Finally, after a day of walking, we were really hungry people! We saw a lovely restaurant called El Parquetito and invaded immediately! This became our first dining experience in what became an incredible land of eating. First off, we ordered ceviche (Peru is where ceviche comes from). Also, we had the most delicious stuffed pepper (rocoto relleno) with fresh cheese … Wow! Naturally, we wanted to have a great local beer, so we opted for two different kinds of the craft Sierra Andina.

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The next day we began at our El Buen Gusto café for our morning fix. After enjoying a nice visit we called Uber since it is a bit of a drive downtown. Uber in Lima is cheap: our 40-minute ride to Plaza de Armas was only about $ 5.00 US and that was simply a bargain.

The Plaza de Armas is a beautiful city square in the center of town. It is surrounded by the Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima, Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace, and the Palace of the Union. The Government Palace features a daily changing of the guards event. This takes place at noon seven days a week and includes some marching and drumming in the army’s full regalia. It’s fun to watch. Arrive around 11:45 to make sure you get a nice viewing spot.

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Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo

After taking many pictures, we headed a couple of blocks over to the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo. This is an amazing church which includes the historic chapter house, where the University of San Marcos, officially the first Peruvian university and the oldest university in the Americas, began to function in the 16th century. A fee of 10 soles includes an English-speaking guide. Besides an absolutely beautiful church which had stunning rooms and cloisters, there are walkways and gorgeous courtyards.





Afterwards, the guide unlocked a door and led us to the next level, into the Choir Room, which was a sight to behold. There was a long U-shaped row of chairs with a spindle-shaped turntable in the center. The room was designed with shiny wooden walls which had good acoustics, so when the choir sang, their voices would reverberate off the walls and ceiling. The lyrics would rotate in the center on the turntable making it easy for the choir.

Our guide now unlocked another door so we could enjoy climbing the stairs to the bell tower. That’s 135 of them (UUGH!). We passed level by level of bells and finally made the top. This was an excellent photo opportunity with a 360 degree view of the surrounding area.





San Francisco Church and the Catacombs

Next up on our day’s adventure was The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco and its catacombs. The church is noted for its architecture, a high example of Spanish Baroque. Its granite carved portal would later influence those on other churches, including the Church of Merced.





The Catacombs and the crypts are built of bricks and mortar and are very solid. They have stood up well to earthquakes. The catacombs served as a burial place until 1808, when the city cemetery was opened outside Lima and contain thousands of skulls and bones. The guide took us through room after room where we saw bones and skulls in many configurations.

The Magic Water Circuit

On the way back, especially if it’s already getting dark, stop at the Reserve Park to see The Magic Water Circuit, which includes 13 cybernetic fountains. Tuesday to Sunday, at 7:15, 8:15 and 9:30 pm you can enjoy a spectacular fountain show with music and lights.

DAY THREE

Barranco

Barranco is one of 43 districts in Lima, Peru. It is considered to be the city’s most romantic and bohemian, being the home and working place of many of Peru’s leading artists, musicians, designers and photographers.

Graffiti and The Bridge of Sighs

After a short Uber ride from “home” we immediately noticed the funky and colorful wall murals and graffiti everywhere you look, actually reminiscent of San Francisco and such. In the midst of it there is a small pedestrian bridge called The Bridge of Sighs. The name has nothing to do with its famous namesake in Venice. The reason for the name is rather the opposite: it’s a common place for lovers to meet. The sighs on this bridge are the ones of love, not of suffering. It is believed that if you make a wish and walk from one end to the other holding your breath, your wish will come true.

The Bridge of Sighs





After visiting Barranco, we started walking back down the coastline. There is a nice sidewalk on both sides of the street in front of super gorgeous condos and townhouses above. Down below at sea level there is another beachside drive as well with some cool piers. Surf conditions were fabulous and we loved to watch many surfers in the ocean.

Paragliding

About that time, out of nowhere, came a paraglider riding the up-drafts on the ridge we were walking on. Firstly it freaked us out and then we noticed several more. There was a paragliding operation that had set up shop right in front of us. Wind conditions were perfect and their customers were having a blast. Looking over the edge of the rock face, we wondered how it felt to jump off even in tandem with a true pro. We saw at least two places to paraglide: one in Barranco and one in Miraflores, near the Love Park.

Larcomar

As we walked along the “Malecon” (name for this type of promenade) we passed through several parks very conducive to reading a book, admiring the views from a bench, practicing trumpet (we saw a fellow doing this) and so forth.



Larcomar

Our next stop was an incredible shopping mall built right into the rock face we had been traversing. Yes, this was a multi-level mall just like a regular shopping mall in the city, except it was carved into the side of a mountain.

The Larcomar Mall has a wide selection of shops and restaurants. From the trendy world famous makeup and jewelry boutiques to the name brand clothing and specialty stores, it was all here. Uniquely, most of the restaurants and pubs were on the seaside and of course their outside dining meant you had level upon level of breathtaking ocean views. We grabbed a quick lunch and headed for our last destination, The Love Park.

The Love Park

A very popular destination located on the Malecon on Lima’s scenic coastal strip is the famous Parque del Amor (the Love Park). With its coastal views, beautiful flowers, stunning mosaics as well as the embracing couple, it is the most romantic park. This place was built to celebrate love in all forms and it draws a multitude of tourists every year. The centerpiece sculpture brings it all together. “El Beso” (The Kiss) portrays a man and a woman wrapped in each other’s arms, locked in a passionate kiss.

It was the perfect place to wrap up our visit in Lima. Early the next day we jumped onto one of the Peru Hop buses and embarked on our journey through the country. Our next stop was Paracas, a small beach town with a lot of amazing things to see.

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