Three Days in Lima

Sunday, 5 May, 2013

I am feeling a bit ambivalent about Lima.  It lacks the vibrancy of Santiago, the zaniness of Buenos Aires and the the sheer beauty of Rio but having said that, there are some areas of interest.
This morning we bussed off for the final time on a city tour with the redoubtable Franz (I hear that the other guides call him "Little Hitler" but that is a bit unkind).   Franz certainly knows his stuff and is very helpful and efficient but I guess we didn't warm to him the way we did the other local guides.  He is Peruvian of Austrian descent - hence the very un-Spanish, Franz.

We drove through some areas containing well maintained and pretty Spanish architecture and then gradually the buildings and streets became more and more in need of a good reno job.  Franz explained that Lima is divided into many districts, each with its own local government, and that council taxes vary considerably from place to place.  The higher the tax, the better serviced and maintained the area.  We went from parks and greenspaces, with streets closed off for Sunday morning activities, to densely populated urban areas and so to the "downtown" area of the city.  Here there are handsome official looking buildings and nice plazas, including Plaza San Martin - the very guy who liberated Argentina also did the same for Chile and Peru.

San Martin on his horse in his plaza  (he is not a saint, that is his surname)

We whizzed around the plaza a couple of times and then continued on to Plaza des Armas de Lima which is the central point of the city.  The fountain in the middle of the plaza marks the spot where Francisco Pizarro plunged his sword into the ground and established Lima as capital of Spanish Peru in 1535.

Plaza des Armas - fountain and government buildings with ornate wooden balconies

Also facing onto the plaza are the rather imposing Presidential Palace and seat of government and the Lima Cathedral, home to Pizarro's mausoleum.   We had some time to have a wander around the plaza and to visit the cathedral - being Sunday morning there was a mass in progress.  It is not a hugely ornate cathedral and has a very elegant ceiling.  I rather liked that. Pizarro's mausoleum is a gloomy affair with fanciful murals depicting his landing in South America.

Lima Cathedral

The most striking thing about the colonial buildings are the intricate wooden balconies that are suspended from the stone facades. The grander the building the larger and more ornate are the balconies.

  Pretty balcony

We were hustled along by Franz to the Convento de San Francisco a couple of blocks away.  Here we visited the catacombs of the church which is the burial site for some 25,000 people.   The Franciscan monks raised money for their buildings and charities by selling  burial sites under the church in the 15th and 16th centuries.  Today the tour is through dank and smelly chambers where thousands of bones are laid out in wooden containers according to which part of the body they belong to.   It is all rather eerie and claustrophobic - and definitely no photos!  We were glad to return to the fresh air above ground and board the bus for the most interesting part of the tour - the Museo Larco and its stunning collection of pre-Inca artefacts.

The museum is a lovely white building surrounded by exquisite gardens - cactus, bougainvillea, plumbago, olive trees - which certainly brightened up the grey day.   Inside was equally delightful.   The ceramics, woven fabrics and gold and silver treasures are beautifully displayed and Franz was able to give us some background to the vast array of items some of which date back to 3000BC.  The reason that most are so perfectly preserved is that they were buried with pre-Inca mummies in stone niches set into the walls of underground tombs in salty, sandy desert areas.  The absence of moisture and the surroundings have resulted in little deterioration in colour or form.  Perhaps the most amazing item was a 3000 year old cloth that was wrapped around an entombed body and even today retains its range of colours and intricate stitching.  The gold and silver work was pretty awesome too - jewellry and elaborate headwear.

Ancient burial cloth almost perfectly preserved

Well, that was our city tour and so it was back to the hotel.  Most of the group were focused on packing for the homeward journey but several of us went to a nice little cafe next door for a light evening meal before the departures began.  I have enjoyed travelling with everyone in the group and it is sad to say goodbye.

Monday, 6 May, 2013

With most people on their way home, Graham and I shared a hotel car to the beachside suburb of Miraflores - also the most touristy area of Lima.  We actually woke to blue skies this morning so the coastal views were only a little hazy.   Our car took us along the sea front for a while and then we were deposited outside the new shopping mall that is built into the cliffs facing the sea. After descending  a flight of stairs from the roadside I arrived at an open terrace with multiple cafes facing the view and a row of shops along the cliff face.  It is all very new and not entirely finished yet. The complex covers three levels and looks over a beach called Playa Redondo.

