WHERE LIFE - AND TRAVEL - COME TOGETHER

WHERE LIFE - AND TRAVEL - COME TOGETHER

Friday, January 18, 2013

Lima, Peru

Zorritos, Peru
Written by Karen.
I know....it's a big jump from our last blog post written in Cuenca, Ecuador.  We've been on the road for the past 10 days - mostly without internet access and at times without electricity service! - so I'll post some experiences that we had on the road at a future time.  But, for now....we're in Lima, Peru!  

We hit the streets both yesterday and today, eager to walk and explore the cobblestoned streets and alleys.  The historic downtown around the main square is beautifully restored and color-coordinated in oranges, yellows and warm beiges. As you walk around the surrounding streets, the architectural colors add vibrant blues and pinks to the color palate.  

We were lucky enough to drop into Lima just in time for its 478th birthday bash, and the celebration was held in the unusually large - 4 square city blocks - main square during the late afternoon.  Parades and music filled the evening air and a large fireworks display occurred at midnight.  We estimated that perhaps a hundred thousand people were jammed into the square, with the overflow spilling into the perpendicular streets.  The atmosphere was festive, with families, couples and groups of friends just hanging out enjoying the cool evening breezes and the rotating bands up on stage.  

We've noticed that in Peru, the sunsets are amazing. Huge swaths of oranges, purples, pinks and reds paint the sky from one end to the other.  As the afternoon sun begins to fall in Lima, the soft light makes the colors of the Spanish colonial buildings glow.  The main square and surrounding buildings are some of the nicest that we've seen.  This is a vibrant, interesting and friendly City and we are looking forward to getting to know it a little bit better!
Downtown Historical Center of Lima, Peru










Parade participants






6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good to see that you are still enjoying yourselves! Nice photos! Steve S

Anonymous said...

orTheo 2502Are you having any side effects from the high altitude?

JimGibson2@comcast.net

This Journey We Call Life said...

Hi Steve!

Thanks! It's been a great adventure so far! :)

Karen.

This Journey We Call Life said...

Hi Jim!

We haven't had any issues with being at the higher altitude levels. For the first few days, we took it easy as we got winded quickly. But, after the first couple of days, we were completely acclimated and had no problems walking or climbing stairs. One thing in our favor was the relative lack of air pollution. We suffered more when we went to Mexico City awhile back because of the high air pollution levels there.

Karen.

Kelly said...

Karen, it looks like you are having a wonderful adventure! Love the photos! The architecture is beautiful.
Kelly : )

This Journey We Call Life said...

Hi Kelly!

We are really enjoying Lima - the architecture, the food, the people - there's a lot to do and see. We started off thinking that we would just spend the night here, and seven days later, we are still here! :)

Karen :)