"Fiestas Patrias" in Lima

Trip Start Jan 04, 2008
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Trip End Dec 17, 2008


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Where I stayed
Hostel Roma
(Lima hotels)

Flag of Peru  ,
Monday, July 28, 2008

I took the ten hour bus ride from Trujillo on Saturday to spend the period around Peruīs Independence Day , the "Fiestas Patrias" , in the capital , Lima. I booked myself onto the "Linea" bus again , the same company I used from Piura to Trujillo , so as to ensure a pretty comfortable trip. The official celebrations are actually two days July 28th and 29th to commemorate Independence from Spain and honour the Armed Forces & National Police. But on face value Peruīs Independence Day seems to be mainly about enjoying the shops and overindulging in eating & drinking ... not too much different to England at Christmas ! Many travellers opt to stay in Miraflores , a suburb of Lima which is a bit more upscale with lots of hostels , bars , restaurants & shops , but I wanted to stay downtown in the historic centre ... I stayed in a pretty nice place but naturally had to pay a bit more for the privilege. I had been warned that the centre of Lima can be a bit dodgy so I was on my guard but didnt have any real problems and as usual the locals were nothing but friendly. When I arrived it was pretty late so I just wanted to grab some food and go to bed - I found a fast food restaurant nearby where whilst I was waiting to order , a Peruvian bloke wandered up and started talking in a mix of Spanish and English to me (he said he was learning) .. Lima 17
Lima 17
 . maybe itīs Limaīs reputation and I dont like being suspicious as most locals have been really cool but something felt a bit dodgy ... he wasnt ordering any food but just seemed to be lurking around me and as he started following me to my table I was working out how I could get rid of him without being rude (in a typically British fashion)... then suddenly thankfully he just said nice to meet you and scuttled off sharpish ... still dont know if he was friendly but weird or up to no good. Limaīs historic centre has the impressive Plaza de Armas as itīs focal point - a very attractive square with interesting buildings all around - the cathedral , the archbishop`s palace , the huge & quite magnificent Palacio de Gobierno (the presidentīs house and executive offices) and another two sides with neat colonial buildings comprising arcades of shops. On the Saturday in the square they were in the final stages of putting up a large stage , coupled with the sponsorīs mini hot-air balloon , where on the following night there would be the musical entertainment for the eve of Independence Day. Security was very tight with police all over the place and armed assault vehicles with very large guns positioned in two corners of the plaza aswell as around the corner near the railway station and the San Francisco church . I spent the Saturday checking out the sights of downtown Lima - its another UNESCO world heritage site and there are plenty of nice examples of colonial buildings ...but even more others that could do with a coat of paint and a clean up to make them look really impressive Lima 1
Lima 1
 . The commercial heart of the city has moved away from downtown with many of the businesses and upmarket hotels , shops and restaurants down in the suburbs like Miraflores ... but at least Lima is somewhat trying to improve downtown - there is a very large park area near to the "Palacio de Justicia" where the whole area is a massive building site under redevelopment - currently not too great a view or walk outside for the guests paying a fortune to stay at the posh Sheraton hotel which overlooks the construction site ! In the evening the musical entertainment in the plaza was very enjoyable with a mix of singers , a band and dancers - the locals were on good form , getting merry on the local spirit "Pisco" (such a good name for a drink)... one family invited me to join in drinking a couple of shots from their bottle , with cheers of "Viva El Peru" for Independence Day. The Sunday , the actual day of July 28th , was a bit disappointing as the whole main plaza , congress building area and the street between them was fenced off and protected by groups of riot police - it seems the official ceremonies with the armed forces and the political dignitaries happens "behind closed doors" without the public there to cause any trouble - so bizarrely I ended up watching some of the proceedings on the TV in a cafe around the corner.
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