Discovering the World Sans Valise: Lima, multifaceted Capital of Peru

Lima was really fun to visit. The downtown is colonial and touristic, while the Miraflores and Barranco neighborhoods are both hip and upscale. We did a walking tour of the colonial center for several hours and learned how to use the well developed transit system. From what we witnessed in the few days we spent in the city, the traffic qualifies as "worse than in the Bay area". After visiting the downtown, we took a nice walk along the cliff overlooking the ocean in Mira Flores and Barranco, which both offer very popular beaches for worldwide surfers. Lima food's scene is highly praised globally and Lima now qualifies as "the gastronomy capital of Latin America". Numerous chefs have established or are establishing themselves in Lima, particularly in the posh district of Miraflores and modern/bohemian Barranco district. Luckily, our hotel was in Barranco, so we had a chance to experience the evening life and some excellent cuisine as well. One of the highlight of our stay in Lima was the visit of the Larco museum. It was an amazing display of pre-columbian art. The collection was highly curated, and provided extensive context for the viewer. Here we learned that the Inca period spanned only a few hundred years. Indeed, the Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century and its last stronghold was conquered by the Spanish in 1572.

Downtown Lima

Lima Cathedral

Santo Domingo Church

Convent of Santo Domingo

So similar to what we saw in Andalousia, Spain

Church of San Francisco

Good dinner at restaurant La 73!

The best churros ever :))

Our hotel in Barranco

Visit of the Larco museum

Walk on the cliff above the ocean in Miraflores and Barranco

We were in Lima the day before the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Peru 2016 meeting where most world leaders are gathering. President Obama was staying at the Marriott (below) so there was already security in place the day before the meeting.