Parque del Amor
Park del Amor along the coast of Lima in the Miraflores district. In March 2014 our family visited the country of Peru. The focus of the trip was in Lima, Cuzco and the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. The trip began in Lima, where we toured Lima's rich colonial history as well as the modern city. We met this bustling city of over eight million people, with a swirl of traffic, along with high heat and humidity since Lima is located right on the Pacific ocean. The surfing on the coast is a vibrant part of the culture, with surfers and watchers parking all along the coastline of the city. We walked along one section of the coastline in Miraflores section of Lima, through the Park del Amor gardens and sculptures reminiscent of the gaudy architecture in Spain. That same day we toured the central historical section of the old city. We were awed by the beautiful architecture of the buildings in the Plaza Mayor influenced by colonial Spain and the Moors with the stylish balconies jutting out of the fronts of the buildings. Several buildings of the plaza are open for visitors. We toured the Monasterio de San Francisco, a bright yellow Franciscan monastery and church famous for the bone-lined catacombs. Over
Lima Peru - Monasterio de San Francisco
Famous for bone-lined catacombs and geometric Moorish style cupola over the main staircase. No pictures were allowed in the the monastery and church. 70,000 bones fill these catacombs....not for the faint of heart tourist. We ended our guided tour of the city with a wonderful lunch at restaurant Alfresco in the Miraflores section of Lima, where we had our first but not our last pisco sour. This flagship cocktail is made of pisco, a very strong fermented grape juice/brandy, lime juice, simple sugar, egg white and ice. Trying the pisco sour is a must when visiting Peru.
Along with the pisco sour, Peru is famous for its ceviche, a dish of seafood marinated in citrus juices and served with corn and onions, so be sure to try this wonderful dish if you visit Peru. Ceviche and a pisco sour will be the highlight of your culinary adventures of Peru. For the more adventuresome eater, you may want to try the speciality called cuy, or Guinea Pig. This Andean favorite has been on dishes since pre-Inca times. Cuy is seen as a true delicacy and served at special occasions. I have been told the rich flavors are a cross between rabbit and quail...you be the judge of that.
The next day we toured several other areas of the city. Our first stop
Lima, Peru - Moorish style balconies
These stylish balconies were added to the buildings from the Moorish influence. was Huaco Pucllana, a magnificent ceremonial ground and archeological center built in the 4th century AD and considered a "Sacred Village" by the Incas. This
huaca, or indian burial ground, first discovered in 2010, uncovered a ceremonial center with the important discovery of four Wari mummies untouched by looting. The excavation still continues and is only accessible by guided tours.
Our trip continued the next day with a flight to Cusco high in the Andes. Gateway to the ancient Andean culture, Cusco sits at around 12,000 feet above sea level. This high altitude helps you acclimate and prepare to tour the rich Andean area. We first toured the town of Cusco, visiting the Santo Domingo Monastery, previously the Koricancha Temple, devoted to the sun. We walked to the Plaza de Amas to tour the Cathedral, one of the cities greatest repositories of colonial art. We visited the ruins of Sacsaywaman, or the local Quechua language translation of "Satisfied Falcon, with its intricate stone walls, so smoothly laid together you could not believe they were all handled without the heavy machinery we think of being used today. One stone is said to weigh over 300 tons. Women in their traditional
Lima Peru - Huaca Pucllana
Ceremonial and archeological center built in 4th century AD and considered a "Sacred Village" by the Incas. garb stand close by with their decorated llamas waiting for "you to pay her" to take her picture. Our evening ended with a delightful dinner at Chicha, serving up haute versions of
cuzqueno classics.
The next day, with our guide, we drove into the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Awanakancha, where we learned the importance of the alpaca and llamas for the Inca cultures well as the ancient weaving techniques. We saw the various types of alpacas as well as the wild and evasive vicuna that brings the highest price for its wool. A shaw made from the vicuna wool may be sold for as much as $4,000. We continued our trip to the markets of Pisca where handmade items of rugs, sweaters, scarves and jewelry can be bought at bargain prices.
