We walked from our district of Miraflores to the historic city center. It is truly amazing how well they use every inch of space in this city. Buildings, or at least the fences and outer border of homes, are on the sidewalk with no room to spare. Parking is an absolute premium, and apartment buildings have made efficient use of space where cars squeeze into tight spots creatively configured on the ground floor.
But the city, despite being a desert has made incredible efforts to provide the people with lovely parks scattered about. Our five mile trek took us through varying neighborhoods where wealth was obvious or lacking, but everywhere we went, I was incredibly impressed with the cleanliness of the city. Despite being a large, crowded metropolis, you’d be hard pressed to find a piece of trash on the ground or even evidence of the many four-legged residents. It is obvious that the people of Lima love their city and want it to remain clean. We also learned later that during COVID, the government hired a lot of street sweepers. Unfortunately, they have not been paid in months. However, they are still working. Why? Well, there is apparently a sort of loophole in their contract that states if they quit working, they do not have to be paid. So, they alternate between protesting and working.
We also noticed many long lines of people along the way. Like any line we see, we wondered…”What are they waiting for? Should we join them?” But most were at banks and as we assumed they were not giving out free money, we decided not to join them. We later learned that this is still really an affect of COVID. Not as many people are allowed in the bank at one time and not as many tellers are working at any given time. Also, there was a recent change in how the elderly received their retirement, so that contributed to the long wait.
Along our journey, we also spent much of our time trying to decipher a new language. No, it was not the language with the lovely rolling Rs we heard around us, but the communication between cars. Honking is an absolute constant in Lima. Although, much of it does not appear to be out of anger and frustration, but more “I’m turning here” or “hey” or “I’m over here.” It is still a foreign language to me, but the cars (or perhaps their drivers) seem to understand perfectly.
Our destination for the long trek was the main square of Lima, Plaza de Armas. When we neared the plaza from one road, there was a small, peaceful protest, so we turned and tried other roads leading into the plaza. But at each one, there were metal gates and police officers. Yet, inside, there seemed to be people walking about as if all was normal. We were utterly confused, but desperately wanted to be in the inner circle. I mustered my courage and let my touristness shine and asked a police officer if we could enter. He let us in without hesitation. Most of the people mulling about were not dazed by the helicopters nor the large police presence. We learned later that this is an everyday occurrence. The presidential palace (like the White House) is on this square, and well, not everyone likes the current president, so they monitor who can get close. Since I seem to scream “tourist” even when I try my best to fit in, they didn’t question letting us in.
We wandered in colorful shops and tasted different chocolate treats before going into the Cathedral. The Cathedral, apparently was the first in South America, and it was truly stunning. The size of it was overwhelming, and ornately decorated altars lined the sides. In some places, the layer below the floor was exposed, showing discovered tombs. In the back of the church, a crypt was open. We ducked under the exposed bricks to find open tombs, some with skeletons still in them. At the back of crypt, we ducked under another brick overhang and were on a small platform in a tight room that looked over a circular pit about thirty feet deep. It wasn’t until we saw something move that we realized dozens of bats were clinging to the ceiling all around us. Suffice it to say, we did not stay terribly long in the tiny room.
For our final evening in Lima, we had signed up for a street food tour. These have been one of our favorite things to do in foreign countries. You get to interact with a local, learn about the culture, try foods you may not have eaten on your own, and meet fellow travelers. Johana was an amazing guide who went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and keep us informed. We were joined by three women from Tennessee and a couple from Ohio. It was the perfect sized group with the right about of energy and enthusiasm.
Our first stop was coffee. If you know me, this is not my cup of tea😉, but I did try it. Coffee has been here for a long time, but most people had paid attention to the berries, not the beans that were to be roasted. So, drinking coffee is still a fairly new idea in Peru. While organic coffee is one of their largest exports, Peruvians are still learning about how to drink coffee, so most don’t add cream and sugar, but love the Starbucks you find on every corner.
Our food tour did not disappoint! The Humitas, a cornbread, similar to what you find in tamales, was delightful, especially with the added bits of cheese. The chicharron was delicious and reminiscent of a classic BBQ sandwich. Pork belly with slices of roasted sweet potatoes? Southerners, why haven’t we thought of this yet? And a churro that was heavenly. Not only was it warm, but it was filled with rich caramel. Plus a second desert, looking more like a donut but tasting more like a funnel cake made with naturally sweet fruits and root vegetables then deep fried and drizzled with fig syrup.
Johana took us to the market where you could get anything your heart desires. There was fruit of every taste and variety (we tried dragon fruit, passion fruit and lucuma which oddly was reminiscent of pumpkin). There were fish, whole and cut up. There were drink stands where we enjoyed ponche de maca, similar to a frothy milkshake. Maca is a root that we should apparently all be eating as it is a natural energy enhancer, plus reduces blood pressure and improves mood, not to mention helps reduces the effects of menopause.
There are a lot of “Chifa” restaurants in town, a favorite of Peruvians. African slavery was outlawed in the early 1800s. The farmers were so accustomed to the way of life of having workers that they brought over indentured servants from China. These men, and their descendants became an important aspect of Lima. So, China town was a natural stop on our tour where we enjoyed delightful dumplings.
Johana told us about our next stop, and said we certainly did not have to try it, but we all joined in. Former slaves and many living in poverty in Peru had grown up eating whatever they could find. This of course meant the cuts of meat that not everyone else wanted. It is now more common to eat a variety of organs, and so we joined in on the adventure and tried beef heart. It was a little chewier than steak, but the flavor was phenomenal, a grilled perfection.
Potatoes are a staple here. One dish we had was causa. Made with yellow potatoes until they are a consistency near mashed potatoes, just a bit more “moldable”. Then, the potatoes are used almost like the bread of a sandwich to put things inside. Ours had some sort of vegetable salad in the middle!
The food tour was an absolute joy! After which, bellies stuffed to capacity, we made our way to the airport for a late night adventure to Bolivia! More on that to come!
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