Peru Adventures: Lima

Flint and I arrived a few days ahead of the group. Since this was my 'to-do', I thought it would be nice to greet those who traveled half-way around the world to gather for  my birthday to be spent on its sixth continent. The fifth continent was Africa. It was then that I decided to aim for Macchu Picchu/Peru. Seven of the group had celebrated with me in Tanzania when the waiters sang, "Happy Birthday" in Swahili. (The 'singing jeep' also wrote and performed a song and dance for the occasion.) 

This crew didn't really need a birthday to get them going. They would have eventually traveled to Peru. Maybe this just made them get there when they did. Flint had presented me with a small box of Peruginia Bacetti-little kisses- at the Rome airport. The saying inside one read, "Make sure your dreams do not remain dreams."  Another one said, "Never refuse an adventure."  

The Casa Andina Miraflores Centro felt like home after a few days. (I would highly recommend it.) Travel arrangements for most became totally fouled up creating late arrivals. Fifty-plus hours from Japan; a reroute and night spent in Panama City, Panama; JP, who should have arrived the night before, arrived that morning just in time to greet us on the sidewalk as we all entered the departure area for our flight to the Upper Amazon Basin.

Lima is a fascinating city, and we received some inquisitive looks from the locals as Flint could have passed for one of them. Ed, of Eco-Adventure International, made sure that we stayed in a good walking area. I can't say enough good things about working with Ed and the incredible trip he put together for us. Of course, our first walk included food.

Pisco Sour - the national drink

Some of the corn is huge! 

Street vendors

Huaca Pucllana

Where our Limavision  Regular City Tour began



Santa!

Quipo: an Incan accounting apparatus in the
Museum of the Banco Central Reserva

Vultures

 Tomb of Pizarro

Altar in Basilica Catedral de Lima...incredible carving

  

 Much variety in the city...and notice where the load is on this vehicle!

My kind of dessert...just a taste of all that they offered.
Alfresco
We ate there again with some of the others.

Walking toward the Pacific Ocean

Entering the Love Park

With two of our 'on-time' arrivals

 JFK Park

 

CATS!!! Everywhere in JFK Park! 

Reminders of Christmas all around us

One of my favorite places was the Saint Dominic Priory that included the

remains of Saint Rosa of Lima, first saint of the Americas, patroness of Lima,

Peru, the West Indies, and the Philippines, and Saint Martin de Porres who is

usually represented holding a broom as a symbol of his humility. Many depictions

of him have a dog, a cat, and a mouse at his feet.

Rarely does one see a three generation depiction of
St. Ann, the Holy Mother, and the Baby Jesus.
The carvings decorating the library are beautiful.

We climbed up the bell tower for incredible views of the city.

A rare pic of the two of us as I usually maintain control of the camera.

 

The tiny stand have a small door on one end where the

clerk stoops to enter and exit.