Lima

Fresh off the plane (or perhaps not so fresh) Tomasz and I found our ride to Loki Lima Hostel where we got our first view of the city from the open windows of the cab. The morning sun cast a strange and almost alien light over the colourful and streets of Lima. The bustle of life and traffic filled our senses as our taxi made its way from the airport and down the coast towards the metropolitan center of town. Before long we were climbing up a switch back off the highway towards our destination where we passed football (soccer) coliseums and bluffs of greenery. Settling into our accommodations for only a split second we were greeted by our guides for the day, a lovely couple named Bernie and Janet I was put in contact with through colleges at work, who took it upon themselves to acclimatize us to the city.

Ensuring that we procured our tickets for transportation out of the city the next day, we took in the sights at the Plaza De Armas, which is the veritable birthplace of the area as well as the historical hub. Surrounded by the Cathedral of Lima, the Government Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace and the Municipal Palace, the Plaza was full of tourists and locals alike. Viewing all of the spectacles both inside and out and stopping for a quick and traditional meal, Tomasz and I both agreed that the best part of the experience that day was the Aliaga House which is said to be one of the oldest homes in all of the Americas. Still owned by the descendants of the original Aliaga family, the interior, which has remained unchanged for much of its existence, spoke towards the extravagance and luxuries of days long past.

Spending our next day exploring the more affluent Miraflores district of the city and coastal regions, we bid farewell to the capital city of Peru via Cruz del Sur buslines where we spent the next 26 hours on our way to Cuzco.

Written by AJ Kwong