Playa Redondo, Miraflores Shopping Centre

Looking the other way from Miraflores

It is easy to see why Miraflores is regarded as the premier suburb of Lima.  All along the cliff tops are parks and walk-ways and the streets seem to be very clean.  There are heaps of security people and police in evidence around the streets which must deter a lot of criminal activity.  Graham went off in search of English language books and I  browsed around the shops, had a coffee at Starbucks, then went for a stroll up one of the avenues that lead away from the ocean.  This was a very busy street which led to a large plaza and I recognised lots of stores, including the department store, Falabella, which is also in Santiago.   In one of the alpaca knitwear shops a lovely lady was demonstrating weaving techniques - so pretty and colourful, she looked like a little doll.

Looking at shops was all a bit boring so I went back to the oceanfront and had lunch at Pardos Chicken restaurant overlooking the water.  Pardos is a chain which serves delicious barbecue style chicken - very tasty.  After a bit more of a browse and some souvenir shopping I met up with Graham and we got a hotel car back to San Isidro and our hotel.  

Tonight we said goodbye to Arlene and Joe, a great couple from Fort Collins, Colorado - it has been heaps of fun and a great pleasure getting to know them.  Graham and I made plans to visit a nearby ancient pyramid site  in the morning and that was the day.

Tuesday, 7 May, 2013

I was due to leave for the airport at 9.30 tonight, so had all day to pack and check out the local area, San Isidro. Brilliant sunshine today which gave the city a much more cheerful air.  After breakfast Graham and I walked a few blocks to visit the Huaca Huallamarca Pyramid which is at least 2500 years old but little is known about the people who used the site.  A number of mummies were discovered here in the 1940's and there is a small museum beside the structure.

Flat topped pyramid, Huallamarca, San Isidro, Lima

From the top there is a nice view of the surrounding area  but otherwise there is little else to see at this site.

Leafy suburb of San Isidro from atop the Huallamarca pyramid

As the day was so lovely we carried on walking around the neighbourhood, passing embassies and attractive houses, and eventually reached a large park which was marked on the map as Bosque El Olivar  (Olive Forest).   The olive trees are large and seem to be very old.  As they are planted in rows it seems reasonable to assume that this was once an olive plantation in the days before the city encroached upon agricultural land.

Bosque El Olivar

The park is quite large and we strolled about for ages enjoying the sunshine and birdsong before returning through the pleasant tree-lined streets of San Isidro to the little cafe, Botica Francesca, next to the hotel where we had a late lunch.  Obviously San Isidro is a wealthy suburb and we felt quite safe wandering the streets here.  

Botica Francesca

Now all that remains is to pack bags and wait for my transport to the airport this evening.  First flight at 1.30 am tomorrow morning (8 May) - Lima to Santiago.  Then 7 hours layover before the Santiago - Sydney flight which gets into Sydney around 5.30 pm on Thursday 9 May.  Finally, an 8 pm flight to Brisbane where Caroline will be waiting to take me home to bed - tired but happy!  Such a wonderful trip - I have enjoyed every minute.  South America has so much to offer - wonderful scenery, amazing history, lovely people and at this time of year great weather.  Adios!

Last Stop - Lima

Saturday, 4 May, 2013

Another early start this morning and another brilliantly sunny day in the Andes.  After breakfast we loaded up the bus (well the porters loaded up the bus) and we made a short journey to the San Pedro Markets which are in another part of Cusco but not too far from the airport.

Plaza and church in front of the San Pedro Markets

   Luiz escorted us on a fast paced tour through the markets which sell local produce - meat,cheese, fruit, vegetable, grains, bread, fish - and are quite extensive.

A vast variety of grains on sale at the market

 The market was busy with Saturday morning shoppers and locals having breakfast.  The dish of preference seemed to be a hearty vegetable soup which was being cooked on site.  There were also plenty of people patronising the numerous juice bars for a freshly blended drink.  Luiz told us that this Andean version of "Boost Juice" is very popular with students from the nearby university.

Breakfast juice anyone?

The juice did look pretty good and we did sample some of the local cheese which was also pretty tasty.   Not one scrap of an animal is wasted when it is slaughtered so the meat department was a bit gruesome and smelly.  Outside, while waiting for our bus, we were enchanted by two little tots playing with a button - they were having heaps of fun, laughing and giggling, while their mum's chatted.

So much fun with a button!

From the market it was a short drive to the airport with some interesting sights along the way:

Local construction techniques

Health warnings on advertisements for alcohol - "drinking alcohol in excess is dangerous"

At around midday we were up into the clouds and en route to Lima.   It was a bit of a surprise to see a couple of snowy mountain tops appear above the clouds as we flew past.  We were certainly not very much higher up and it was cool to get this last glimpse of the magnificent Peruvian Andes.

