Lima, the capital city of Peru was founded in 1535 by Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro. Although it was previously known as the "city of kings" because of the power and prestige it enjoyed, today the riches are in its diverse culture. Lima has the finest museums, swankiest shops, and most dazzling restaurants in the country.
Our outing today included a visit to one of the main squares in the city, the Plaza Mayor, which is surrounded by beautiful old colonial buildings and flower filled planters. There were white and red geraniums, yellow and white roses, and gorgeous purple jacaranda trees. Tourists, as well as local families, walked around and enjoyed the peaceful respite from the surrounding hectic city. Toddlers ran around, chasing the many birds and mothers/fathers tried to keep up with them and catch them before they ran out into the street! Ten million people reside in Lima so neighborhood parks and squares are a great escape from the hustle and bustle.
We walked to an old colonial mansion which continues to be occupied by direct descendants of the original owners. Eighteen generations of the Aliaga family have lived here. Upkeep of the mansion became quite expensive so the current family residents opened up the house for tours to help with expenses. It was an absolutely spectacular home. There were marble floors, wide staircases, dark and rich mahogany wood trim everywhere, beautiful, intricately carved ceilings in many of the rooms. Dark wooden beams and gold leaf adornments abound throughout the home. Priceless art, including paintings, statues, and bronzes fill the space with grace and beauty. Although the furnishings were quite elegant the home had a very comfortable feel to it. We were allowed to sit on the furniture and drinks were offered during our tour.
As we continued our walk we passed many buildings which had a neoclassical design. Our guide explained that in 1746 there was a major earthquake in Peru which killed thousands of people. Two thousand properties were affected and only a few hundred people out of the population of 5,000-6,000 survived the quake and the huge tsunami which followed. Many of the buildings that exist that exist today were rebuilt after the big quake, so new styles of architecture were incorporated including neoclassical.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, religion played a huge role in people's daily lives. The influence of the Catholic Church, in particular the Jesuits, can be seen everywhere. All colonial homes had a small chapel. People had large families, perhaps 10-12 children. The goal was always to have at least one nun or priest in each family so they could pray for the rest of the family members in heaven. We visited a beautiful church, St. Peter's, where we were fortunate to to sit in for part of a lovely Peruvian wedding. It was an elegant and beautiful event filled with flowers, lots of bridesmaids, and a church full of admiring attendees.
We were fortunate to have arrived in Lima today because the city was celebrating the 480th anniversary of its founding. There are many Peruvians who came to the city this weekend to participate in the celebrations. There were fireworks, processions, traditional dancing, and vendors selling souvenirs throughout the city.
As we left the city we noticed that gasoline prices seemed to be quite expensive. Our guide explained that it is because Peru has no oil so they must import it which keeps the price high. We have thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour of this fabulous city and look forward eagerly to exploring the Peruvian countryside tomorrow.
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This morning we boarded our bus and headed for the countryside to visit Pachacamac, which is an ancient citadel. For many years this site served as an administrative center and later mainly for religious leaders. Most of the mud adobe brick buildings were constructed around 800-1450, before the Incas arrived. It continues to be an active archaeological site with many students and archeologists carefully excavating the remnants of this ancient civilization. Peruvian hairless dogs roam freely throughout the area since their breed is protected by the government. So far, 17 pyramids have been unearthed, however, they are flat on top due to numerous earthquakes. Our guide told us that the buildings were originally painted in reds, whites and yellows which were a tribute to their gods of sun, moon and earth.
There was a cemetery which was used from 690-1533. It was an incredible, but quite eerie site, with human bones, human hair, broken red pottery pieces, and rope used to bind and drag the bodies laying all over the ground. Our guide told us that many of the graves were robbed years ago and that the excavations have caused many of these artifacts to be unearthed. Instead of removing them they have decided to leave them where they were found to honor the people who died there. We learned that people were buried with their valuables such as the red pottery to escort them into the afterlife. Evidently, most of the relics we find in museums are collected from funerary offerings.
We stopped to view the temple of the sun, which is the highest point within the site and the places where religious leaders went to offer sacrifices to the sun god. This pyramid also has lost its upper stories to earthquakes so, like the others in this citadel, the top is flat. Everyone in the community was required to go to the sun temple every year on June 21st to celebrate the sun god and summer solstice, when human sacrifices were offered to the gods.
Lastly at this site we stopped to view the temple of the moon, which was used by the older, wise women from 1470-1533 to prepare specially selected young virgins for the harem or to be a sacrifice. As we learned earlier, there was no problem findings families to volunteer their young daughters as being selected for the convent was considered a great honor for the girl and her family.
Our last stop of the day was to visit a magnificent hacienda where we witnessed a beautiful display of horses and enjoyed a delicious Peruvian buffet. What a DELIGHTFUL experience. Many of you know that due to my severe allergies I have never had the privilege of being around animals, so it was an incredible treat to watch the beautiful Peruvian Paso horses ride in the ring. These horses were a medium size with thin legs, compact, rounded body, narrow head with white markings, a beautiful long full tail, gorgeous flowing mane, and very large, expressive eyes. The way they move make them a very special breed. The owner of the hacienda spoke with us and explained that they move their four legs independently which provides a very smooth and comfortable ride. Also, they have quite thick hooves so there is no need for horseshoes. It was a real thrill to watch them exhibit their grace, strength and beauty as they glided effortlessly through their maneuvers. At the end, a small group of dancers wearing traditional costumes came out and paired up with the horses and their riders and danced together. It was incredibly beautiful to watch the horses and dancers work together, always mindful of one another's presence.
Afterwards, we were escorted to a lovely outdoor patio where we enjoyed a delicious lunch. There was a mix of chicken, beef and lamb, along with potatoes and other fresh vegetables grown on the property. After lunch, we were entertained by a group of Peruvian dancers who smiled, chapped their hands, waged their handkerchiefs, stomped their feet and twirled their way through a number of dances. In addition, clowns meandered through our group, playing with us during the afternoon. The only slightly negative aspect of the entire visit was the large amount of flies around the tables. Our hosts burned incense on the tables in an attempt to keep them away but we still found ourselves swatting them away throughout the visit. However, it was a very small price to pay for such an enchanting and delightful afternoon. The eyes of these magnificent horses were absolutely focused on their human partner.
As we re-boarded our bus for our return to Lima, once again we had to pass through sandy dunes with little foliage. As we neared the city there were a number of "shanty towns" where the poorest Peruvians live. Although these dwellings look to be extremely humble, our guide told us there were basic necessities in each community. Although the roads were decent, I wouldn't want to drive here since the cars seem to play chicken with each other! I'm just glad we made it back to the port safely.
Once we arrived back at the beach we drove along the coast highway for a few miles. I have NEVER seen so many umbrellas and people crowded together on one beach. Every umbrella appeared to be touching four other umbrellas and they completely covered the sand. There was absolutely no space between blankets. Not sure how the people walked back and forth to the water! It was quite a sight. We finally arrived back at our ship and I was ready for a quick nap before dinner. We've had a couple of long, but thoroughly delightful days in Lima. Time to move on!
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