MiraFlores, Pueblo Oibre and Centro de Lima
Trip Start
Jul 07, 2007
1
2
8
Trip End
Jul 13, 2007
Lima, Peru
Monday, July 9, 2007
So much to my chagrin I woke up at 12:00! Sleeping in while travelling = bad travel karma! Started the day off with one of the coldest showers you could imagine. I think they imported the water from Antartica for this hostel because it was seriously that cold!
Once I was showered and dressed I headed off for Pueblo Libre; an area known for its great eateries and maginificent museums. After arriving at Pueblo Libre Daniel and I got food at a restaraunt called El Bolivasismo. The food was absolutely AMAZING! It was a buffet! But please don't think Soup Plantation when I say buffet. :) This buffet included all of the beste Peruvian foods. Chicken, pescado, a giant pig, delicious salad, and amazing desserts...which included flan, this chocolate mousse thing, etc
A local Cuzcan
. The place had a nice feel to it. I tried to take in the whole ambiance of the restaraunt while making observations that most might overlook. I first observed that the waiters and waitresses had a strong work ethic! They were truly there to "serve" people. Unfortunately I also noticed an unsettling disparity between those eating at the restaraunt and those working. The disparity lay not in their obvious differing economic status, but rather in their skin color. Most of the customers had very light skin while the workers had much more dark features. Daniel and I speculated that perhaps it's because the lighter skinned Peruvians are descendents of privilige and wealth. I guess some things never change. :(After leaving the restaraunt we visited the most well known museum in all of Lima; El Museo Arqueologico. Upon arriving I jumped in with a tour that I assumed to be part of the entry cost...boy was I wrong! I got some nasty looks from the tourists which suggested "hey, we paid 1 full dollar for this tour." So, I kindly stepped back and decided to explore the museum on my own. I can't even begin to describe how utterly FACSINATING this museum was! Therefore I will give you only the highlights. One exhibit showed an Incan buried alive!! You will see what I mean in the included photo. The body was perfectly preserved. However, the facial expression and body language suggest that this was in no way a peaceful death
En Las Montanas de Pisaq
! This person was probably buried alive! How tragic!The exhibit next to it was even MORE fascinating! I included the picture of five different skulls. I learned that before the Incans there was a civilization that deliberately altered shapes of people's skulls in order to show biological superiority. This system was much like Hitler's assertation of the "master race." Prized children had elongated skulls with prominent brows. In order to assure such features, parents would literally stretch the baby's head by strapping them to this device for much of their early childhood! How sick!
After the museum we visited Centro de Lima (Lima Center). Of course I was harassed non- stop by children demanding that I purchase their chiclets. To keep this experience to being as infrequent as possible, I pretended as if I didn't speak their language...or ANY language for that matter. I was determined to become a mute. :) Other than the chiclet harassment, my time in Lima Center was extremely rewarding. I saw opulent churches, cute little shops, and many different types of people.
We next visited the outskirst of the city where we saw a dramatic re- enactment of god knows what....just a miming thing
Main Square of Cuzco
. We were tempted to ride bikes, but none of the bikes had training wheels. :( Too bad!Lastly, we watched a marching performance by the Peruvian guard in front of La Plaza San Martin. I even got a picture with the soldiers. They let me hold their gun! I was a celebrity being that I was a foot taller than anyone, had a different hair color, and didn't speak much of their language. After signing several autographs :) I headed back to the hostel.
Daniel is currently taking a nap as I write this entry. I think he has a hard time keeping up with my abundance of energy. My next objective will be to load him up with energy drinks. Maybe then he will keep up. :)
Tomorrow we leave for CUZCO!!! Yay Cuzco and Incan ruins! Maccu Piccu here we come!
Singning off for Day 2,
Wags
