2 Days In Lima Peru – A Beautiful City

Posted on by exploramum
Today we decide to join our ‘bodyguards’ to tour around the beautiful city of Lima.  We have been staying in a very eclectic hotel and recovering from the longest bus ride in our lives that started in Guayaquil. The ‘boys’ both only have 1 day here in Lima, while we have 3 days.
beautiful city

©Exploramum and Explorason – Our new friends act as the tour guides in Lima, Peru

So we are shown around this beautiful city, and for once, I don’t have to stress or plan for a change – and I like it!

Lucuma

We meet a man selling fruits in the street just as we start to explore this beautiful city.

This is when we try Lucuma for the first time. This fruit looks like a big potato that has a huge split stone inside. Lucuma tastes a bit like a dry peach with a slight maple syrup taste, and, I liked it! It has a thick skin that is pilled off.   

My son is not a fan – but at least he tries it. I love it, so we buy one to eat and share as we walk along.

Our Exploring Begins

beautiful city

©Exploramum and Explorason – the main square of the Old City

We head to the palace square – it is so pretty and adds fame to this beautiful city, but as we have to go elsewhere, so we will come back and explore later.

We have a long walk to the Metro and it’s time for some fun. My son loves having some friends around so he plays and seeks attention from them, and they are really good with him.

Churches

Lima

©Exploramum and Explorason – one of the ornate churches here in Lima

The old church in this beautiful city is amazing and so detailed, but we don’t go in – frankly, we have already seen about fifty Catholic churches in the last month or two and we have overdosed on them.

Lima – A Beautiful City

beautiful city

©Exploramum and Explorason – fabulous shopping

I can’t believe this is a store in the photo above. It is just gorgeous and not at all what we expected in Peru.

Had we not too many clothes already, I would have been in like a flash. Prices are great here in Lima for shopping!

Metro

We hop into the Metro and I am glad the guys are our guides today, but we only go a few stops. We are sitting here when we discover it is the end of the line and we are meant to have changed.
Suddenly, we are getting yelled at, and we had no idea what the driver had been yelling at us for. It was a good chance to take a photo though so we pop Explorason up for a pose.

Our friends take a look at the map. They are great and it is soon worked out. Another Metro is ahead and we change here.

Los Amigos

Los Amigos

©Exploramum and Explorason – Enjoying lunch at Los Amigos

Lunch is at a café called Los Amigos and we enjoy a bottle of Inca Kola to drink (which takes like pineapple or creaming soda).

Miraflores Coastline

beautiful city

©Exploramum and Explorason – The park of love

We then walk along the Miraflores (the coastline of this beautiful city). Here, we get a lovely lighthouse and cliff view extending out over the horizon.  It is well worth an afternoon or evening stroll if you visit here with your family.

Ice Cream

Next, we stroll into a park which is apparently a lover’s park. Busloads come and go and here Explorason enjoys an ice-cream at a super-touristy price.

As he goes climbing the fence to be in a photo that I’d asked him for, off goes the top of the ice cream overboard. He is so cranky and I can’t blame him and next time I will let him just be a kid and enjoy his ice cream.  I’m fast learning moments are more important than photos.

Even the restrooms have roses in them.  Love is definitely in the air here.

Kombi Love

Kombi love

©Exploramum and Explorason – wetsuits for hire

We walk down along a cliff path and over a road. Boy, I wish I had a hat and sunscreen for us both about now as it is getting warm on this glorious day.  This is a surfer beach. ‘V.W. Kombi’s’ are everywhere which is pretty cool. I think this one is held together with stickers over the rust, but like most Kombi’s, with a bit of tinkering, it just keeps going and going and going.

Pier

We continue to walk along the coastline and head to the Miraflores pier.

There is a pedicab to take diners to the restaurant and bar. We sit and joke and have some fun, but in the end, we walk.

The pier is gorgeous, but alas, the bar won’t allow kids in.

