South America and Antarctica

Today we had an organised tour of the Lima City Centre, stopping on the way at Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological site in Miraflores (near our hotel). It was built by the Lima culture, a pre-Incan indigenous coastal civilisation between 200 CE and 700 CE. It has staggered platforms surrounded by a plaza and large walls.

We next went to the Plaza Jose de San Martin with the monument to General José de San Martín, the liberator of Peru, Argentina, and Chile. From there we walked up a pedestrianised street towards the main square, stopping at the Basilica de La Merced (late 17th century). Lots of diverse architecture here.

In the centre of Lima we saw the Plaza de Armas (main square) with buildings around the square being the Government Palace, the Cathedral of Lima, the Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace and the Palace of the Union.

Back to the hotel with free time we walked to the JFK Gardens which includes a cat park! Then we walked in the other direction to the Pacific Ocean - people surf along here although the beach is cut off by a massive 6 lane road. We decided for dinner to go to a "Chinfa" restaurant - there have been Canonese influences in Peru since the 1920s. That would explain the fried rice on offer at breakfast. Tomorrow we fly to Cusco for New Year's Eve.Read more