Lima, Peru

Lima was built in the 1500s by Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish conquerors.  It became the capital of the country, replacing the old capital of Cusco.  It is among the largest cities in South America.  It is a typical sprawling metropolitan area. It does not have that much that is unique and remarkable.  It has the typical official buildings of the Europeans (now adopted by the Peruvians), and the huge colonial churches, at the center of town; with the common people living in the less notable and more typical city surroundings.  The streets are busy with people going about their daily lives. There is plenty of public transportation – going all the way from three-wheelers to buses.  People are everywhere.  The city has a lively heartbeat.  Life seems to be better organized in the streets than some of the more chaotic cities that I have been to.  Here are some pictures.

Basilica and Convent of San Francisco.  There is a monastery of Franciscan monks in the compound beside the church. It is in the downtown area.  It is a legacy of the Spanish colonization.There are catacombs beneath the structure of the monastery. It is estimated that about 25,000 bodies were buried here.Here is our group walking in the government district.The main square of Lima.A traffic intersection in the city.Traffic flows on the outskirts of the city.  The flow was quite smooth compared to some places that I have been to.  Automobiles seem to have the right-of-way over pedestrians.They have a metro system.Some shots on the street.Some of the main roads have a pathway in the median for pedestrians and bikes.  Some of these pathways look very nice and inviting, with trees lining the pathway.The Miraflores district of Lima, where our hotel was located, has an area along the Pacific Ocean that is very lively in the evenings. We went there for dinner.Lights over the Pacific Ocean.In the afternoon we went south of the city on the Pan-American highwayto see the temple of the Sun and the rest of the Pachacamac Pre-Inca Ruins.The next morning we caught a flight to get to our second destination. It was a short visit, but we will stop in Lima once again when we are leaving the country.

Next blog in this series here.