Callao/Lima, Peru

Callao is the port for the city of Lima, Peru’s capital, but the two cities have merged and the area is now basically one huge metropolis of over 8 million occupants. 

  It was founded by Francisco Pizarro, the conquistador who defeated the forces of the Inca Empire and delivered South America into the hands of Spain. 

In 1535, Francisco Pizarro labeled the open plains where Lima now stands as inhospitable. Despite the verdict of the great conquistador, Lima became the center of imperial Spanish power, a "City of Kings" where 40 viceroys would rule as the direct representatives of the King of Spain. With independence in 1821, Lima became Peru's capital.

We are in the port overnight so we have a tour booked with Peru Inca Wonders for both days.  The first day started out a bit sketchy due to confusion of where our small group of 20 people were to meet our tour guide and bus.  But with a little help from the port authorities, our group leader, Anne, found the guide and on our way we went to explore the city of Lima.

Our first stop was at Larco Mar where we stopped for an overlook of the beach and cliffs.  The city is built on top of the rocky cliffs. 

 

Since we didn’t port until 12:00 noon, we were well into the afternoon when we stopped at a local restaurant in the Miraflores district for a buffet lunch of local specialties.  The locals in line with us as we looked over the food helped us by explaining what some of the dishes were and which ones they especially liked.  The food was good and plentiful, with lots of potato dishes and stews (with mystery meat!).  It was a good experience and one where we definitely stepped out of our box and tried new tastes.

Next up was a little time for shopping in an Indian Market.  There are many of these markets all over town; we stopped at just one and wandered through the many aisles of vendors.  Much of it is the same items over and over again and all the vendors tried to lure you into their booth.

 

Indian Market

 

Convent of St.Francis

Then it was on to the Lima Main Square and a walking tour through the historical center.  We toured inside the Convent of Saint Francis, which was very interesting.  No photos were allowed inside but we saw the biggest collection of religious art in South America, a beautiful library with 25,000 books dating back centuries, and a choir room with ornately carved seats.  The Main Cloister patio is decorated with sevillan tiles from the 16^th century and has beautiful Moorish arches. Very interesting was the subterranean crypts known as the Catacombs where we saw thousands of bones.

Our guide, Vanessa, was fantastic.  Her passion is archeology and she provided us with a narrative along the way that explained all that we saw.

A surprise for the day was next when we walked over to the Cathedral Basilica and the Municipal Palace.  There was a parade taking place to mark the end of Carnival celebration.  Dancers from all over the country were present to represent the many cultures of Peru.  It was great fun to watch. 

It was a bit crowded!

To end the day, we went to the Magical Circuit of the Waters.  These are water fountains in a large park.  It’s very special for the people of Lima and the park was crowded with thousands of people from babies to seniors.  The highlight was the show of lights, music, and dancing fountains when it became dark.  This was similar to the fountain shows seen in Las Vegas but a bit more grand.  No photos of that as my camera doesn’t take night photos well. 

Terry 'playing' in the fountain with the kids.  They sprayed him!

Back on the ship we were able to attend the Peruvian Cultural Show put on by local dancers.  It was an excellent presentation.

Next day we were up and out early to meet our guide.  We only had the morning to tour as the ship sailed at 2:00 pm.

We headed toward Lima and stopped at the beach for a couple photos.  The beach is actually covered with small stones.  Yesterday we saw beachgoers laid out on beach towels right on top of the rocks.  The water is quite cold here, too, but a few surfers were taking advantage of the waves today.

Next stop was at Parc La Amour, which has a mosaic wall built to resemble Barcelona’s Parc Guell by Gaudi. 

Parc La Amour--the park of love

Gaudi inspired mosaics

Then it was on to the Huaca Pucliana ruins, which date back to 700 AD.  Our guide took us through the ruins explaining life back in pre-Columbian civilization, before the Incas.  The adobe bricks were all hand formed from mud and sun dried.  They are spaced a little apart to withstand earthquakes, which happen frequently in this part of the world. 

Last stop for the day was at Peru’s Gold Museum.  No photos allowed at this place.  But our guide fascinated us with stories about the collection of gold artifacts from various pre-Columbian civilizations, some more than 3,000 years old. 

Back on ship, we watched the sail away from the port.  One of the tug boat captains did a good job of showing off his donut spinning skills.

 

We now have a day at sea and then it’s time for Ecuador!