Our second day in Lima, Peru, began with a restful night and a filling breakfast at the hotel. We embarked on a driving tour of the city, led by Matos and Mayrol. Lima, the capital of Peru, sits along the Pacific coast and is home to over 600 pyramids, temples, and burial sites. We visited Huaca Pucllana, which is made of mud bricks that have withstood the test of time due to the city's low rainfall. Huacas served as alters for various sacrifices to Mother Earth, Mother Moon, and Mother Water.
We then strolled through Lima's streets and plazas to reach the beautifully preserved colonial center, where we found the Main Square with the Government Palace, Town Hall, and stunning cathedrals. Mayrol shared the historical significance of the chapels, and we admired beautiful artwork, alters, sanctuaries, and burial plots. Our final stop was at the Santo Domingo Convent, where we learned about the first black saint of the Americas, Martín de Porres, and his work with the poor. We also heard about Santa Rosa de Lima and her life of penance and care for the poor.
We had lunch adjacent to Love Park in Miraflores, with a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean that was masked by a generous covering of fog. We walked off lunch with some souvenir shopping then made our way back to the hotel. Some scholars explored the hotel and neighborhood, some of us napped.
We met up later for a lovely dinner, then we headed to the “club district” to people watch. We didn’t linger too long because tomorrow we have an early flight to the Sacred Valley. ¡Hasta mañana!
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