We arrived in Lima around 12.30pm on Sunday. Unbeknown to us there was a major event in process, with many streets closed to traffic. As a result we had to get off the truck about 3 blocks from the hotel and walk the last bit. The hotel is pretty well in the heart of the historical district. A good location. Chilled out for a while and then went for a bit of a walk to get my bearings. Met the rest of the group at 7 for our "Farewell Dinner" at a very nice Peruvian restaurant. Said our farewells to those who were leaving Lima that night and then hit the sack. Next morning had breakfast with Julia, Ann and Megan. There was a walk through the central historical district which I decided to do, starting at Plaza San Martin. It was a typical Lima day - a heavy sea mist hung in the air. Stopped in at Iglesia la Merced, apparently the site of the first mass held in Lima. Absolutely stunning inside but no photos were allowed. Continued on to Plaza de Armas which is the main square/plaza in Lima. It is surrounded by a cathedral, the government palace and numerous other impressive buildings. A vibrant area with plenty of restaurants and locals socialising. From here visited the Cathedral and Convent of San Francisco. This is associated with the Franciscan order. Very similar to the Cathedral I visited in Cusco, which was also of the Franciscan order. A highlight of this place was the catacombs underneath the church which in centuries gone by were used for burial purposes. There are still a great deal of bones kept here and on display. A bit eerie and macabre. From here continued onto Chinatown and then made my back to the hotel. Met the German girls and Megan for dinner. Our meal the previous night was so good we decided to go back to the same place. The German girls had intended to move to some new accommodation today, but when they got there they discovered it had closed down, so they are now back at the hotel for the next 3 nights. We all said goodbye to Megan who flies out tomorrow. Tuesday morning Julia, Ann and I decided to head to Miraflores for the day. This is a beachside suburb about 20 minutes away by taxi. Despite the daily sea mist it was a pleasant place. A great walk long the cliff tops, through well maintained parks and gardens was an enjoyable walk. Sculptures and artwork are dotted throughout. Numerous dog only areas, a skate park and a BMX track ensure that the area is well utilised by the locals. From there we headed inland a bit and after lunch in a little suburban restaurant headed back towards our starting point via numerous artesian markets and another park which was home to dozens and dozens of cats. They seemed to be in good health and it appeared that people came to this park to play and pat the furry inhabitants. Along with well maintained lawns and flower beds the entire park had quite a peaceful feel about it, despite being bounded by heavily trafficked city streets. Just another curiousity of life in Lima. Our taxi ride home was a slow one as we became entangled in Lima peak hour. Oh, and our taxi driver had to call into a service station to put some air in his tyres. As you do when you have customers on board! All in all a good day.