Summer in the Center

Living in Lima often feels like living in New York City; there is so much to see and do but people spend most of the time their respective neighborhoods. I did my best to get out and explore the City by running or planning events that would take me to a new place. For some reason, I have not done this as much in Lima. There could be many reasons for this but two that pop out are that parts of Lima are not always safe and, more importantly, traffic is horrible. If I do go out and see things, I do so on my runs. So, with my Fellowship halfway over, I have tried to get out more and see the city. Several weeks ago, I got up early and decided to explore city center.

Downtown Lima is a bit shambolic; the streets and the architecture are a mismatch of styles. Much of he area is chaotic and rundown.  But, of course, therein lies the charm. There are always people in the streets selling things (soda, candy, knickknacks, etc.), running, walking, or just going about their day-to-day business. One can find any sort of restaurant from the touristy joints, to higher-end eateries, to local comedors. And of course, there is the history. From the pre-Inca and Inca history to the last vestiges of Spanish rule to modern times, city center Lima has it all. And I happened to see much of it on my Sunday stroll. 

The Plaza de Armas, the main city square, is hidden behind a maze of streets. I didn't expect it when it kind of jumped out at me. The place was enormous, clean, and well-organized. On one side is the Catedral de Lima which was packed for the Sabbath. I poked around inside but did not really think it appropriate to start snapping pictures. I did miss the lead box that contains the earthly remains of Pizzaro but I'll be sure to have a gander then next time through. But the highlight of the day was watching the changing of the guard at the enormous presidential palace at the top of the plaza. Although there is a changing of the guard every day at noon, this presentation was special. Once a month, they bring out the whole color guard and
show a lot of pomp and circumstance. As the soldiers inside the gate waited to be relieved, a whole color guard with horses, brass band, and soldiers-a-marching, came parading from Stage Left. It was an amazing site the see, especially with the crowd of both locals and tourists, staring in awe. All the while, the sun beat down upon our heads, but no one seemed inclined to move until the whole ceremony was over.

There was so much more to see that day but the heat and the walking eventually took its tool. There was the Parque de Murallas, which has the remains of the wall that once protected the city in the 17th Century. Today, the park is more known as the place where the now-shamed Francisco Pizzaro's equestrian statue sits, forgotten. Seems like Peruvians have the right idea, let disgraced statues sit and grow moss in a corner instead of tearing it down and pretending it never happened. Finally, I got a
taste of the macabre at the Monasterio de San Francisco. The church appears fairly standard with many altars, shrines, and burning candles. But what makes the place, are the catacombs with over 70,000 remains. But that visit will remain for another time...

Overall, it was an exciting day, finally seeing city center Peru. There seems to be much more to do but a large part of future visits will depend on planning and patience. Planning needs to be done because you can't even begin to get a feel for the place in just one morning. And patience is needed for the crowds of people; especially those who are constantly trying to make you buy stuff you do not need. Welcome to South America!