To Lima

At the Los Angeles International Airport, I went to check in for my redeye flight from LA to Lima via Bogota on Avianca Airlines and was told that I couldn’t fly out as the Lima airport was now closed and would also be on the Monday I was due to arrive at it. So I took the Supershuttle home with instructions to reschedule with Avianca. However, when I got home, there was a message from Avianca to come back to the airport as now the Lima airport was open. I called Avianca and told them that I wouldn’t be able to get back to the airport in time for my flight. They said they wouldn’t reschedule me and I had to go back to the airport. This went back and forth and finally I hung up and called United with whom I had booked my flights. They rescheduled me on Copa Airlines very early Monday morning with a stopover in Panama City which actually got me to Lima three hours before my first flights would had because I would have had a long layover in Bogota. It took several days before I found out why the Lima Airport had been closed. A Bombardier had left the Lima Airport and discovered that there was a problem with its nose gear. They returned to Lima and slid on their belly on the tarmac with sparks flying. None of its 159 passengers were hurt. The plane had to be removed, the runway repaired, and an investigation done. All was finished quicker than they had originally thought. Photo: a very large advertisement for Coca Cola outside the Lima airport.

At Lima

I had booked a ground transfer from the Lima airport to my hotel with Viator and had tried to contact Viajes Pacifico (a division of Grayline), who would pick me up, by both email and phone with no luck, so no one was there to pick me up at Lima, though the company had representatives there who I could talk to. They couldn’t even find my original reservation, so it took over an hour to finally leave the airport. Advice: contact Viator if there is a problem, not the pickup people, which I should have done. Anyway, I was on my way to my hotel and was almost shocked at the way they drive in Peru, especially in Lima. I call it near–collison driving, though there weren’t any accidents so I assume that all the drivers know how to drive safely in this very scary way.

Driving Through Lima

One bright spot on the way from the airport was this huge statue of the Madonna and Child along the roadway. The buildings along the roadway in this area made Lima look like a Third–World city, which in many areas it is.

Bienvenidos

A very nice welcoming sign and we were through the heavy traffic on the way to the Miraflores district (Lima has 43 districts) where my hotel, the Jose Antonio Executive, was and my Gate 1 tour five days hence would begin. One thing needing mention about traveling in Peru: no toilet tissue can be put in the toilet in hotels, restaurants, public toilets, etc. That means almost everywhere. There are baskets on the side of the toilets to put your toilet tissue.

Photo Tour

The next day I was picked up at by a photographer, Jaime, and his assistant, Anna, to go on a private four–hour photo tour mainly of the Barranco district (both guides are in the photo). The five districts you would most likely visit in Lima are Miraflores, one of the most affluent districts; Barranco, the Bohemian artsy district; Chorrillos, the fishing village; and San Isidro, the financial district, though you probably just drive through the last two on your way to somewhere else. I booked my photo tour through Fertur Peru Travel.

I had slightly sprained my ankle before leaving for Peru and didn’t think it was very bad, but with all the walking I did in Peru, it got worse. So I hobbled along using my trekking stick all the way through Peru. People on my tours before my Gate 1 tour and on my Gate 1 tour were very considerate of me, but I didn’t do everything on tours that I would have done otherwise.

Barranco

In the 19th century, Barranco was a fashionable beach resort and both colonial–style and Republican–style (referring to the time after independence from Spain in 1821) houses were built. The Barranco architecture is varied and a walk around its streets is interesting. Today, it is known for its Bohemian flavor and its nightlife.

Barranco

The main attraction in Barranco is the Bridge of Sighs, built in 1876. Legend has it that if you make a wish and are able to cross the bridge without breathing, your wish will come true.

Barranco Murals

There are many murals in Barranco, such as these covering a bridge and also underneath the bridge.

Barranco Murals

The murals here depict all the various people who make up the population of Peru.

Barranco Central Plaza

Another popular site in Barranco is its central plaza with the Church of the Holy Cross anchoring one side of it.

I have put my photos of Barranco on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/barranco–district/

(Slide Shows, South America, Peru, “Barranco District”).

Park of Love

The next stop on my photo tour was at the Park of Love (Parque del Amor), dedicated to all lovers, in the Miraflores district overlooking the bay of Lima. It is based on Gaudi’s mosaic Parc Guell in Barcelona, Spain.

Park of Love

In the middle of the park is “El Beso” (“The Kiss”) by sculptor Victor Delfin, one of Peru’s top sculptors. It depicts Delfin and his wife kissing. The sculpture is huge.

I have put my photos of the Park of Love on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/park–of–love/

(Slide Shows, South America, Peru, “The Park of Love”).

San Isidro

At night, I was picked up by Kaysi, my guide for a Vista Adventures Lima Magic Night tour which I booked through Viator. It wasn’t a private tour but I was the only one on it. We drove through lit–up San Isidro on the way to the Magic Water Circuit (Circuito Magico del Agua) at the Parque de la Reserva in Lima.

Circuito Magico del Agua-1–MOVIE

The fountain show was spectacular, possibly the best water show in the world. Here is the first of three videos of it.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/SRygXRNZJ9M

Circuito Magico del Agua-2–MOVIE

The next part of the water show.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/l3BQ0YYUzbY

Circuito Magico del Agua-3–MOVIE

The last part of the water show.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/FdM6frr7wLo

Damajuana Dinner & Folkloric Show

After the water show, there was a buffet dinner and a folkloric show at the Damajuana restaurant. Photo: my dinner though there was much to choose from. I was given a pisco sour, the national drink of Peru (on the right in the photos). It is made from pisco, a brandy, lime juice, syrup, and egg white. Not very strong and very good.

Damajuana Folkloric Show–MOVIE

A movie of one of the dances in the show.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/NXSJAZwBHWk

I have put my photos of the Circuito Magico del Agua and of the Damajuana Folkloric Show on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/magic–water–circuit–folkloric–show/

(Slide Shows, South America, Peru, “Magic Water Circuit/Folkloric Show”).