Lima

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We flew from Argentina to Lima in Peru, and it was after midnight before we got out of the airport.

Fortunately, we had asked the guesthouse we were staying at to collect us and they were there. At first we thought they had not turned up because the sign they were holding said "Linda" but we put two and two together and before we knew it we were being driven through the dark outskirts of Lima. We were glad we had requested a collection as Lima in the early morning looked grim but we were to find out that it is quite an interesting place to visit.

We were staying in Mirafores which is an upmarket seaside resort not far from the centre of Lima. Quite a touristy place as a lot of people stay here before moving onward to other spots in Peru. A downside of this is that it was quite pricey but you could eat and drink cheaply if you moved a short distance away from the main square.

In Mirafiores there is the Park of Love, an initative by a previous mayor. Its centrepiece is a large sculpture of a couple embracing. Now we were told that the artist used himself as the model but we were left wondering if prehaps the former Irish Prime Minister, Charley Haughey, may have been a visitor to Lima as the statutes face is the spitting image of his.

We were only in Lima for a couple of days but we managed to visit Lima centre and we were glad we did as its a very colourful place full of Colonial buildings. We found it quite safe provided you used common sense and stayed around the central area.

Lima is smoggy, run down and hectic but its well worth a couple of days stop over in any journey through Peru.

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Photos

Lima centre
Linda and Charlie Haughey in park of love.

Lima - Mirafores
Linda and Menu Del Dia in backstreet restaurant. Tasty and cost all of 2 euros each for 3 course lunch.

Lima - Mirafores
The world is definately a small place. An Irish play being staged in Lima.

Lima - Central
Colonial street in centre of Lima.

Lima - Central
Linda in central square.

Lima - Mirafores
Linda and Lima coastline.

Lima - Central
Street demonstration in centre of Lima. Only a few police accompanied it and everyone seemed good natured. No idea what it was about.

Lima - Central
Hearse in Lima street. White must be colour of mourning rather than black.

Lima - Central
Linda enjoying a Pisco Sour, Perus national drink.

Lima - Central
Architecture with a flourish in Lima shopping street.

Lima - Central
Getting a shoeshine in style.

Lima - Central
Security outside government buildings.

Lima - Central
Eat your heart out, Del boy. Three wheels taxi, of which there were hundreds in the outskirts of Lima.

Lima - Mirefores
Back street restaurant. What did I order again?.

Lima - Central
Shopping arcade just off main square.

Lima - Mirafores
Black corn in Lima supermarket.

Lima - Central
I wonder if they serve Guinness.