The sights and sounds of bohemian Barranco in southern Lima are captured beautifully in this video below. Among the ageing colourful buildings, children play, street sellers sell, diners dine and people generally go about their business unaware that they are being observed from afar.
Category: "Lima City Guide"
Huaca Huallamarca
In the heart of lush residential San Isidro, the Huaca Huallamarca is one of dozens of pre-Columbian sites found within the city of Lima – a densely populated area even then. Heavily restored and open to tourists, the pyramid sits surrounded by huge modern penthouses that are a stark and unusual contrast for such an ancient ruin.
The last stop – Nostalgia Street
Public transport in Lima used to be orderly, clean, efficient and safe. Bus routes ran across the city in an organised way, drivers and ticket sellers were gentlemanly and vehicles were uniform and spacious. This all changed with the Presidency and quasi-dictatorship of Alberto Fujimori in the 1990s, something that the old-timers of the transport industry lament.
Driving in Lima, Peru
Driving in Peru, and particularly in Lima, is a challenge. Drivers ignore the rules of the road, have no consideration for others and die at a rate of 30 per 100,000 vehicles per year.
The British Embassy warns visitors:
Driving standards in Peru (particularly in Lima) are poor, with stop signs and traffic lights frequently ignored. Drivers overtake on either side, with little concern for pedestrians or oncoming traffic. Crashes resulting in death and injury take place almost every day.
While the US Embassy warns visitors:
Driving conditions in Peru are very different from those found in the United States and can be considerably more dangerous. Visitors are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with local law and driving customs before attempting to operate vehicles.
So, lets familiarize ourselves with the local regulations and customs. To do this, we will walk through some simple multiple choice questions like those Peruvians must answer to be awarded a driver’s licence. Answer them correctly and you too will be qualified to drive in Lima and Peru!
Lima of yesteryear – 1920s to 1970s
The Lima of two periods of time are both equally well known; the colonial and modern Lima that is still visible in the area around the city’s plaza, and the modern noisy metropolis that extends for kilometres.
But what about the time in between?
El Verídico de Fidel
I had heard of the place with the famous leche de tigre once or twice, but when I was bombarded with news of it from three different people in the space of 3 days, I knew I had to pay a visit. Surprisingly this spectacular little restaurant its on one of my well-trodden roots in the heart of La Victoria.
The story begins in 1989…
Bones of a conqueror
The Spanish settlers in Spain, upon their deaths, often wanted to be buried beneath the churches they had built on what they considered foreign and certainly un-Christian land. Doing so they thought was the only way of ensuring themselves a place in heaven. The richest or most important Spaniards in Lima were given prime spots – beneath the alter of the city’s grand cathedral. Here, when work on the church’s foundations was being carried out in 1977, a led box was found proclaiming; “Here is the head of Don Francisco Pizarro, Don Francisco Pizarro who discovered Peru and presented it to the crown of Castile.”
Lima – Weekend Getaways
So, what is the tourist, with more time in Lima then they’d prefer and no interest in a city experience, to do?
The truth is, Peru is such a magical place that you do not need to go too far outside the city of Lima to find attractions that rival those elsewhere in the country. From desert oases, pretty Andean villages and ancient pyramids to hiking trails, white water rafting and horseback riding – here’s the run down of nearby weekend getaways.
Casa de Osambela-Oquendo
This mansion in the colonial heart of Lima is as beautiful as it is unique. In its 200 year history it has seen two wealthy owners come and go, leaving it with two names. I happened to be passing by when Lizardo Retes, who takes care of the site that is now a cultural centre, offered to show me around – and to the roof where you can see as far as Callao.
Huacas of Manchay Alto
There’s not much left of it now, but there is something special about this temple complex in the Lurín valley that makes it so interesting. At about 3000 years old, it makes the city of Pachacamac just to the southwest look positively modern.
Air accident in San Diego reminds us of Alfredo Salazar
In 1937 Alfredo Salazar managed to crash his damaged plane in an unpopulated area of Miraflores.
Just a few days ago a horrible accident occured in San Diego, United States, when a US F-18 fighter jet plummeted into a residential zone, destroying homes and killing four people including two children. The pilot had ejected seconds before.
A similar tragedy almost occured in Peru 71 years ago. A plane completely in flames was heading was falling rapidly over the skies of Lima, heading towards Miraflores – then only a sea-side town found at the end of Av. Arequipa.
Photographing Lima’s colonial centre
I recently spent a day walking around the old centre of Lima, once one of the most important and wealthiest cities in the Spanish Empire and the entire world. Its prestige has faded quite a bit, thanks to suffocating internal migration in the 50’s and ex- turned- current President Alan García’s reign of economic destruction and devastation in the 80’s.
These were the results..
