Clearly four large Pisco Sours is a perfect cure
for jet lag as we all slept like a log until being rudely awoken by multiple
gadgets at 06:30hrs. A quick peek through the curtains revealed perfect blue
skies and a warm sun rising over a parched city of 11 million. Following a quick
breakfast we departed the hotel in search of Lima’s most important, though not
necessarily most famous, offering - Starbucks coffee. Being Navidad (Spanish
for Christmas), I was able to indulge in a Venti size Dark Cherry Mocha, while
Astrid and my girlfriend (Simon) opted for a (gay boy) latte. We then made our way back to the Hotel to be picked up by Ralph, our Germanic guide, who aside to being fluent in German, was thankfully also very proficient in English and Spanish – albeit with a Bayerische accent. Despite spending most of his life in Peru, Ralph evidently believed that German (lack of) autobahn speed limits applied, driving us to Lima Centro at speeds that would have broken the lap time record at the Hockenheim F1 circuit.
On arrival, we were disgorged unceremoniously at Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor), where we then walked to the Monasterio de San Fransisco. This imposing structure is a feat of civil engineering wonder and architectural sophistication; exceeded only by the artistic splendour of the Moorish murals, tapestries and intricate wood panelling, and the New World’s largest library of ancient manuscripts and hand written texts. Construction took over a 100 years, commencing in the 16th century, and has survived intact through every major earthquake over the past 500 years. This engineering feat was achieved through the use of fired bricks, bound using a unique cement recipe that included egg shells and a special natural glue extracted from a local plant to greatly improve cement ductility, and the inclusion of deep circular holes in the foundation to route seismic energy around the base of the church spires. At the time of our visit the monks were delivering Mass to a dismally small congregation, with soothing Gregorian chants suddenly giving way to spine-tingling music from the church organ as we entered the catacombs below. This eerie place was filled with the bones of thousands who had the ‘privilege’ of having their carcass tossed into the mass grave since the 17th century, with the practice only stopped 200 years later after a major earthquake swallowed up some of the skeletal remains.
We then headed over to the Larco Museum, which was once a private collection by Rafael Larco Hoyle, a remarkable individual who by the age of 26 had amassed a collection of Pre-Colombian ceramics, textiles and jewellery comprising over 50,000 separate objects. It would easily take a whole week to scrutinize each and every one of these exquisite items, which have been grouped according to the many different cultures that have occupied Peru since the stone age. Suffice to say our brief 2- hr visit did not do justice to this amazing legacy compiled by Rafael, who bequeathed the entire collection to the people of Peru. Nonetheless, we left with a great appreciation of the amazing sophistication and ingenuity of these ancient civilisations.
Duly impressed we returned to Miraflores via San Isidro. With the rest of the day denoted as relaxation we elected to do the exact opposite by hiking to the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Playa Costa Verde. After strolling along the cliffs for a few kilometres, gazing upon the exotic birdlife and people floating by in paragilders, we headed back to the hotel for a quick snooze. Batteries recharged we then headed back into Miraflores restaurant district for sumptuous Peruvian feast, washed down by more Pisco Sours - a great way to end our first full day in Peru.
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