Flying alongside some mighty mountain peaks en route to Lima

We arrived in Lima to a grey, overcast but warm day and the drive from the airport to our hotel did not fill us with joy.  The city seemed to be flat, dingy and overwhelmed with traffic.  Franz, our guide for the last days of our journey cheerfully admitted that Lima is cloudy and grey for nine months of the year.  It's that old Antarctic cold water current again!  Apparently the sunny season has finished.  Things improved a bit when we arrived in the financial/embassy district where our hotel is located.  Lovely old colonial houses and tall, shiny ultra modern tower blocks side by side in pretty tree lined streets.  We were assured that this is a very safe area and were given strict instructions about travelling to other areas of the city  ("use the hotel cars, and beware of local taxis - you can't tell which are legit.").  Although we had a whole afternoon and evening to ourselves, most of us crashed in our rooms, still feeling the effects of long days and high altitudes.  In the evening we walked a couple of blocks to a recommended restaurant, Tanta, and enjoyed a delicious meal.  I had chicken with three different sauces in little pots, roasted potatoes, green vegies and absolutely scrumptious local corn in a creamy sauce.  The corn kernels are large and pale yellow but so sweet and tasty.  No wonder corn is a big part of the local diet.  I am not sure about the provenance of the sauces but they were all yummy too.  A pleasant and balmy evening to stroll back to the hotel which fortunately is lovely as I have two extra days here after the tour officially ends on Monday morning.  Graham from Australia will also be here as we are on the same flight back to Sydney so I will have a chum.

Graham, Leighton, Phyllis, Arlene and Joe - dinner at Tanta

Sacred Valley of the Incas - Paradise?

Friday, May 3, 2013
After the wonderful day in  Machu Picchu what could be better than a day in paradise.  Today we had the opportunity to travel the length of the Sacred Valley from Ollyantaytambo to Pisac, some 60 km, before climbing up to 12,000 ft and back to the city of Cusco.

Inca terraces near Ollyantaytambo

Typical Ollyantaytambo street

From the hotel we retraced our route along the Urubamba River to Ollyantaytambo.  It is an immaculately preserved Inca town and although a bit touristy, very interesting nevertheless.  It sits on a promontory safely above the river and the streets and houses date back for centuries.  The cobble stone lanes meander past a mix of Spanish colonial houses and older stone built dwellings.  Ancient aqueducts carry clear mountain water along the streets which slope down to the river. Many residents are dressed in typical Andean dress which is very colourful.  Hats seem to be a must here for both men and women.  A group of men wearing wide brimmed hats and woven red ponchos were identified by Luiz as "highlanders". They  come from villages much further up in the mountains, some as high as 15,000 ft (4500 metres).  Many highlanders work as guides and porters for people who walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.   There are various levels of walk - from 6 hours to two weeks in length.

Highlander in Ollyantaytambo plaza

Lovely ladies at the local market

One side of the main plaza in Ollyantaytambo

Most of the streets have aqueducts

Local women in typical Andean dress

We were able to visit an Inca home where we gained some insight into daily life in this region.  By our standards the house was primitive, but had electricity, water and sewerage and was spotlessly clean.  A central courtyard was home to some ducks, dogs and kittens and inside we were surprised to find  a large number of young guinea pigs all being fattened up for the pot.  Old Inca traditions were in evidence such as items hung from the ceiling and walls for good luck and to ward off evil spirits- e.g. condor feathers and skulls of ancestors!  Also hanging from the ceiling were various dried foods including corn, potatoes fish and meat. The thing that really strikes one about the indigenous population here is how healthy and robust they all look.  I think the abundant fresh food, mountain air, delightful climate and vigorous exercise contribute to a very healthy lifestyle.  Luiz said that they like to drink chicha (corn beer) but that is an age old tradition that does not appear to cause health problems.   The main health issue for the Inca population in Sacred Valley is the increase in cancers such as stomach cancer, attributed to an increased abuse of alcohol of the European variety.

Courtyard of Inca home

Good luck charm?

Ancestor skulls and stylized animals representing Inca beliefs

Next month's dinner!

Spreading across the lower slopes of the mountain which stands over Ollyantaytambo is a well preserved Inca site which was a temple to the sun god.  It was a large community with stone houses, terraces and store houses.  Inca people from the whole region are known to have gathered at this sacred site at the height of the Inca civilisation.  Today the site is quite well preserved and looks down over the town, a constant reminder of the history of the valley.

Inca temple at Ollyantaytambo

   Below the town on the river flats the fields are intensively cultivated with a huge variety of fruit and vegetables. There are also cows, pigs, donkeys, goats and sheep.  No llamas or alpacas!  They are found on the high slopes away from the valley floor . 

