Lima, Peru

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We have arrived in the capital city of Peru!

We are staying in the suburb of Barranco, a relatively clean and quiet area of the city, but there is not much to see here. We have strolled around the area (which didn't take long!), seen a viewpoint and wandered into a re-enactment taking place as some sort of celebration of Barranco...

We've also taken a bus into Miraflores - another Lima district north of Barranco and closer to central Lima. It's nice, and more lively than Barranco, but very commercial and there is not much more than a main plaza and lots of shops.

Yesterday we had a leaving dinner for Esther who has now finished her part of the trip, and afterward we went to 'Circuito Magico del Agua', a large park with a number of huge, very impressive fountains. The highlight was an enormous fountain which was part of a 30 minute show with music and lasers and images projected onto the water from the fountain. Definitely a good way to spend our last 'original group' night together!

Today I've been into central Lima where we watched the changing of the guard at Palacio del Gobierno, which faces the main plaza, and saw the catacombs at the church of San Francisco. The catacombs were amazing, and quite eerie - 75000 people were buried there... There is a well in the centre of the catacombs had bones and skulls arranged concentrically for a very Indiana Jones effect! We also went to the Museum of the Inquisition, which might have been interesting if they were able to provide an English tour, or if any of the information had been in English. Unfortunately, we wandered through, laughed at a few waxworks, and left. Good thing it was free!

Tonight we will be meeting the new people joining the group for the next part of the trip...

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