Peru – July 1
Got everybody in gear early today and we all got up and out
for our cultural tour of Lima. We are
given pretty good instructions on how to get to the center of town on the
bus/metro system. The kids are not eager
to learn this navigation skill, but we press on all the while talking about the
merits of being able to figure out how to get from point “A” to point “B” and
how this will serve them well in the future…yada yada. We arrive, get our tickets and are on our way
to the Plaza San Martin which is a short walk to Plaza de Armas in the city
center. Not long after, we disembark and
make our way to the long esplanade toward the Plaza. We stop for a strong coffee on the way and
have a snack (gotta keep up our energy levels – haha). We arrive at the Plaza de Armas and soak in
the gorgeous colonial architecture. At
one end is the presidential palace and perpendicular is the Cathedral de
Lima. After some fun, staged pictures
with the kids, we make our way to the Cathedral and into the not too busy
interior. We are among only a handful of
tourists so the inside feels nearly empty.
We first check out the area where Don Francisco Pizarro has his bones
interred. They discovered his head in a
lead box with an inscription on it and the rest of his mangled body strew about
an unmarked grave. Body and head have
now been reunited in a single chamber.
The mosaic depicting the Spanish conquistador’s conquest of the Inca
land is immense and beautifully rendered for what must have been a horribly
violent time in the Andean community history.
Afterward, we spend an hour or so walking through the catacombs and
crypts of Archibishops and Cardinals and view the reliquary, art and sculptures
throughout the church. As we emerge in
the main square, it is time for the changing of the guards at the Presidential
Palace. Full band and all, it is quite a
festive atmosphere. The pomp and
circumstance is very interesting and we watch the 15 minute performance in awe. Once this is done, we walk along a pedestrian
street and start looking for a lunch spot.
As the World Cup match between Switzerland and Argentina is on, we find
a lunch spot that is broadcasting the game.
Unfortunately, just as we finish our meal, the Swiss lose in the final
moments of the overtime. We all
commiserate with Paulie and move on toward more adventures in the city. We walk to a couple of shops that sell macramé
products for Paulie and Annie to check out and Sam picks up a pair of soccer
shorts along the way. We continue onward
toward the Chinatown section of Lima, but are quickly aware that this is not
really of interest. Our return trip to
the station has us stopping in an electronic store and ducking out of the
slight mist that has started to fall. An
added bonus is that we get to watch the first half of the USA vs. Belgium
game. Once back at the hotel, we see the
US lose in overtime which is a bummer.
Off to find dinner ….which we locate at a French bistro beside our
hotel. Afterward, the kids and I return to
the handicraft market in search of the stall where Sam purchased his
sweater. We find the very nice lady just
as she is preparing to close up for the day.
Hudson and I both purchase a alpaca sweater in preparation for our
departure for Cusco in the mountains in the morning. Off to bed and early to rise.
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