Jo-Lynne Sutherland

Breakfast was delicious - lots of fresh fruit, eggs, cereal, cheese, salad stuff etc - the only disappointment was the juice - great exotic labels but so watery there were indistinguishable.

We had a city tour lined up for 9:00 but Peter & I headed out early to buy water and wander about. We realized we were only 2 blocks away from the ocean. Returning, I saw Val & Rose heading out so we 3 headed to the ocean - so picturesque, even despite the fog. We were told it’s due to cold air from the mountains meeting warm air from the sea.

First stop on our city tour was the ocean - not far from where we’d just been been. The focal point there was Park del Amor - the pic explains why.

Next stop was the main square - wasn’t far but the traffic was horrendous so it took at least an hour. We disembarked and wandered around the square - beautifully laid out around the Palace. In 1953 it was called Plaza Pizarro, and had a monument of the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro. In 2003 the monument was removed and the square was renamed Plaza Perú - no doubt with lots of controversy. Sounds a bit like Canada . . . .

We then headed into Museo del Convento de Santo Domingo. This was originally a home for the Nuns, then later for the Monks. It was created in the 1530s and was the first university - and the oldest in the Americas. Separate rooms were dedicated to 3 saints - Rose of Lima (died at 31) Martin de Porres (mixed race) and St John Marcias (Spanish born Dominican Friar.) The library was incredible with its 25,000 books. It’s being well guarded for fear of fires, and slowly each and every book is being preserved.

The highlight, though, was lunch at Alfresco. The ceviche was the best we’ve ever had, and the causa was amazing. Causa is my new fav dish - mashed sweet potatoes wrapped around seafood, avocados, whatever. Sounds weird but it's soooo pretty and delish.

That night we all headed to the ocean to watch the sunset. Waiting for it to set, we went separate ways - Rose & Val to check out the shops, Madeline & I for a walk, Jacqueline & Jim were off trying to get a sim card, and John & Peter went for coffee. This is where the fun began.

Turns out they weren't drinking coffee but Pisco sours - actually triples without ice. YIKES Pisco Sours are local 40% brandy with a touch of lime juice. Needless to say, they came back red faced & happy.

We got our sunset pics, then looked for a spot where the rest of us could sample Pisco Sours. Just around the corner from our hotel was a 2 for 1 bar, so we headed there. They were sooooo good, and went down so quickly & smoothy that Rose ordered round two for everyone. I drank my first and shared my second with Peter. Now we were desperately in need of food.

There was a small Arabic restaurant next to our hotel so we popped in. By that time everyone was giddy. The idea of eating shawarmas in Lima seemed extremely funny. Peter was hilarious- kept us laughing the whole time. Walking home, though, he confessed he was a bit wobbly.Read more