We met at 11:15 this morning and headed off to Restaurant Asnapa where we were treated to a ceviche cooking demonstration. It was fun watching the chef, Roberto, prepare the fish ceviche, then we all got to sample it. It was different than any we have had in the past, but very tasty.
Tobey had the ceviche as his appetizer, too!
After lunch, we got on our tour bus and headed to downtown Lima for our walking tour. Lima is a HUGE city stretching over 40 miles from north to south and 20 miles east to west with a population over 11 million people. We passed the Justice Center and the sports stadium on the way.
Our guide joked that sports is the second largest religion in Peru!
Many of the buildings are constructed from sillar, a white volcanic rock. The stone lends a bright airy look to the streets which is nicknamed "La Ciudad Blanca," (the White City).
We saw 16th-century structures in the historic Plaza de Armas and many of the buildings are designated as UNESCO human heritage sites.There is a large police presence everywhere - not because of crime, but civic demonstrations.
At the Plaza Mayor we saw the San Francisco Basilica and the Palace of the Archbishop with its carved balcony, as well as the Government Palace.
Basilica
Government PalaceAs we walked along, our guide pointed out this whole section of buildings that were partially destroyed by a fire almost five years ago. Because they have been designated UNESCO sites, they cannot be torn down. Until the owners have enough money for the repairs, they will stay like this. The small black and white marking on the building is the UNESCO designation.
All along this walk, most building have this. This also means that any businesses in the buildings can only have signs with black letters or brass letters. Even the McDonald's is limited on their signage!
Below are some other buildings along our walk.
This was Our Lady of Mercy Church which was built in 1535. The outside was so beautiful. I was disappointed we were not able to go inside.
This beautiful building is now a bank. The statue is Ramon Castilla who served as President of Peru between the 1840s and 1863 (not continuously). He abolished slavery in Peru.
The picture below is the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo.
One of the last residences built in the colonial times belonged to a very rich merchant, Rosenbella. It was HUGE! It was also the first colonial house that had windows in the balconies. All of the others had wooden screens to block the views from the outside.
We sooned boarded our bus and made our way to the "Parque del Amor" (Love Park) with views of the coast and Pacific Ocean.
Hang gliders take off from the cliffs overlooking the ocean along the malecon.
There were quite a few surfers in the water. The water temperature is only in the 50s! I think I will definitely pass on that adventure.
We had about an hour after we got back to the hotel before our "briefing meeting" and dinner tonight. It was another huge meal! This was Tobey's appetizer called "Causa Limena Rellena con Pollo." They translated it to mean yellow potatoes in perfect romance with chicken. Who wouldn't want to have that?!! It was very tasty. I had the creamy vegetable soup. We had a main course and dessert, too. Needless to say, neither of us finished everything.
Tomorrow morning is an EARLY wake up call. Suitcases out by 7:30 and we are on the bus to the airport for our next stop at 8:10am, so until tomorrow, good night!
All along this walk, most building have this. This also means that any businesses in the buildings can only have signs with black letters or brass letters. Even the McDonald's is limited on their signage!
Below are some other buildings along our walk.
This was Our Lady of Mercy Church which was built in 1535. The outside was so beautiful. I was disappointed we were not able to go inside.
This beautiful building is now a bank. The statue is Ramon Castilla who served as President of Peru between the 1840s and 1863 (not continuously). He abolished slavery in Peru.
The picture below is the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo.
One of the last residences built in the colonial times belonged to a very rich merchant, Rosenbella. It was HUGE! It was also the first colonial house that had windows in the balconies. All of the others had wooden screens to block the views from the outside.
We sooned boarded our bus and made our way to the "Parque del Amor" (Love Park) with views of the coast and Pacific Ocean.
Hang gliders take off from the cliffs overlooking the ocean along the malecon.
There were quite a few surfers in the water. The water temperature is only in the 50s! I think I will definitely pass on that adventure.
We had about an hour after we got back to the hotel before our "briefing meeting" and dinner tonight. It was another huge meal! This was Tobey's appetizer called "Causa Limena Rellena con Pollo." They translated it to mean yellow potatoes in perfect romance with chicken. Who wouldn't want to have that?!! It was very tasty. I had the creamy vegetable soup. We had a main course and dessert, too. Needless to say, neither of us finished everything.
Tomorrow morning is an EARLY wake up call. Suitcases out by 7:30 and we are on the bus to the airport for our next stop at 8:10am, so until tomorrow, good night!
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