This morning we were up and out of our hotel by 9:30 AM –time to explore some of the fascinating sights around Lima. On our way to the historical centre of Lima we passed St Martin Square which is close to our hotel. As we drove through streets adorned with trees and vegetation we were reminded that most of the vegetation is imported as Lima is actually a desert that gets no rain. Plants do thrive however, due to the high humidity that exists most of the year round.
Our first stop was Main Square
which we walked through on our way to the Cathedral. In the centre of the square is this delightful fountain which is occupied by numerous pigeons and individuals including tourists and citizens of Lima. On one side – opposite the Cathedral is the Lima City Hall. To the right, perpendicular to the City Hall
is the Government Palace with its tall fence and careful guards. We did not venture toward the palace but headed directly to the Cathedral. 
The Cathedral is an active church with regular services, but is a place for tourists to come and appreciate the architecture and the artistry of the paintings, carvings, woodwork and awe inspiring ambiance.
From the Cathedral we took a back way toward the San Fransisco Convent
and Catacombes.
Similar to the Cathedral the architecture is spectacular, and although we were unable to take any pictures inside, we did take the time to appreciate the paintings and mosaics that adorn many of the walls. The central courtyard was adorned by many trees and flowers, none of which are native to Lima. There was one wall of murals which had been moved from another place in the convent when, during repairs, frescoes were discovered on the walls. They had been painted over and replaced with the murals. In the basement of the convent are the catacombs where
thousands of bodies were buried over the years. The graves were up to 8 meters deep, and the bodies were stacked upon one another with a layer of dirt between them. The bones have now been sorted into thigh, arm, skull and other bones and are located in the various ‘graves’. The ceilings are low, causing the taller among us to have to duck or risk coming out with bumps.
When we emerged from the Convent a demonstration, which had been taking place just off the main square, had obviously moved to the street next to the convent, and as we peacefully waited for our bus we realised the police were gathering to end the demonstration. We moved out of the area with great haste should we be caught up in the possible violence.
Alan got caught behind police lines and had to make a hasty retreat.
Back in the bus – we inched our way through the traffic jam and continued our exploration of the city of Lima. We drove within sight of the highest mountain in Lima – St Christopher Mountain,
then passed the Grand Bolivar Hotel and Parliament Buildings. We also came so close to the
new Soccer stadium
it was difficult to get a shot of anything but a small
portion of one side.
A little way
further on was the Flower Bazaar/Market and on to Miraflores – the fashionable
suburbs in the south west of the city, and nestled against the Pacific
Ocean. There are parks all along the coast and we were able to stop at the Lover’s Park where the world record kiss (over 40 minutes) is celebrated. The
wall that runs the length of the park has poems in mosaic tiles along the
length. It is a place where lovers come to enjoy the scenery and each other.
There were musicians who entertained
couples – trying to get them tokiss in public. From here we drove on to view point where we enjoyed supper last night, unfortunately, fog was hiding both the cross and the statue of Jesus so we were unable to photograph them during daylight.
By now all of us were getting very hungry as our tour had taken an extra hour due to the demonstration, so we headed back to the hotel, with many heading over to the shopping centre just behind our hotel to find a few bites of food – buns, meat and cheese to prop up our bodies until we go for supper at the hotel.
We are going to try to head out to the Magical Water Fountains. Should we be able to take in
this site we will report on the experience in tomorrow’s blog.
Our first stop was Main Square
which we walked through on our way to the Cathedral. In the centre of the square is this delightful fountain which is occupied by numerous pigeons and individuals including tourists and citizens of Lima. On one side – opposite the Cathedral is the Lima City Hall. To the right, perpendicular to the City Hall
is the Government Palace with its tall fence and careful guards. We did not venture toward the palace but headed directly to the Cathedral. 
The Cathedral is an active church with regular services, but is a place for tourists to come and appreciate the architecture and the artistry of the paintings, carvings, woodwork and awe inspiring ambiance.
From the Cathedral we took a back way toward the San Fransisco Convent
and Catacombes.Similar to the Cathedral the architecture is spectacular, and although we were unable to take any pictures inside, we did take the time to appreciate the paintings and mosaics that adorn many of the walls. The central courtyard was adorned by many trees and flowers, none of which are native to Lima. There was one wall of murals which had been moved from another place in the convent when, during repairs, frescoes were discovered on the walls. They had been painted over and replaced with the murals. In the basement of the convent are the catacombs where
thousands of bodies were buried over the years. The graves were up to 8 meters deep, and the bodies were stacked upon one another with a layer of dirt between them. The bones have now been sorted into thigh, arm, skull and other bones and are located in the various ‘graves’. The ceilings are low, causing the taller among us to have to duck or risk coming out with bumps.
When we emerged from the Convent a demonstration, which had been taking place just off the main square, had obviously moved to the street next to the convent, and as we peacefully waited for our bus we realised the police were gathering to end the demonstration. We moved out of the area with great haste should we be caught up in the possible violence.
Alan got caught behind police lines and had to make a hasty retreat.Back in the bus – we inched our way through the traffic jam and continued our exploration of the city of Lima. We drove within sight of the highest mountain in Lima – St Christopher Mountain,
then passed the Grand Bolivar Hotel and Parliament Buildings. We also came so close to thenew Soccer stadium
it was difficult to get a shot of anything but a smallportion of one side.
A little wayfurther on was the Flower Bazaar/Market and on to Miraflores – the fashionable
suburbs in the south west of the city, and nestled against the Pacific
Ocean. There are parks all along the coast and we were able to stop at the Lover’s Park where the world record kiss (over 40 minutes) is celebrated. The
wall that runs the length of the park has poems in mosaic tiles along the
length. It is a place where lovers come to enjoy the scenery and each other.
There were musicians who entertained
couples – trying to get them tokiss in public. From here we drove on to view point where we enjoyed supper last night, unfortunately, fog was hiding both the cross and the statue of Jesus so we were unable to photograph them during daylight.
By now all of us were getting very hungry as our tour had taken an extra hour due to the demonstration, so we headed back to the hotel, with many heading over to the shopping centre just behind our hotel to find a few bites of food – buns, meat and cheese to prop up our bodies until we go for supper at the hotel.
We are going to try to head out to the Magical Water Fountains. Should we be able to take in
this site we will report on the experience in tomorrow’s blog.
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