Southern Peru-Bolivia


Day 02 - Monday, October 27, 2014 - Arrive in Lima Early Morning; Check In to Hotel, Morning On Our Own, Introductory Meeting; Explore Lima; Welcome Dinner

It was a little after 4:00 AM when the plane landed in Lima after a very turbulent ride south of the Equator. In spite of the priority tags on our bags, they were two of the last to come out. Always a worry; but they arrived and that was all that really mattered.

The immigration and customs procedures went quickly although each of our bags and backpacks had to be x-rayed before we could enter Peru. As soon as we went out into the reception area we saw the bright yellow OAT oval sign and met our representative, Jenny.

Alfredo, our driver, was there within fifteen minutes and we were on our way from Jorge Chavez International Airport in Callao. By the time we reached the hotel in downtown Lima it was a little after 5:30.

The reception clerk was ready for us and we received our room key right away. After logging into the Internet and then getting organized, we had a three-hour nap as neither of us had slept on the flight.

Our meeting with Tour Director, Jose (Pepé) Campoy, was scheduled at 10:30. We met our twelve other travelers and Pepé introduced himself. Each of us told a little about ourselves. Pepé gave us the ground rules for our trip and the next twenty days we will spend together.

Several of the group had been on the five-day pre-trip to the Peruvian Amazon. It will take us a day or two to get to know all of the names. In addition to the overview of our itinerary and a heads up about the tour, Pepé gave us several ideas for lunch before we had to meet again at 2:00 for our city tour of Lima.

One of the recommendations was Dona Paulina Restaurante, where we shared a table with Chuck from Boston. We enjoyed a classic chicharrón (friend pork) and sweet potato sandwich.

While Gennie went back to the hotel to begin the journal, Vic went out on the streets to capture a few photographs of the Miraflores District in Lima. We met our group at 2:00 for our city tour.

Our city guide, Vanessa and Segundo, our driver, took us on a tour and acquainted us with the lifestyle of this capital city. One third of Peru’s 30 million people live in the 43 Districts within the city.

We drove along the Costa Verde and past the malecón, the promenade along the beachfront. Surfers were riding the waves out of the Pacific fog and on to the stony Waikiki Beach.

Vanessa gave us a brief history of Lima, founded by the Spanish Conquistadors in 1535. A hub of silver and gold transportation from the “New World”, Lima is now a World Heritage Site. Because of the narrow streets and the lack of a metro or other mass transit system, people rely on city buses and the traffic is incredible!

Our first stop was the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera, or the Larco Museum, a colonial mansion built in the 1600’s high above the city. The private collection of Rafael Larco, the museum was meant to preserve the Pre-Columbian artifacts from ancient Peru.

We began our guided tour with the pottery collection and then saw the collection of weaving and fabrics. Due to the age of the fabric, it was remarkably well preserved. The next rooms were dedicated to the gold and sliver collections found in burial mounds and during excavations of archaeological sites.

The last part of the museum was a fascinating collection of erotic archaeological artifacts. This section drew the most spectators, but it was definitely R-rated!

We left the museum at 4:00 and then traveled to the heart of the old city of Lima. Segundo drove us through the gauntlet of afternoon traffic. In one instance there were 12 lanes of traffic from three intersections trying to merge into two lanes. We had a lesson in “Latino Macho Man” driving!

Walking to the famous Plaza Mayor, founded by the Spanish under Pizarro, we saw the splendor of the Spanish Colonial architecture. In typical Spanish conquering style, they built their capital on the grounds of the residence of the Inca governor and laid the corner stone of the cathedral on the ruins of the Temple of the Puma.

Vanessa gave us a few minutes to take more photos and then we walked back to meet Segundo and the bus at 5:30. It was another 45 minutes until we got back to the hotel. One has to plan ahead for the traffic delays in Lima!

We came back to our room, completed the journal, and looked at the hundreds of photos. It is always a challenge to pick just five pictures that are representative of our day.

Tomorrow is a fly day so we packed our bags and tried to get a good night’s sleep for Tuesday’s journey to Arequipa.

Accommodations: San Agustin Exclusive Hotel --- Meals: B & D

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Southern Peru & Bolivia: Inca Landscapes & Lake Titicaca



  Comments

Holy Moly -- that drive in that kind of traffic would put USA Cities to sham, I'm sure! I didn't realize we were going on a 20 day trip-- I hope I brought enough of everything. My bed feels just like home, and that is nice. LOL

Pat   October 28, 2014 - 4:18am
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Miraflores Fruit Vendor

Miraflores Fruit Vendor

Pottery in Larco Museum

Pottery in Larco Museum

Crowns of the Inca Kings

Crowns of the Inca Kings

UNESCO Plaza Mayor

UNESCO Plaza Mayor

Alexa by the Fountain

Alexa by the Fountain

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