We started the tour of Lima early in the morning. Lima is at an altitude of 1,550 meter. It is the capital of Peru, lies on the country's arid Pacific coast. Though its colonial center is preserved, it is a bustling metropolis and one of South America’s largest cities. It is home to the Museo Larco collection of pre-Columbian art and the Museo de la Nación, tracing the history of Peru’s ancient civilizations. The Plaza de Armas and the 16th-century cathedral are the heart of old Lima Centro.
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| (Huaca Huallamarca ancient Pyramid) |
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| (Historical Pyramid of San Isidro) |
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| (Mud brick wall housing the museum) |
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| (An archaeological findings on display) |
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| (A sacred burial site) |
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| (On top of the mud brick pyramid) |
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| (View of San Isidro town) |
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| (Partial view of Huaca Huallamarca pyramid) |
We travelled to San Isidro town to visit Huaca Huallamarca, a historical pyramid structure located in the heart of San Isidro. It especially stands out because of the sharp contrast it forms with the modern buildings surrounding it. It consists of a temple, a cemetery and an urban area surrounded by many embassies. The pyramid building was constructed with hand-made mud bricks, stacked to make platforms creating several levels. The design enclosed squares, patios, corridors and restricted areas, all painted with an ochre yellow. Considering the size and characteristics of Huallamarca it is believed that it was a temple of high rank.
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| (Part of the 30,000 km Pan American Highway) |
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| (Archaeological site of Pachacamac) |
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| (Named after the God Pacha Kamaq) |
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| (Archaeological findings on display) |
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| (Excavated masks from the sacred sites) |
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| (Brightly coloured paintings decorating the temples) |
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| (One of the excavated temples of the Sun) |
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| (Favella near the archaeological sites) |
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| (Temple of the Sun in Pachacamac) |
Next we visited Pachacamac, a pra-Inca archaeological site 40 km from Lima in the Valley of the Lurín River. The site was named after the "Earth Maker" creator god Pacha Kamaq. Pachacamac covers about 600 hectares of land.
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| (Lima viewed from Chorillos) |
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| (A deluxe beach resort) |
On the way back to Lima city we had photo opportunity at Chorrillos, a beautiful beach served as a deluxe beach resort until the late 19th century, when it was almost completely destroyed by Chilean forces during the War of the Pacific.
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| (Famous for beach resorts and restaurants by the sea) |
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| (A romantic city by the beach) |
We passed by Barranco, a beautiful colonial and republican town considered to be the city's most romantic and bohemian, being the home and working place of many of Peru's leading artists, musicians, designers and photographers. There are homes and restaurants in and around a ravine near a cliff overlooking a sand strip which runs from the Miraflores District to Chorrillos. There is a walkway to the sea that runs through Barranco, called the Bajada de los Baños. Crossing over this walkway is the Puente de los Suspiros, or Bridge of Sighs, a bridge which crosses the ravine itself.
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| (La Rosa Nautica Restaurant) |
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| (A floating restaurant on the Pacific Ocean) |
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| (A famous seafood in Miraflores) |
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| (Beautiful ambiance of the dining room) |
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| (A surfer's paradise) |
We had lunch at La Rosa Nautica Restaurant, a beautiful floating restaurant and watched the surfers braving the huge waves while we had our lunch.
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| (Interesting art in Lima town) |
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| (Grau Square in the busiest side of Lima) |
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| (St Martin Plaza) |
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| (General Jose de San Martin Statue) |
After lunch we drove to Saint Martin Plaza through Miraflores town, a residential and shopping centre in Lima. Miraflores is one of the main tourist attractions in Lima. It is an exclusive residential and upscale shopping district south of downtown Lima. It is also one of the most affluent districts that make up the city of Lima. It has various hotels including the Hilton, the JW Marriott, and the Belmond, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and department stores. Our hotel Jose Antonio Deluxe Hotel is situated in this area.
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| (Cathedral Basilica of St. John) |
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| (Artesania Santo Domingo Market Place) |
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| (A charity box and a poor boy statue) |
After visiting the Saint Matin Plaza, we walked to the market place at Artesania Santo Domingo for a shopping spree of varieties of local products and colourful handicrafts.
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| (A small mosque in Magdalena Street) |
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| (A mosque for the Muslim Community) |
It was already late when we visited the Magdalena Mosque and the Association Islamic Del Peru for Asar/Zohor prayers. We waited for a while and performed the Magrib/Isya prayers in the mosque before we travelled back to our hotel.
Tonight we spent another night in Lima Jose Antonio Deluxe Hotel.
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