We arrived in Lima in the evening after a traffic-filled taxi ride from the bus station. Our AirBNB host, Vivana, greeted us and showed us around the luxurious two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom apartment we had rented (seriously, we didn’t ever want to leave the apartment!). That evening, we went to the nearest grocery store, Wong, to stock up on supplies for our Thanksgiving Day meals and then had Chinese food (of all things) for dinner. We collapsed into bed that evening, tired from two full days of travel from Ecuador and looking forward to spending Thanksgiving relaxing and lounging around the apartment.

Our first meal in the food-centric city of Lima? Chinese food!

Thanksgiving Day was rather uneventful and we spent the day watching old movies in Spanish on tv (Men in Black, Ghostbusters, and Indiana Jones), Skyping with friends and family, eating a ton of food (omelettes for breakfast, bread and cheese for a snack, and fettuccine alfredo for dinner), reading, and playing a mean game of Uno. I took the opportunity to do a bit of research on Lima to figure out what we wanted to do with our remaining days in the city. One of the things I planned, as already discussed in my previous blog post, was a walking food tour of Miraflores. In addition, I know there would be plenty of other things to do to fill our time in Lima. We split the remainder of our days exploring three districts in Lima: Miraflores (where we were staying), Barranco, and Centro Historico.

I’m lucky to have such a great cook as a husband! Thanksgiving breakfast and dinner were both delicious!

My breakfast on Thanksgiving – ham and cheese omelette, orange juice, and coffee. Just what I wanted!

Miraflores is known as one of the richest parts of Lima, home to wealthy businessmen and tourists. This is the district that was recommended to us as a home base in Lima, a safe district with plenty of restaurants, shops, and things to do. We had no problem spending three full days in Miraflores alone; one day on the walking food tour, one day running errands (and sightseeing along the way), and another day exploring the sites of the district. One of our favorite places that we toured was Huaca Pucllana, which is located along the edge of the district. It is a large ruin dating back to pre-Inca times and has only been unearthed in the past thirty years. The pyramids were erected between 200-700AD, with each generation renovating and adding to what the previous generation had left. A tour guide quickly led us around the site, stopping every so often to describe the people who had lived and worshiped there and the culture alive in that era. We felt a bit rushed, frequently having to jog a bit to catch up with our tour group since we spent so much time taking pictures and admiring the stonework of the pyramid. However, it was well worth our time to discover a new era of Peruvian history that we had not heard about before our trip.

Huaca Pucllana was a pre-Inca site located in the middle of Miraflores.

The site was very well-preserved, although only about half of it has been excavated in the past 25 or so years.

Despite being a large metropolis, Lima boasts a number of parks and green spaces. Two that we visited in Miraflores were Parque del Amor and Parque Kennedy. Parque del Amor (the Love Park) follows the coast of the Pacific, offering vast views over the cliffs to the ocean below. A large statue of two people embracing backs up the name of the park, but my favorite thing was the benches that surrounded the statue. The benches were made of a mosaic of tile with butterflies, fish, celestial objects, and other images decorating the seats. The benches reminded me of those found in Park Güell in Barcelona. The other park that we visited, Kennedy Park, is situated right in the middle of busy streets in the downtown area of Miraflores. The main attraction here, at least for us, were the cats that call the park home. For years, Kennedy Park has been the home to feral, stray, and homeless cats, who all live peacefully within the grounds. Volunteers place food dishes and water bowls out during the day and veterinarians donate their time and supplies to keep the animals healthy and from reproducing. During our visit, we spotted between 20-30 cats, most sleeping among the flowerbeds of the park. A few were awake and walking around, showing no signs of fear of being petted. While I’m happy that we visited, it made me miss my own Tucker cat, who is currently living with my parents at “the big house” in Bay City.

I loved the benches at Parque del Amor… and the views weren’t too bad either!

Cats sleeping in the flowerbeds at Parque Kennedy.

Barranco is the district located just south of Miraflores, also on the Pacific coast. This neighborhood is known for being artsy and bohemian with a lot of cafes, bars, galleries, and shops. True to its reputation, as soon as we stepped off the metrobus into the district, we could hear the beating of drums calling us to the main plaza. A drum circle was performing and having a great time entertaining the crowd who had gathered to watch. Next to them was an area set up for acrobats to display their talents; we saw gymnasts swinging from each others arms on stilts, a girl twirling around in a large hula-hoop, and a trapeze performer doing flips from a swing above our heads. Spectators strolled around the plaza enjoying the demonstrations before wandering off for a bite to eat.

A trapeze artist swinging and doing flips on the main plaza in Barranco.

We walked over the Puente de los Suspiros, or Bridge of Sighs, although didn’t feel the same artistic tug that many writers, musicians, artists, and poets have felt. The area next to the bridge was entertaining however, with parks, murals, and artists hawking their wares. We tried our first Pisco Sour in Barranco, although neither of us liked it at the time. Since that first drink, we have tried others that have been much tastier and enjoyable!

The Bridge of Signs in Barranco.

The third district that we toured is the Centro Historic, or the historic center of the city. This is built around the main plaza which is anchored on one side by the Cathedral of Lima (unfortunately closed while we were there), the Government Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, and the Municipality of Lima. During our visit, there was a small area roped off with fake grass where dogs were performing tricks with their owners. The two places that we visited in this district were the Casa de la Literatura and the Convento de San Francisco.

A little train for kids to ride in front of the Cathedral of Lima.

Jon standing with a guard in front of the Governmental Palace in Lima.

The Casa de la Literatura is housed in what was originally Lima’s train station, built in 1912. The stained glass domed ceilings make a beautiful backdrop against which to learn about books and literacy in Peru. The rooms off the main space showcase important authors and books, techniques of bookmaking, the history of literature in Peru, and of course, a small library. Behind the building, adjacent to a small courtyard where you can lounge and read, are the railroad tracks. Still in use today, but only by small trains as a tourist attraction, it’s easy to imagine how this place was used as a train station a century ago.

I loved the architecture of Casa de la Literatura, especially the ceilings!

This was one of my favorite things – a room with quotes written on every surface available! I’d love to do something like this in my home one day!

The Convento de San Francisco is a monastery, still in use today. The Franciscan monks built the church and monastery over the course of a hundred years from 1673 to 1774. The architecture is similar to that found in Europe, particularly Spain, during this era. Most of the paintings, murals, mosaics, and tiles were donated by European patrons and Franciscans during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. The library was closed when we visited, but we were able to tour the catacombs. These were burial chambers for anyone who died within the city; the service would be held at the church above-ground and the monks would inter the body below-ground. The underground rooms were divided into rectangular sections where each family would place their dead; multiple people would be in each of these sections. These were in use until the 1800’s and it is estimated there are approximately 25,000 people who were buried here.

The Monastery of San Francisco. I wish we could have taken pictures inside as the tiles and mosaics were beautiful!!

While we only scratched the surface of what Lima has to offer, we thought this gave us a good taste of the city. In addition to all of the sites and attractions that I described in this article, we also spent time in restaurants eating our way through the city – trying everything from ceviche to La Lucha sandwiches to risotto to salads at our local bakery. Jon and I enjoyed our time in Lima so much that we extended our stay an additional two nights, from five to a total of seven nights. I’m glad we took the extra time to explore and get to know the city and would encourage anyone coming to Peru not to skip over the large capital, but to enjoy it for yourself.

The center of Lima was full of colorful buildings and colonial architecture.

Cheers! Two pisco sours in Lima.