We started the day with breakfast - mango for me, avocado for him and saltenas - sort of like empanadas but better, with meat, potato and onion inside, but I wish I knew what spices they use to flavor it. Yum!!!
Then we went downtown Lima. As I mentioned, Lima is divided up into many districts (43 according to the internet) - each has its own mayor and government, and then there is a central metro government that is over all of them. We're in the Miraflores district. They have built bus lanes down the middle of the freeway. Every so often there are stations, but otherwise the buses just zip along - no need to stop for traffic or lights. Very fast and efficient. It dropped us about 3 blocks from the Plaza de Armas.
Here is the Plaza de Armas and here we are there. Everyone keeps telling us it is SOOOO cold and we should be wearing winter clothes. You can see how cold we think it is - probably about 65.
We arrived there just in time to see the changing of the guard at the palace. First the military band marched out and came right up to the fence and gave about a 20 minute concert. Then there was much pomp and circumstance as the guards came marching out around the grounds. Quite impressive.
Here is the cathedral and the bishops palace. I think our new pope isn't so happy about bishops living in palaces.
From there we walked to the old train station behind the palace which they have turned into a library and museum all about Peruvian authors. It was well presented, and it is so nice to see that they are preserving and using these old buildings rather than tearing them down or letting them fall apart.
We ate lunch at an outdoor cafe a block from the Plaza - causa (potato and veggies) and lomo saltado (beef, onions and fried potatoes in a sauce) and Armando had papas a la huancaina (potatoes with a creamy cheese sauce, but not like the cheese sauce my friends in America are thinking of) and pollo con salsa cuy (chicken with the kind of sauce they serve when they cook cuy - guinnea pig - but the sauce isn't made from cuy!)
And here is Plaza San Martin. Jose de San Martin is the one who liberated Peru from Spain. Their George Washington, I suppose. This is a beautiful plaza with really beautiful buildings, a theater and a really fancy Hotel Bolivar.
This is Casa Wiese - used to be an importer of machinery and hardware. Now the building houses SUNAT which is Peru's IRS.
And here are just a whole lot of neat buildings and typical balconies you find in downtown Lima.
Downtown Lima
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Lima, Peru
Other Entries
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1READ THIS FIRST
Sep 074 days priorLima, Peruphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 0 -
2What Armando did before Jeanie arrived
Sep 083 days priorLima, Peruphoto_camera12videocam 0comment 1 -
3Walking til I couldn't walk no more!
Sep 092 days priorMiraflores, Peruphoto_camera18videocam 0comment 1 -
4Carousing with the Carranza Cousins
Sep 101 day priorChorrillos, Peruphoto_camera9videocam 0comment 3 -
5Downtown Lima
Sep 11Lima, Peruphoto_camera37videocam 0comment 1 -
6Plodding around Pachacamac
Sep 121 day laterPachacamac, Peruphoto_camera18videocam 0comment 0 -
7Good Times with the Cousins Gonzalez
Sep 121 day laterMiraflores, Peruphoto_camera7videocam 0comment 1 -
8Clomping Around Caral
Sep 132 days laterHuacho, Peruphoto_camera26videocam 0comment 0 -
9Moving Day
Sep 143 days laterLa Rinconada, Peruphoto_camera21videocam 0comment 3 -
10Lazy Day
Sep 154 days laterLa Rinconada, Peruphoto_camera12videocam 0comment 2 -
11Another Lazy Day
Sep 165 days laterLa Rinconada, Peruphoto_camera27videocam 0comment 1 -
12More Celebrating with the Carranzas
Sep 176 days laterLa Rinconada, Peruphoto_camera16videocam 0comment 1 -
13Panting in Puno
Sep 198 days laterPuno, Peruphoto_camera25videocam 0comment 0 -
14Cruising Lake Titicaca
Sep 209 days laterTaquile, Peruphoto_camera49videocam 0comment 1 -
15Killing Time
Sep 2110 days laterPuno, Peruphoto_camera26videocam 0comment 0 -
16Back to Sea Level
Sep 2211 days laterMiraflores, Peruphoto_camera18videocam 0comment 1 -
17Exploring Miraflores
Sep 2312 days laterMiraflores, Peruphoto_camera42videocam 0comment 0 -
18Huaca Pucllana
Sep 2413 days laterMiraflores, Peruphoto_camera30videocam 0comment 1 -
19Vacation is Almost Over
Sep 2918 days laterMarianna, United Statesphoto_camera26videocam 0comment 4
Comments

2025-02-13
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Gonzalo
2014-09-12
Great 'paseo' through downtown Lima.
You missed historic [and historical] Cordano's bar/restaurant right outside Presidential Palace, but you did go into the Old Train Station (I have never been inside). Your journals are pleasant, easy to read and very entertaining!