The Capital of The New World

Returning to Lima after eight years I was looking forward to seeing how another of Latin Americas giant sprawling cities had developed.  Set along the coast where steep crumbling cliffs plunge onto a narrow waterfront and surrounded by a desert that rises up into the Andes it certainly has a lot going for it!  It is however a city of 16 million (although this figure varies widely) and despite some beautifully restored neighbourhoods along the coast the city outskirts are expansive barrios made of crumbling colonial buildings and basic shanty towns making a lot of the city unsafe for foreign (and local) tourists.  On my last visit the bohemian neighbourhood of Barranco was one of these no-go areas but now the beautifully restored colonial area flows down to the beach and we decided to base ourselves in the centre for a few nights.  Staying in a cheap and cheerful hostel with our host Carlo it was a nice base to explore for a few days whilst we had a few jobs to sort out.  My favourite part of Latino cities are the bright buildings and tranquil plazas and Barranco had these in abundance, providing us with a relaxing few days strolling the streets and enjoying the atmosphere. The area came alive at night with all sorts of street music from traditional panpipes (the South American bagpipes - nobody likes them but everyone stops to listen) to jazz music and African drumming.

Plaza Mayor

On our second day we decided to catch the Metrobus into the city centre and we were surprised at how similar the layout was to Mexico City, making us feel at home instantly in the chaos of shouting street vendors and shops blaring loud music. Lima served as the Capital of the New World for 282 years under the Spanish and it was the biggest centre of politics and commerce in the continent.  As such the UNESCO heritage site is full of fading but grand colonial architecture.  The area seems to be having a resurgence and a lot of restoration work is taking place throughout the centre.  Having visited the wonderful Plaza Mayor surrounded by the Presidential Residence and Lima Cathedral we accidently stumbled upon an old world dining experience at Restaurant Cordano that has been serving Peruvian Presidents since 1905.  The traditional building served amazing food and we ate butifarra, French bread stuffed with home cooked ham, a great change from fish and rice!

Needing to do a few menial jobs we walked along the cliffs on our final day to the fashionable district of Miraflores.  The 5km walk took us past exclusive restaurants and towering flats built along the cliff edge.  Despite its manicured parks and gardens it lacked the soul and character of Barranco.  Arriving at Parque Kennedy I was able to reminisce when I saw the previous hostel I stayed in years ago.  After arguing with the racist LAN Airlines over the changing price of our flight tickets to Cusco (they charge a $100 gringo tax) and completing my asthma review we  strolled back to Barranco along the cliffs. Despite its bad press Lima has developed amazingly since my first visit due to Peru’s growing economy and it made for a nice stop for a few days before heading into the mountains.