The City Of Lima

The outlying suburbs of Lima.

Helado helados!

Am intricate street lamp in the city.

Arriving in Lima, which sits in the middle of Peru, was a big change from Cusco and Arequipa. Being the capital of the country, it is expected to be the largest, but at 10 million people Lima is the 3rd largest city in South America behind Sao Paulo and Mexico City. The mass of people, houses and traffic was a bit of a shock after quieter, more peaceful cities - here is was all go, beep beep, and just things happening everywhere. The second thing that hit me was the heat. This bus ride had been a horrible overnight bus from Arequipa, and the air-con hadn't worked all trip, and so it felt like a sauna. Opening the roof hatch only gave temporary relief from the sweat of 100 other people, and once in the city the air was rather stinky too. From the bus window I could see the suburbs of the city, sprawling up the hills around the city - the 'favelas' that you would never think of visiting, and if you did, you'd never return. The bus dropped me at their office, miles from my hostel, and the first thing I saw was a poster warning you about the dangers or the Zika virus. The instant I stepped out of the building to get my bearings I was warned that Lima is a very dangerous city and I should get a taxi. Such a lovely welcome to the city, one that would continue during my visit here.

Big government building in Lima.

Attention!

Monastery of Francisco di Assisi.

A did get a taxi, as my hostel was miles and miles from where the bus had left me, and the neighbourhood that I was in looked quite sketchy too. 20 minutes later and much sweat later, I was checking in. The hostel used to be someone's house, and they had added extra beds and a reception area for clients. It still felt like someone's place though, as they owner spent most of the day sitting on his sofa watching crappy television. He was a lovely guy though, and always happy to help out, so I'm not complaining! After a snack and a shower, I ventured into the centre for a look around and to see the capital of Peru. After both Cusco and Arequipa, and what I'd heard of Lima, I wasn't expecting much. This is exactly what I got. It wasn't easy getting into the historical centre - I couldn't find a bus that would take me, I was given conflicting directions on where to get this bus, and so I eventually got the 'metro' system, a bus that runs on a dedicated road, directly to the centre. I had to buy a metro card with a deposit, and the bus was packed to sardine levels with no air-con. I finally made it in, walked to the main plaza and was confronted by armed riot cops. The Plaza de Armas was cordoned off for the next 2 days due to the 'possibility' of an election, and eletions in South America are never a quiet affair. I tried to get the police officer's/soldier's attention to ask if I could go in, as loads of locals were angry and couldn't pass - I was let through as soon as he realised I was a foreign tourist.

Lima Cathedral.

A cool looking pub in Lima.

The cathedral and the police.

The square, although not the prettiest compared to other Latino cities, was still lovely. The city was founded in 1535 by Señor Francisco Pizarro, who was responsible for the death of the Inca Emperor in Cusco, along with many other things. The original name was "Cuidad de los Reyes," City of the Kings, and was the capital and most important city for the Spanish in the Viceroyalty of Peru. After the Peruvian War of Independence, it became the capital of the new Republic of Peru and now a third of the country lives here, all jammed together. It is probably most known for the oldest University in South America, the National University of San Marcos, which was founded in 1551. Lima also hosted the 2014 United Nations Climate Change Conference, will hold the 2019 Pan American Games, but most importantly was the host city for the 1982 Miss Universe competition. Tragically, in 1940, an earthquake hit the city, destroying most of it. Migration and growth boomed in the city, and the population jumped from just over 500,000 people in at the time of the quake to 1.9 million in 20 years and 4.8 million by the 80s, and 10 million today. This huge growth spurt has pushed the city way beyond it's limits and original boundaries, creating slums in downtown and shanty towns on the outskirts, called "pueblos jovenes," or "young towns."

Guarding the Governmental Palace in the centre of Lima.

Paragliding over Miraflores.

Lima Cathedral.

Most tourist locations are close to the square, so I wandered around in the heat looking at the old buildings and trying to enjoy the city. It is quite dirty and polluted - buses drive past and blow out thick, black smoke that even the locals choke on. I found the Monastery of San Francisco di Assisi, which is high on that 'things to do' in this city. The outside is simple Spanish Baroque style with a yellow facade, but it's what is inside that makes it special. I paid the 10 Sole fee for a tour in English and joined a group straight away, and we were taken through the place by a Peruvian woman who's English was wonderful. The library here contains over 25,000 volumes and even has that old, dusty book smell to it, and it beautiful with its old oak panelling and Old World decorations, which include oversized books and wood-and-leather recliners. It is the second oldest library in South America, Quito having oldest. There is something about old libraries that I love, and this one reminded me of the wonderful Trinity College Library in Dublin which is my all time favourite. There were many things on the tour, and the church itself was very beautiful, but the most interesting though about this place, and the main reason for tourists visiting is the catacombs. Discovered in 1943, these vaults contain the bones of more than 25,000 people, as people were often buried beneath churches in the past - a great space-saving idea. The bones have been counted and organised for display, skulls piled together with skulls, and femurs with all the other femurs - there is still a stale, dead smell down there, and I was glad that the tour was a little rushed as I felt quite claustrophobic and unable to breathe. Sadly no photos at all were allowed, down here or the library, but the memory (and the smell) will stay with me forever.

The coast and the barrio of Miraflores.

Not the only tourist in town.

Looks more like SE Asia to me.

I didn't stay long in Lima, and 3 days was more than enough for me anyway. It is busy, over-crowded and polluted. Add to this that my phone was stolen on the metro bus back to my hostel on my first day. The bus was so packed that I couldn't move an inch, and someone could have done anything they wanted to me and I wouldn't have been able to see them let alone stop them it was that busy. Luckily the important things were safe. I filled a police report for insurance, had to 'give' the police officer money for photocopying which seems to speed up the report making process, got a new phone and headed to the park to relax and have some lunch. There is a park in Miraflores that the local street cats hang out in - I call it the Cat Park. dozens of cats just lay around, licking various parts of themselves, and get fed by crazy cat ladies. They weren't particularly friend either. I walked a little around the cliffs 5 blocks from my hostel, looking out across the pebbled beaches and over the Atlantic Ocean. The sky was fairly pollution-free here and filled with people paragliding with their GoPros, the green park and walkway busy with people enjoying the day. I left the next day, stopping off on the border town of Piura, where there wasn't much to see or do, but it was a nice change from the big city and long bus trips. It was so hot here though, and there were also loads more motorbikes and tuk tuks, reminding me of South East Asia. I got on another long bus ride the next day and crossed the border into Ecuador.

Speeding tuk tuks in Piura, northern Peru.