Lovely Lima
Arrival
Tamales
Human sacrifice
Larco Mar
Dora & Anita kindly arranged for their family to take care of Li and I while we visited Lima. What a treat! Henry and Jennifer kindly picked us up from the airport and took us to Mamita's house in Surco (near Miraflores). Then, we went with Mamita and Bertha to breakfast before taking a long nap.
Driving in Lima
That Friday afternoon/evening, Li volunteered to drive us (me, Mamita and Bertha) to the center of Lima. Wow, what an experience. Lane lines, stop signs, traffic lights: they are all suggestions. You have to be careful about cars ramming into you from all directions. Imagine every street in San Francisco being full of gridlock. Every street was jammed with cars that barely moved. The good news is that we saw fireworks from our car (while stuck in traffic) because it was Lima week. Also, on the way back, we took a less packed express way. Whew! Li gets a platinum star for driving in Lima.
Buffet
The next day, we went with Mamita and Bertha to a buffet with traditional food: ceviche, all sorts of potato dishes, cow heart, octopus, etc. We really enjoy the variety of food that you can get in Peru.
Larco Museum
Henry and Jennifer took us to visit the Larco Museum of pre-Columbian art. A guide walked us through chronological galleries that provide an overview of 4,000 years of Peruvian pre-Columbian history: Moche, Nazca, Chimú, and Inca pieces. The guide was excellent; I really enjoyed learning about the significance of each period piece (Northern Peru - very detailed shapes; Southern Peru - very innovative colors, etc). I also liked hearing about who conquered whom and how it impacted art. By the way, the muesum also has a gallery of pre-Columbian erotic pottery.
Bembo
Before heading home, we visited Bembo's for dinner. It's the Peruvian equivalent of McDonald's, but better. They have lots of different types of burgers (Hawaiian, etc). Li tried a burger with sweet potatoes and I tried a "integral" burger with wheat buns, etc. Very tasty, especially with the yellow hot sauce.
Peña
We slept until 11pm before heading to the Peña (La Candelaria--best in Lima!) with Henry and Jennifer. Even though the show starts at 9pm, the good dancers don't perform until late. Here's how the pena works. There are traditional dance performances interspersed with singing by the MC, audience dancing (like a night club), and a few games. We saw a traditional dance from Cusco. Another traditional dance involved head waggling, which was really entertaining. Our favorite of the night was La Marinera, which was the finale. The 2 dancers won the championship for this dance last year. The speed of the leg movement blew me away. By the way, most of the audience was Peruvian.
Mamita bought us some chicken tamales for breakfast. In Peru, they're apparently wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks as they are in Mexico and the States. Yummy.
Ruins
Henry and Jennifer took us to two ruins in Lima that are 1500 years old--twice the age of Machu Picchu. Both ruins were religious structures with pyramids at their center made of clay bricks. They could use clay because Lima is in a desert.
Both the Larco Museum and the ruins had evidence of human sacrifice.
In the Larco Museum, we saw depictions of a "game" in which two warriors vied for each other's headdresses. The loser was stripped naked and stabbed in the neck with a spear. His blood was poured into a glass and given to the religious leader to drink. Scary.
The sacrifices in the ruins were usually young women, aged 18-25. Maybe younger.
Everyday Peruvian food restaurant
Henry and Jennifer introduced us to Lomo Saltado and Tacu Tacu, two traditional Peruvian dishes. Lomo Saltado is small strips of beef with slices of bell pepper and onion and a soy-sauce-based sauce. Tacu Tacu is a beans-and-rice mix with a slice of beef on top. Both juicy. Mmmm.
Parque del Amor
We walked to the "Love Park" overlooking the Pacific ocean. It has a statue of a man and woman kissing. It's apparently where lovers go to make out. We saw many couples kissing for minutes.
We ended at Larco Mar, where we met Li's coworker Adolfo. Larco Mar is a popular shopping mall overlooking the ocean.
Full Photo Album
http://picasaweb.google.com/crondeau/Lima#
http://picasaweb.google.com/crondeau/Lima#
