Well Lima has been a bit of a surprise for us. Being a city of 7 million people we didn´t really expect to enjoy it.
Probably the most notable part of our flight from Guayaquil was the absolute worst cup of coffee we have ever tasted. Powdered coffee followed with powdered milk even the huge amout of sugar we put in didn't make it drinkable!! Starting to wonder if all their good coffee is exported overseas with their chocolate.

After arriving (and believing we have been ripped off by the taxi from the airport) we arrived to find our preferred option of hotel was full, as we hadn´t booked, our fault really, we were pointed in the direction of Hospejade Tinkus which we were happy to find was quite nice.

We settled in and decided that we were going to take the easy option and book day tours to see Lima and the surrounds especially after being told Lima isn´t really a safe place to walk around, other than Miraflores which is where we were staying.

After booking two half day tours (for the same day) we set about having a look around Lima. It is pretty much just a big city and Miraflores is the 'tourist' area with lots of eateries and bars.

We found a laundry and did our own (first place we have found), we wandered around and found a 'street market' inside Parque Kennedy, the main park. Lots of trinkets and antiques (junky stuff). After tea we wandered into a supermarket to get some water. All supermarkets are 24 hours, not like home. The fresh fruit and vegetable selection was amazing, with some things we had no idea what they actually were. The black corn (morado) certainly was nothing we had seen before.

After a good sleep (which wont hurt the cold I have acquired) it was off for our first tour. A mini bus picked us up and dropped us to the bigger bus, our ride for the day. Our guide for the day was Mirabelle and she gave a running commentary of Lima as we passed through. It seems the Limans(?) like their racy statues and along the way we passed by the Love Park (really it's called that) and this gem of a statue.

Our first stop was the suburb of Baranco, the bohemian suburb apparently. Out we got and wandered through the suburb coming across a church which was heavily damaged, although the resident vultures were pretty cool. It was then over the 'bridge of sighs'. Legend has it if you make a wish and hold your breath the whole way (you aren't allowed to run) then it will come true. Back on the bus and we were left wondering exactly why this was part of the tour but hey, we were on holidays so who cares :)

It was then on to Pachamaca, the old ceremonial inca site about 30km from Lima. It got razed, or they attempted to, but parts of it are slowly being restored for the public. The most surprising part of this place is the fact that people have basically built a slum right next to it and we mean right next to it!

A quick look at the museum (all in Spanish) and it was back on the bus to tour around. First stop was the Andean Pyramid. Quite well restored and with signs in both spanish and english it was a pleasant surprise.

The temple of the sun is the reason most people come here. It is the Inca temple built to worship and give thanks to the gods. Four of the 87 cultures of Peru have used Pacamacac and as it hardly ever rains here, the mud bricks are preserved well. It isn´t the most impressive structure there but it has the most amazing view.

Yet again we were surprised by a tourist (an older teenage girl) who slept on the bus the whole time and didn´t get off at all. If I were her mum i´d have been pissed.

After lunch at Alfresco, we were disappointed considering how the company had talked up how this was potentially the best seafood restaurant on Lima, we were back on a bus to do the city tour which also turned out to be a bit of a let down. The guide on the bus had such a monotone voice I went to sleep in the first minute. He did get better luckily.

We were let off in San Martin Square which is surrounded by many quite beautiful buildings including the Presedential Palace. More on that later.

The square itself was full of locals and tourists. We had already been warned to watch our belonings as it is known for locals to get quite 'hands on'. The square is set around a massive fountain. Funny that a place in which it literally never rains (we got told maybe one day a year, maybe) that they could run a fountain.

Probably for us the worst part was being quickly moved through the museums and the Church of San Francisco which we both would have loved to have spent more time in.  The Museum of the Banco houses a lot of old coins, pottery and crafts of the previous cultures. I fell in love with the snake bowl but haven't been able to find anything similar as yet. . . .

The Church of San Fransisco was a real highlight. The rooms were gorgeous, even in their poor state and it was fascinating to find out that under paintings on the walls were more paintings that they didn't even know existed until one fell off! It is now privately owned and has catacombes which house the bones of thousands of dead from centuries ago. It still makes me smile with the number of people who really aren't comfortable around bones or mummies. Then again I probably am now pretty much desensitized thanks to my job. No photos were allowed of any insides of the buildings or catacombes.

The city tour was our first real exposure in South America to the local hawkers selling stuff, mainly junk in our faces. Unfortunatley for them they had no joy with us but did have with others. Also to the beggars which we haven´t really seen a lot of.

We did get to see, well nearly, the new President arriving at Parliament. The Police here are really overzealous and were really keen to move everyone away. We worked out that there is a lot of problems when it comes to politics and it doesn´t take much for a fight to break out hece they have some pretty big guns, which are openly displayed.

We were dropped off back near where we started an were surprised to find we had completely missed Huana Pucllana, the Inca temple literally in the middle of Lima. After a quick photo (and quick it was, I think they were going to leave without us) it was back to our Hotel.
 
Of course my cold has now turned really bad :( and it appears no one sells throat lozenges here. We did get some cough medicine and with some trepidation gave it a go and it appears to be working and it doesn't taste as bad as Australias . . .Not sure what that means. . .
Even better for Phil it means I have kind of lost my voice. . . .

Now we have determined that when they say Peru is the Nescafe capital of South America they aren´t lying. Coffee is incredibly hit and miss here but the churros are fantastic, especially the chocolate and caramel filled ones.

Due to the lateness of the tour (about an hour and a half) we missed the opportunity to book a bus to Ica for the next day. After a sleep in we finally had shops opening at 10am and we booked the first bus we could with Cruz del Sur for 3pm.

Now off to Ica and a bodega or two (winery tour) :)