Our next stop was the highest altitude we would reach at over 12,000 feet above sea level. Ollantaytambo is the best surviving example of Inca city planning, with narrow cobblestone streets that have been inhabited since the 13th century. The huge steep terraces of this area guarded the village from Spanish invasions. Grain silos can be seen high up on the terraces, once used to
Lima Peru - Huaca Pucllana
Ceremonial and archeological center uncovered in 2010 in the heart of Lima. Excavations are still going on. store grains for the village. A hike up the lower terraces gives you a good idea of how the area was used for ceremonies. This hike is one of the hardest to accomplish due to the high elevation. Even the locals who were hiking the same areas showed some labored breathing, but not as bad as the tourists. Our guide told us that if we can hike the areas of Ollantaytambo, hiking Machu Picchu will be no problem since we would only climb around 8,500 feet above sea level for this next trip.
The next morning we boarded a train bound for Machu Picchu. We were limited to a small carry-on baggage for this section of the trip. The train ride, with its panoramic windows, provided us with a wonderful view of the Scared Valley on our way to the "Lost City of the Incas." Once we arrived in the town of Aguas Calientes we boarded a bus that took us from the deep gorge high to the ruins. We were met by our guide who took us on a tour of Machu Picchu. We were awe struck at this marvelous sight. Pictures do not do justice of this
Lima Peru - Pisco Sour
The unofficial drink of Peru, the pisco sour. Try two if you dare. wonderful sight. You may want to pinch yourself to realize you are actually there, standing high above the ruins to see Machu Picchu up close and personal. Many people have experienced a very spiritual feeling when being within the ruins of this lost city. An estimated 500 Incas lived here approximately one hundred years, which included the 50 years it took to build this spiritual temple to honor the sun and moon and give thanks for their many blessings, along with many other ideas of why it was built. Built in the 15th century, it wasn't until 1911 when an American explorer, Hiram Bingham, persuaded a local person to show him where these elusive ruins were located. Others had been here before, but from 1912 -1915 Bingham brought the resources of money and manpower to uncover the ruins for all to see. There are several points of interest around the ruins. An engineering marvel, its walls of stone have polished stone to fit to stone, with no mortar used in between. Terraces were built for purposes of erosion control and planting crops. Temples were built to capture the sun and moon to worship at very specific times of the year.
Cusco, Peru - Cathedral
Cathedral Plaza de Armas Sprawling greens can be found in the central plaza where llamas would graze and also separate the residential and industrial areas. One specific area known as the Temple of the Condor, is a centerpiece of a carving of the head of a condor with outstretched wings. After a morning of hiking the ruins, we had lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge and caught the next bus for a return to Aguas Calientes where we enjoyed dinner at our hotel, the Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel. As a special treat, the hotel staff provided us with a demonstration of how to make pisco sours and ceviche....how wonderful was that!!
The next day our passes allowed us to enter Machu Picchu at our leisure and take in more of the Inca citadel. We wandered through the "buildings" and temples marveling at the ability to build such a city. We spent the morning taking in more sights and wonders. We left with a great feeling of seeing one of the wonders of the world. We returned to our hotel and had the chance to have a leisurely lunch and wander the village. We boarded the train that afternoon and arrived back in Cusco late
Cusco, Peru - Sacsaywaman
Immense ruin of both religious and military significance. that evening.
The next morning we flew back to Lima. Our flight home didn't leave until around midnight, so we had a chance to see more of Lima. On this last day in Lima we visited the Rafael Larco Herrera Museum, the world's largest collection of Pre-Columbian art located in the Pueblo Libre district of Lima. Over 45,000 pieces of gold, silver, ceramics, textiles and jewelry from the Moche Dynasy are housed in this beautiful mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens. We enjoyed a lovely lunch outside under the veranda covered by bougainvillea vines of mixed colors. We caught a quick nap before having our last dinner in Peru at a wonderful restaurant, La Rosa Nautica, overlooking the Pacific ocean. A beautiful ending to a wonderful trip.
We wish everyone could see the wonders of Lima and Machu Picchu.....happy travels.
Hasta luego....
Advertisement
Tot: 0.081s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 14; qc: 47; dbt: 0.0396s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