Fertile fields below Ollyantaytambo

The scenery is gorgeous - high mountains, beautiful flowers, adobe brick farmhouses, lush fields, and a variety of lovely trees.  The climate here is pretty good too.  High sunshine hours, clean air, long warm days and short chilly winters (no snow, except on the highest of the mountain peaks).  There is adequate rain in the summer months and of course there is always the river which has always been the life source of the inhabitants of this beautiful valley.  Although the people here live a simple lifestyle they are certainly living "the good life".  It is easy to romanticise such a way of living but this valley does indeed seem like a bit of a paradise.   On our way to Pisac and just outside one little village the bus suddenly stopped and Luiz announced that it was lunch time.  Puzzled we looked out the windows and there, beside the road were a couple of women with barbecues fired up.  Roasting on the barbecues were a dozen or more guinea pigs!  Sorry Luiz - none of us could bring ourselves to try this Inca delicacy!

Typical riverside hamlet, Sacred Valley

Abundant and fertile - Sacred Valley of the Incas

Lunch anyone?  Barbecued guinea pig!

Corn drying in the sunshine

River and mountains, Sacred Valley

Celebrating "Cross Day" - an important Andean tradition - in the village of Yucay

As we followed the river up the valley the river flats became wider and it was obvious that these lands are well used.  Numerous little hamlets dot the countryside and we passed through two larger towns, Urubamba and Calca before reaching the market town of Pisac, centre of silver crafts.  Calca the second largest town in the valley is a popular place for residents of Cusco to holiday, because of its lovely climate and it is the gateway to mountain trekking around the mighty Mt Sahuasiray (19.000 ft or 5818 metres) which we saw peeking above a few fluffy white clouds,
In Pisac we explored the huge market and bought souvenirs.  The quality of products here is much better than in Aguas Calientes market and much of what is on offer is genuinely handcrafted.  Of course the silver shops were the main attraction!  Pisac also has an Inca temple site and a vast number of very well maintained Inca stone terraces climbing the slopes.

Children in the Pisac Market

The oldest bakery in Pisac - bread and guinea pigs!

Old Inca terraces above Pisac - recently restored.

Pisac town

Leaving the Sacred Valley - Mt Sahuasiray in  the distance

Last glimpse of the Sacred Valley

So, it was goodbye to the Sacred Valley and over the mountains to Cusco for our final night in the Andes.  En route we stopped at an animal refuge to see a pair of condors and their youngster.  What enormous birds - they were rescued by rangers and will be released into the wild eventually.  Condors are endangered birds and of course the symbol of Peru.

Baby condor at the refuge

Nest stop was the Alpaca factory on the outskirts of Cusco.  Beautiful sweaters etc in baby alpaca wool and vicuna (very expensive).  Some of us bought items here and then we drove to the main plaza in Cusco where we had another delicious buffet lunch in a restaurant overlooking the cathedral.

Main plaza, Cusco

After checking into our hotel in downtown Cusco and resting for a while we joined Luiz for a walking tour.  The hotel was another Casa Andina and was formerly a convent.  It is very traditionally Spanish colonial with rooms facing onto pretty courtyards and gorgeous antique colonial furniture in the lobbies.

Hotel courtyard, Cusco

On our walking tour we first visited the remains of the Inca temple Qorikancha.  Much of the stone from the temple was used by the Spaniards in the 16th century to build the Convent of Santo Domingo on this site.  The remnants of the temple walls are all that is left now.  All the gold and silver in the temple were taken and used in the magnificent Cusco Cathedral which was our next stop.  The terraces and magnificent views over the city still remain.

Luiz gives us a history lesson at Qorikancha

Terraces at Qorikancha

We wandered through some cobble stone streets lined with Inca walls to the main square to visit the cathedral, completed in 1653 after almost 100 years of construction.The cathedral is totally over the top with gold and silver everywhere and massive oil paintings.  The gold and silver of course were all taken from Inca sites by the Spanish colonists. Huge vases of gladioli, grown in the Sacred Valley, are placed all around the three separate churches that make up the cathedral.  I felt a little dizzy while wandering about the cathedral so took the opportunity to have 5 minutes of the oxygen that is available to anyone who feels the need.  It certainly helped and I had no further problems with the altitude.  No photos permitted in the cathedral - by order of the Vatican apparently.

Cusco Cathedral

View across the plaza from the Cathedral steps

Finally this evening we were taken to dinner  - another buffet with very tasty food - and treated to a show of Andean music and dancing.  Once again the performance was of a high standard, very colourful and very loud. The musicians were highly skilled and played a mixture of traditional music and Western classical music - ie The William Tell Overture!  We were all feeling quite exhausted after packing so much into the last few days and look forward to  a bit of relaxation in Lima.  It has been a wonderful experience to travel in the Sacred Valley.  It is an enchanting place and I hope it never changes.

Traditional Peruvian music and dance