Lima - The City of Kings

We arrived late and were a bit tired but were quickly refreshed when we finally arrived at our hotel, , the Miraflores Park.  This is an elegant small hotel in the center of the fashionable Miraflores district of Lima.

From my spacious room, I have a beautiful view of the ocean and the park across the street. What a special treat it was to have a morning free from any activities.

The afternoon's agenda was an excellent tour of the city with some unique sites   First stop was Lover's Park -- source of named was immediately evident.  Not only the statute to the right but mosaics lining the walk depicted the theme vividly.

Leaving the lovely Miraflores neighborhood we drove on to the San Isidro area.  Here the homes were luxurious and a million USD and upl.  Security was a necessity and included wired fences and video surveillance. We passed one embassy after another, including the US with its huge grounds. Another interesting site were extensive remains of mud brick pyramids. Only in a climate as dry as Lima's would these have remained for so many years (Lima gets about 10in. rain/per year).

Now we were heading into the city center with beautiful examples of colonial architecture, especially the balconies.Getting out of the bus at the Plaza Bolivar for a “bano break.,” we walked into an elegant colonial home and were directed to the bano. It seemed as though we were guests in a wealthy Lima citizen's home – and I found out we were!!

The owner of the home, Juan Aliaga, is a part owner of Latour (sponsor of our fam) and opens his home to small groups. His ancester Jeronimo del Aliaga was the right-hand man of the founder of Francisco Pizarro founder of the city of Lima.

He gave the plot of land that lay over an Inca temple to Jeronimo in gratitude and this home has been in the Aliaga family ever since.

 The current matriarch of the family is 101 years old and still lives the 50-room house with numerous family members. What a treat it was to leisurely stroll through the home and see their lovely photos and antiquities!



Next stop - Plaza de Armas,government headquarters since 1535. Surrounding the plaza was the Presidential Palace, the Archbishop's Palace and a stunning bronze fountain in the city. We grabbed a quick “to-go-coffee” (not quite Starbuck's level) to revive us and headed to our final stop as dusk rapidly approach.


The Church and Convent of San Francisco, built in 1674 is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the city's most famous sites. As we descended the steps to the catacombs beneath the church, we could heard the familiar strains of the Wedding Processional. A wedding had just begun above us! In the catacombs the bones of more than 25,000 people are laid out in bizarre but orderly designs.

The evening ended with a visit to the Larco Herrera Museum. I had first toured this museum in 2005 and was stunned by its more than 45,000 pieces of pre-Columbian artifacts and is considered one of the best in the world. Today the museum is even more impressive due to a total renovation several years ago. In a separate area there is an interesting collection of very erotic ceramics – definitely not G-rated.


This wonderful day ended with a delicious meal at the museum's restaurant. And the meal started with a Pisco Sour, my new favorite drink. Had been told the best ones are made in Peru and I am now convinced. I think this will be a perfect way for my clients to end their stay in Peru before heading to the airport for their overnight flight to the US.
Catching a 1:20am LAN flight to Easter Island!
Linda