Lima
After breakfast in the hotel we meet with Marciel at 8.30am to discuss the day's activities. We meet our fellow travellers. We are a group of 8 which is pretty awesome. 2 couples from Brisbane, 1 couple from Sydney and us.
At 9am we board our bus for a city tour with local guide Alberto.
Miraflores where we are staying was once the most affluent part of the city but nowadays is more of a commercial centre.
After breakfast enjoy a city tour and visit key sites of Lima, including Huaca Pucllana, colonial buildings such as the Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace and the Central Bank Museum.
The Huaca Pucllana is an archeological site dated back to 200 to 700 AD and was a ceremonial and administration centre. Further remains have been found relating to the Wari culture 500-900AD and it was used as a settlement.
Discoveries at the site have shown evidence of human and animal sacrifice as well as insights into building techniques . Some of the site has been restored but of the enormous area uncovered so far most is still in original condition.
It's a bit drizzly today and cooler than we expected.
Back on the bus we head through the 'suburbs' to downtown Lima.
We get off the bus at Plaza San Marten and visit the money changers as recommended by Marcial to get some local Peruvian Sols.
Now we walk through the streets to the Plaza Mayor. A beautiful square surrounded the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral of Lima and the Central Bank Museum. The square is cordened off and there is a heavy police presence, even riot police with shields and full protective gear. The Government in Lina is very corrupt and the people do not have any faith in the Congress. Today the Prime Minister wasmee the invoice with the Congress to ask for a bite of confidence and if he didnt get it, the president could close Congress. Hey we're expecting not so peaceful demonstrations to take place so they were prepared. As far as we know the debate was continuing through the night so whether any riots eventuated we don't know. Rioting and demonstrating, whilst illegal is quite common in Peru.
We visit the Central Bank Museum. There is a vast collection of pottery that has been recovered from tombs from the different regions and occupants of Peru dating back to 600BC. The artefacts are so well preserved and thecdetail shows very clearly the differences between the tribes. The next room housed the collection of gold, silver and bronze jewellry and ceremonial wear. A very well maintained exhibition. Beforecwecwentbinto the museum, only the men needed to go through security and surrender the backpacks not the women... Very amusing.
We make our way back to the bus with Alberto pointing out the various architectural styles of the buildings as we walk.
We as a group have decided to enjoy lunch together at a restaurant of Marcial's choosing. It is to showcase the local seafood and dishes. Glenn and I chose to share a prawn risotto and a cervache dish if salmon and pineapple. Everyone had something different and the food was delicious.
The afternoon and evening is free to do what we want. We go back to the hotel first to drop off the backpack and then headoff to walk through Kennedy Park and to the green coast.
Kennedy Park named after JFK is also referred to as Kitty Park because of the number of cats that live there. They are everywhere but not your usual stray cats. They are well cared for by the locals and make themselves at home on the laps of people that have stopped to have lunch or sit and read.
The green coast is a walk way that goes along the coast. We are quite high up so not able to get to the beach but you get a good view of the beach and the surfers below. Along the walk there is a statue of Paddington Bear. We stop for coffee in the plaza of the shopping centre before walking back through the park to our hotel.
This evening we are going to the Circuito Magico Del Agua in the Parque de la Reserva a 30 minute taxi ride from our hotel.
The park contains a series of water fountains and at 7:15 the first show starts and it's a colourful, musical, visual concert played out with the water as the screen. It's very clever and very popular. There are many fountains in this very large space which continues on the other side of the crowd which is accessed via tunnel.
Another cab ride back to Miraflores and we find a Tapas bar for dinner and a drink. Very interesting ordering when the menu is in Spanish and the staff have very limited English but we manage.
Time for bed. Early start tomorrow with a 6.15 departure for the airport for our flight to Cusco.