Lima is a city of around 11 million accounting for almost 1/3 of Peru’s population. After a few days here, the things that we notice most is how clean the city is. No garbage sitting around like we’ve seen in so many European or African countries. Also, though many shops and residences have bars on doors and windows and even barbed/cutting wires to deter climbers, we see no evidence of vagrancy and apart from the constant beeping of cars in the never ending traffic, we haven’t even noticed any police sirens safe for an ambulance or two.

There is always a fog that comes in and out and obscures parts of the city. We come to a realization that it is the mist from the nearby ocean that blows in. Depending on where you are in the city, the mist can affect the temperature by a few degrees. Even though, this is summer in January, Lima doesn’t get very hot during our stay. At times, the fog clings to your arms and you can feel a dampness form, cooling you when a breeze wafts in. Why didn’t I bring my jacket, I think? But a few minutes later, the sun pops out and I curse my jeans.

So here’s a few fun facts about Peru; it’s the country with the highest rate of solar radiation in the world. In Lima today, the UV is high at 9.0, so sun block cream is a must. The next fun fact, is that Lima hardly gets any rain throughout the year; 6.4mm or 0.3 inches therefore there are no water catch basin in the streets!

The Holiday Inn Miraflores where we are staying at is well situated to walk to the Malecon— a large boardwalk along the coast. On our first morning, we spend it walking to the Malecon but first crossing the John F Kennedy Park. There are tall shade trees which locals with families like to hang about. The park is surrounded by shops and restaurants. Surprisingly, it has also become a cat sanctuary. Feeding stations and cat houses are spread all around and the kitties are either wandering or having a nap oblivious to the people around. You can even adopt one!

On the Malecon, sometimes the fog is so great that you cannot see the ocean or side coasts. Only the next day, we can see the horizon. The Larcomar shopping mall, which is situated on the cliff overlooking the ocean, is no different there than in any mall in North America, however the views are unbeatable. 

We decided to go right down to the beach. It’s quite a ways down from the cliffs of Miraflores on rocky stairs with a stubborn IT-ban flaring up on the left leg but thankfully it disappeared for the climb up (over 200 steps!). The ocean temperature is about 67F, which hubby tests out walking on the rocky beach to dip his feet in. Surfers out in front seem to have a great time learning and some guys tried to persuade us to try it or even paraglide. No thanks!

A local bus tour to orient us, is always our favourite thing to do. A must-see is the Plaza de Armas in the historic center of Lima. Surrounding it are palaces and cathedrals. Beautiful dark cedar jutting balconies called miradores inspired by Moorish architecture adorn the Municipal and Archbishop palaces. A few are still decorated with large Christmas red bows.

Their function was to shield women from view while allowing them to observe the outside.

We take some time to explore the catacombs under Basilica and Convent of San Francisco de Lima. The inside of the church is quite impressive with frescos and carvings which unfortunately, we are not allowed to photograph. The same goes for the catacombs underneath. There are a series of low ceiling tunnels which take you in several rooms where the bones of up to 25,000 people lay in carefully arranged piles. The small particles of dust that seem to scatter when so many people walk along, affects some and coughing is inevitable.
Our first night’s dinner is at Cala, an Oceanside restaurant renowned for seafood. It doesn’t disappoint. We opt for the outside table on their balcony and surprisingly we are not cold. The sea though is still a bit rough and the sound of the waves crashing below us would surely make a noise meter needle go towards the red! Fresh ceviche (marinated raw seafood), fish dish and Pisco Sour is on our menu (more on Pisco sours below).

Using our Uber app is the way to move around. Rides are dirt cheap and so easy to get. We used it to be dropped off in the trendy neighbourhood of Barranco, considered the most bohemian and romantic district. The streets and parks are filled with flowers, the houses colourful and colonial in style. Murals adorn almost every square inch of street walls, painted by local artists. The murals are also in many other parts of the city.

There, we meet our food tour guide Valeria. A family of four Iranian-Americans joins us and off we go walking to our first stop where we learn about and taste Peruvian chocolate and local fruits such as Lucuma, Chirimoya, Aguaymanto and Granadilla. Some are sweet, some are sour, some you can eat the seed, others you don’t. The 70% and 75% chocolate we sample offer hints of berries, honey, nuts and flowers. Of course, I cannot leave a chocolate shop without purchasing any!

Our next stop is to sample an empanada with shredded marinated chicken and a cup of coffee which wasn’t surprisingly very strong tasting but did keep me up all night!

Ayahuasca restaurant is where we go next. The entrance of this former mansion is dramatic with curved staircases surrounded by cedar balustrades and the inside is decorated with antiques. Behind the scenes in the kitchen, the chef gives us a dramatic demonstration of how our beef hearts (yes, it’s not a typo) will be cooked in a huge wok with vegetables. And yes, it was delicious, served with rice. The Peruvian’s favourite drink Inka Cola which is almost neon yellow in colour, was way too sweet for me.

At Republica del Pisco, we learn how ceviche, Peru’s home dish, is prepared. The raw fish, marinated in lime juice with onions and chilies and served with sweet potato, corn and cancha (which is a corn nut) is the best I’ve had.

We’re not done yet. There’s still our Pisco Sour demo and tasting in a local bar. So local, that there is no need for a name outside the door because all locals know what it is (but for you, it’s called Juanito bodega bar). It’s jam-packed and we are serenaded with Besame Mucho by an old man with a guitar. Our pisco sours which contain lime juice, simple syrup, and egg whites are then adorned with bitters that have art, just like a coffee barista would do. Pisco sours are strong, as pisco, a distilled spirit from grapes, can be 33-50% ABV. It’s delicious but I can’t finish mine.

Finally, we finish with some gelato with Peruvian flavours from the fruits we first saw at our chocolate demonstration.

The next day is filled with a visit to the Huaca Pucllana pyramids right smack in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. This clay and adobe stepped pyramid was only recently discovered less than 40 years ago and is still an active archaeological site. 

A visit to the Larco Museum is a trip back into the past to see ancient Peru’s collection of pre-Columbian artifacts. Among those artifacts is also erotic art! The exterior of the museum is filled with flowers.

On our final day, we spend it walking more of the Malecon where there exists a huge skate boarding and BMX bike park. Small kids as young as four are skateboarding off huge ramps or jumping dirt hills with their bikes. Lima loves green spaces as it has so many parks and the middle of big avenues is reserved for pedestrian and bike paths under a canopy of huge trees.

Finally, visiting an outdoor market can be eye opening and very informative (note the chicken set up below).

Our time in Lima comes to an end, while our new trip with G Adventures will start this evening as we meet our group. Check out our Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/carryonandtravel/profilecard/?igsh=YmE0c3dzbXUydm9p for more photos. See you in Cusco!