Several of the guide books I consulted were decidedly down on Lima. Big. Polluted. Noisy.
All true, but it definitely has its positives. The Miraflores and San Isidro sections are beautiful and very livable, and even the grittier areas have a certain charm. Of course, I like sprawling, honking, sweaty cities. And Lima fits the bill.
Drivers here are conquistadores of the carretera, and their bleating horns practically dare you to step in front of them. It’s such a contrast to rural parts of Jamaica and Peru’s Sacred Valley, where the horn is more a conversational tool. ‘I’m passing you.’ ‘Coming up behind you, heads-up.’ ‘Step aside, wayward llama.’ There’s no real aggression there. Just information. Not so in Lima …
+++++++++++++++++++++
The city boasts several remarkable churches and pre-Incan ruins. Too much, really, to see in a single day. I’m hoping to get another taste during our final day in Peru, which we’ll spend in Lima. The Santuario de San Francisco stood out, with its creep catacombs where skulls and bones are arranged in odd homage to the 70,000-some souls who rest there. I also enjoyed our visits to Huaca Huallamarca and Huaca Pucllana, pre-Incan sites of spectacular adobe pyramids.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Our exit from Lima gave us a glimpse of the city’s true heart. As our cab raced through 4:30 a.m. streets, we came upon the San Miguel neighborhood. Taxis lined the streets while wobbly lime?