February 24th- 27th 2015
Culture and History:
San Francisco Church was by far the most impressive historical piece I managed to get o in Lima. Famous for it’s catacombs this church holds so much more from fantastic art, to a truly incredible library, and of course the catacombs themselves are well worth the visit as well. About 7 Soles gets you a well led tour of this impressive compound, the English ones leaving fairly regularly (we waited about 15 minutes) and are led by students from local university’s looking to practice their language skills. Our guide was fantastic despite having three rather obnoxious Germans with us who would repeat everything he said or re ask questions then act like they’d pieced it together all themselves. Still, the ancient looking library, frescoes over other frescoes and vast number of interred bones blow Peru’s Capital make this church unmissable. Sadly pictures are not allowed inside, so I guess you’ll just have to check it out for yourself.
Plaza de Armas is also just a few blocks from San Fransisco Cathedral and is also well worth a visit, while we were there we even had the luck to watch some sort of welcoming reception for an important dignitary at the presidential palace, security was tight, though a dog did manage to breach the security lines. I’m sure there is countless more things to do in Lima culturally, including lots of ruins and other sites nearby but Elin Olivia and I enjoyed the big city in a different way. Which brings me to the next section: food.
Food:
Ask almost any South American which country creates the best food on the continent and you’ll hear Peru. From ceviche to sushi and countless other things, Peru offers it all up, and the capital city is full of little gems, many of which I had to leave unexamined.
We enjoyed all you can eat Sushi at Wasabi for the high but worth it price of 45 soles. Between the three of us we devoured 102 pieces of this places fusion sushi, just be careful, order more than you can eat and there’s a two sole penalty per roll.
It had only been since Cuenca since I‘d had Indian/Pakistani food but the more I travel the more I seem to crave the stuff. Guru Kebab isn’t exactly cheap (18-30 soles per dish) but it serves up heaping portions of delicious and authentic Curry’s with chefs from the Punjab province of Pakistan The place is small but has a nice atmosphere with Bollywood movies in the background, and is definitely worth a visit to get your curry fix. Elin and Olivia and I brought their friend Anna who’s living in Lima there and all enjoyed a great meal on our last full night in Lima.
Another definite tourist haunt alongside a charming little park full of cats initially brought in to save a rat problem, this place serves up amazingly delicious sandwiches and even better milkshakes. It’s right beside Starbucks in Miraflores and shouldn’t be missed. It’s not cheap, but not too bad either at about 15 Soles for a truly large sandwich. Just be careful the Kitties in Parque Kennedy next door don’t get all your food.
Cafe Cultural Restaurant Expreso Virgen de Guadalupe
The name’s a mouthful but the food is more than that. Amazing lunch buffets of delicious vegetarian food (not something I easily admit) available in an old train car in the heart of barranco. All you can eat and drink for 18 soles make this place a haven for any vegetarians and even if you’d love meat I’d give this place a try, the food was damn good. It’s right near the main square of Barranco and should not be missed.
General Recommendation:
Try Arroz con Mariscos in one of the restaurants on the main thoroughfare down to the ocean in barranco, it’s truly delicious in most cases, and If you’re like me, you can often find vanilla coke in the bigger supermarkets, which is near priceless.
Neighbourhoods:
Lima is a massive city with a massive traffic problem. It’s easy to let both things overwhelm you and make you just give up and leave. Dn’t if you can help it as I had amazing times in Lima. I stayed in Barranco, a lovely bohemian neighbourhood on the cliffs above the pacific Ocean and I’d definitely recommend making it your home base. I stayed at the Point hostel, great for a party, though I think there would be better and more relaxed hostels to be found for those not seeking alcohol or drug-fuelled mayhem.
Outside of Barranco you have Miraflores which is undoubtedly the tourist neighbourhood full of international restaurants, hostels, and travel agents, that said it’s also home to some very charming parks and malls and is certainly worth an afternoon’s exploration if not more.
The historical centre is hectic, full of people and even more full of cars, but the churches and plazas make it worth the effort to explore. there’s also some nice parks in this area and lots of artisanal crafts if you’re in need of souvenirs for those back home.
Those are the three neighbourhoods I spent much time in but there are many more, western style suburbs with huge malls, to the poorer neighbourhoods which should be entered with basic common sense in mind. (Don’t go alone late at night with valuables.) Lima has countless neighbourhoods and I got the feeling it would take months to explain them all.
Parks and Plazas:
Lima is full of awesome parks and plazas. Barranco’s main square is a great place for a picnic which Elin and I enjoyed thoroughly as Olivia recovered from sickness. The aforementioned cat park in Miraflores is a must visit for any feline fanatic, and there are countless more to find up atop the cliffs overlooking the pacific ocean, or along the banks of one of several rivers which wind their way through Peru’s sprawling capital.
Oh and If you feel like a modern shopping mall experience or going to see a movie in a modern theatre with lots of north american chain restaurants nearby check out Jockey Plaza, we certainly had an enjoyable night out in Lima’s modern suburbs.
Final takeaways:
A lot of people really dislike Lima, and if I’m honest I went in expecting to do the same. While it has the downsides of any major city it also has lots of things to make it a great destination for tourism. The food is impeccable, there are some great churches and plazas to explore, and the locals are quite friendly on balance. A little like Quito each neighbourhood feels like it’s own small city, working in cooperation with the others to form a bigger metropolis. If you’re really short on time in South America Lima isn’t a must see but if you have the time there’s lots here to lose yourself in, and I definitely think I’ll be going back when I return to Peru in May June 2015.
