Callao (Lima), Peru

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Days 8-9, January 22-23, 2007, Monday and Tuesday, Callao (Lima), Peru

Lima was definitely a city of contrasts! Our tours took us to Lima’s central district that surrounds the central plaza, Plaza de Armas. The 16th century cathedral, La Catedral, is a main city landmark that has suffered much destruction over the years due to earthquakes. Opposite the cathedral is the Palacio de Gobierno (Palace) that has a changing of the guard at noon. We were a bit early for that, but did get to see the guards. We then visited a private home that has been occupied by 13 generations of the same family for several hundred years. It was really beautiful inside filled with beautiful antique furniture, carpets, and paintings! We then went to the 17th century Church of San Francisco Ancash and visited the convent (name in Peru for monasteries and convents) and the catacombs there. The catacombs were very interesting with over 50,000 skeletons in the crypt! We were not allowed to take any pictures in this area, so you will not see any here. But we do have a postcard that shows what it looked like in certain areas. We were told that Lima is experiencing an economic boom due to oil but there is still rampant poverty and shanty towns line the mountainsides around the city. We found the people that we met to be very friendly and welcoming. In fact, we met up with a cab driver who became our “guide” on the second day of our stay. He made us feel very safe and helped us communicate with others as we toured that day. We shopped in an Indian market and also saw much of “new” Lima the second day. The pictures seem to tell the story of our days there.

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