Lima and Trujillo, Peru

Lima

On Sunday, March 2, we spent a pleasant afternoon touring Lima, the capital of Peru and of colonial America as well.  The buildings in the town square are modeled on those of France.  Most of our tour was narrated by a "historian."  He was a very nice older man who told us that he loved his three years of living in the U.S. and working at the Stardust Hotel in the early '70s.  That must have taken place before he became a historian!

We began our visit by touring the absolutely stunning St. Peter's Church. We could not use flash but were allowed to take pictures while the service was taking place.  As you can see from the photos below, all sorts of decorative arts were applied to the interior.  The shine you see in some of these pictures is actually gold leaf applied very thickly.

St. Peter's Cathedral Alter

Tile Decoration at St. Peter's

Chandelier and Ceiling at St. Peter's

Next, we visited San Marcos University, the alma mater of the historian and the oldest university in the Americas.  This university was chartered in 1551 by the Holy Roman Emperor.  Navigating the original campus, a walled compound comprising many corridors, buildings, and open courtyards, reminded both Dave and me of touring the Alhambra.

San Marcos University Courtyard

San Martin Square, which is bordered by the presidential palace and the Cathedral of Lima, was our next stop.  The Cathedral, a museum today, is reportedly spectacular.  Alas,  it was closed on Sunday.  It was fun to walk around the square, which was filled with people who seemed to be enjoying the sights, the sounds of a lively band on a side street, and a conga type of dance led by a person who was dressed as a clown.  Our guide said that Peruvians are mandated to work Monday-Saturday and that many work 14- to 16-hour days.  Sunday is family day and shopping day. 

San Martin Square, Lima

Dancing in the Streets Near St. Martin Square

One of the most interesting things about Lima is that it is known for having houses with balconies. This government building has some especially pretty ones.

Colonial House in Lima

A real treat was in store for us when we visited a Lima mansion.  It has been occupied by the same family that built it in 1551. The matriarch of the family is 102 years old and in good health.  The original owner of the house was Pizarro's chief of the exchequer.  The family wealth comes from trading.

Interior Mill Work

Parlor

Dining Room

Bed Chamber

Atrium from Balcony Above

On our way out of town and back to the ship, which was docked in nearby Callao, we passed by the huaca shown in the following picture.  The dig for the rest of this ancient area is ongoing.

Huaca in Lima

Since the 19th century, there has been a huge influx of Chinese and Japanese people to this country.  They have assimilated with the indigenous population, so they now are brown people with some Asian facial features.  The tour guide and the historian told us many times that Peruvians love "chita," their name for Chinese food.  They said it is cheap and filling.

Trujillo, Peru

Trujillo is the second largest city in Peru and the gateway to sites with renowned pre Columbian ruins.  Neither Dave nor I was in the mood for ruins, so we took a round trip on the shuttle bus from the ship to Trujillo and back. Several shipmates said that that the town square was fun because there was a great band and much merriment to celebrate Fat Tuesday.   

Trujillo Town Square

Our ship was docked in the smelliest port we ever have encountered:  Salaverry.  Thus, we spent our time there in olfactory purgatory, enveloped by the sulphur-like smell of dredging results each time someone aboard ship opened a door to the outside.  Definitely not a day for reading on the balcony!

Dredging at Salaverry

The silver lining was that we were able to observe creatures who enjoyed the dredging more than we did:  brown pelicans.  We have seen many brown pelicans on this trip, and we love pelicans.  At Salaverry, they congregated to jockey for position on the dredging machine with time off to feast on fish or take a swim.  

Pelicans Waiting for Fruits of Dredging

Surveying the Scene from a Rock Perch

A Postscript

You know we Karstens like our order and cleanliness.  Well, for that reason, Peru is not for us.  It was very dispiriting to note the trash that was strewn everywhere we went.  It was on the countryside roads, on the city streets, and even stashed behind lovely grillwork at houses in the towns we visited.  We have rarely seen such disregard for the common areas, and it saddened us.  I debated about whether to write about this, but I decided that I should mention it because it was as much a fact as were the haunting beauty of the land and the gorgeous treasures of the cities.