With the fantastic experience of the Inca Trail behind us, we woke up on our last day in Cusco to another sunny morning. After a late breakfast, we packed our bags and took a taxi to the airport for our flight to Lima. I really enjoyed the city of Cusco and may get back someday if one of my kids has any interest in hiking the trail. Our flight was on time and we landed in Lima just after noon. After leaving our bags at a luggage storage place in the airport, we met our guide, Mariela, and our driver, Alberto.
Lima, a very large city on the Pacific coast, is overcast most of the year with a high level fog that rules out any chance of seeing the sun. Humid and in the mid 60's, however, wasn't bad for it being winter. Our first stop was at a very nice restaurant where we finally dined on a must-eat item in Peru - ceviche (fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices and spices). Complemented with several types of tasty potatoes and toasted corn, the meal was large and I was glad we'd be able to walk it off later.
After lunch, we visited the Museo Larca (Larco Museum), considered by many to be the best place in Lima for viewing ancient potteries and other historical artifacts. There were many types of pottery (including a separate section of the museum with 'adult' pottery), some paintings and some unique jewelry items. The museum grounds were beautiful and there were many flowers and plants in bloom.
We met up with Alberto and braved the heavy traffic into the downtown area and the central Plaza de Armas. The architecture was interesting, as was the dark orange color of some of the buildings. The Government Palace and the Cathedral of Lima bordered two sides of the popular square, but we walked several blocks to the Cathedral of San Francisco. The artwork and woodwork was very interesting, but the highlight was walking underneath the building in the catacombs. Surrounded by areas of bones (some neatly stacked and arranged into specific piles, such as femurs), it was bit eerie to walk around while listening to a Catholic service in progress overhead.
It was getting late in the afternoon when we drove out of the city (seemingly with most of the other ~9 million Limans also on the road) and out to the coast to the nice, touristy district of Miraflores. The sun was long set when we finally got to stretch our legs a bit by walking through the Kissing Park and viewing the buildings along the oceanfront, the salt air smelling good. We loaded up again and then the true meaning of 'Lima traffic' came into reality as it took us over two hours (versus an hour or so) to get back to the airport. It was nonetheless a good tour and we were glad we got to see Lima.
Back at the airport, we met up with another couple from our trekking group (on the same flight as we were) and ate dinner together. We then got our luggage, checked in and eventually got through security/customs and to the gate by midnight. We picked up a couple of bottles of duty-free pisco and chatted until the flight loaded up and we got airborne towards home.
Next up: After treks this year to Nepal (see earlier entries in this blog) and Peru, I'll probably stay in the US for the next couple of treks. I encourage you to figure out what you want to see around the world and go. There are lots of reasons to stay at home, or put off big adventures until retirement, but make a commitment to start planning now and then go on that adventure in 2014. You won't regret it.
