Travels in South America: Lima, Peru

Jessica and I had wanted to visit Machu Picchu for at least 15 years; it always seemed so far away, too expensive, and while we’ve done a fair amount of traveling, it never happened for us…until now. We booked an all-inclusive tour package, where all we were responsible for was some meals, souvenirs and tips for the guides/hotel staff/drivers. Part of that, though, left little planning to me, which is one of my favorite things to do in regards to our traveling. I did a little research, checked out a Peru Travel Guide book from the library, but was looking forward to being chauffeured around and not having to plan places to go or pick out spots to eat or drink at.

We still had time to explore on our own, and that led to its own adventures, but it was nice letting someone else (our guides) take the wheel on making sure we learned things (too many to remember) and took lots of pictures of us (a win since we have few pictures together that aren’t selfies when on vacation).

Jesse wrote about our departure from Raleigh to Miami to Lima on her blog (click here!, its a fun read). Lima was an amazing city, and I really enjoyed the time we got to spend there, walking around the neighborhood of Miraflores, staying in a 5-star hotel for the first time, seeing the Pacific Ocean after a long time away; noting that the outdoor mall in Miraflores was about the same as any in Southern California, it was a great first stop as our first South American destination.

We learned while it rained very, very little in Lima, it was often overcast. Our first stop was old town Lima and the Plaza Mayor, with the Government Palace of Peru a highlight building.

Our guide told us all about Lima and Peru while we walked around the square, then she took us to Casa de Aliaga, a 16th century home to the original auditor of the King of Spain in Peru. One of his descendants was even home, and we said hello. The house was very cool, with an indoor tree and intricate and exquisite walls, ceilings and furnishings.

After that we were on to the Larca Museum, which had a huge collection of pre-Incan artifacts and pottery and even a separate section on their erotic pottery, which our 60-something year-old tour guide did not accompany us in (for both our sakes).

We returned to the hotel and headed to the nearby outdoor mall to pick up a sim card for use in Peru and grab a snack/drink near the water. It was a beautiful day with a great view of the Pacific.

Later we went to the nearby La Rosa Nautica restaurant on the pier, where we ate an excellent Peruvian meal and were treated to a beautiful view of the city and coast.

The next morning we woke up early and were on our way to the airport, heading to Cusco, one step closer to Machu Picchu!