Beer and Band-aids

A small beer is $10 or $12 and as one of the guys we are with is a long-term traveler, they decide together to give this a miss. I personally think it is worth paying more for a nice place and atmosphere but each person has a different budget, and we respect that.

As we go to depart the bar area my son scratches his leg and it bleeds. Suddenly the staff all rush to his aid like he is a little movie star! Never before has he had such 5-star first aid treatment. We were so impressed, and although we may not have ‘wined and dined’, but he sure felt special.

Money Troubles

graffiti

©Exploramum and Explorason – fun graffiti

We wander back to locate this beautiful city business area. I am having trouble finding a bank where I can extract cash and this has been going on since Ecuador. We are limited to our credit card since our Travel Money Card was skimmed. One of the guys comes with me whilst the other goes to a museum. In the end, I have US$ and we can use his passport to change the money.

There seem to be very few banks in Peru that accept Australian ATM cards. I hope my Peruvian Sol last me until we leave – I doubt it. Time to email the bank and get some help!

That night we have dinner with the guys. They both head off in different directions, for different country buses while we head for our favorite rooftop to spend the night overlooking the city.

The Old Stone Walls

Next day we go exploring. We visit a park right by our hotel that has the old stone city walls. My son loves this. He talks about the history. I love when it comes alive for him.

It is so hot he ends up in one of the troughs by the old wall. There is a water restriction in Lima, so they are not all filled, but this does the trick.  Explorason is in and out of the pool and no-one seems to care. Others have toddlers in, and a man cools his feet.
In Lima, you do NOT walk on the grass, or touch the water in many places. He has been ‘told off’ already yesterday for walking on the grass when we did not know. This is a side of tourism that can be difficult for kids who can’t read the local language.

In this – the old, old city, old sewer, and water pipes are still to be seen. It is an interesting area if you wish to visit or to world-school your kids or educate them here.

Lima Palace

We then head for the Palace but we miss the changing of guards. It is a beautiful palace in a beautiful city, and it has a lovely feel to this place.

My son is getting really tired and the last four days have been long days, especially for a child. We finish here and head back to the room, but by then he is in a good mood. So I decide he needs a sleep. This is opposed but soon he has nodded off for a couple of hours.

Horse And Carriage Ride

Lima

©Exploramum and Explorason – horse and carriage ride

Waking refreshed, we head back to the square. I have a surprise; a horse and carriage ride. The funny thing is the guy we buy the tickets from tells us to catch it by the yellow building. Every building is yellow, so we have no idea where to go.

Finally, we find the right yellow building, and we enjoy a ride around the square. We also seem to have met a Peruvian guy who likes me which is a bit of a laugh. He has followed us for the last half hour! Next thing he is in the carriage with his arm around me and my son is NOT happy so we need him to leave. Actually, it was a little bit creepy in the end so we were glad he left.

beautiful city

©Exploramum and Explorason – Lima, Peru is a beautiful city

We enjoy the square, but suddenly, our friend’ is still following us. He leads us to a supermarket – but it is a department store. Thankfully, we lose him and head to the supermarket.

We wait over 1 hour to buy four things. Such a waste of time and we even miss our city tour which we had booked. “Hopefully, we will come back to Lima another time” we comment to ourselves.

River Fair

We walk through town and along the river. There is a festival on and people are dancing in the streets. Men ask ladies for a dance like in the 1950’s and it is nice to see.

Explorason wants me to dance. But I can’t leave the groceries to dance with him and I certainly can’t leave him to dance with a man. Another time and place maybe.

The river is full of sellers dressed in red dotty aprons and caps. It is like the deep south as they sell their donuts. We meet some lovely Christians singing, and we talk to them.
We also become the butt of some jokes being “Gringos”.
Time to head back to the hotel.

Dinner

We end up next door to the hotel at the restaurant talking to a lovely English couple. We meet so many nice people traveling, and rarely do we feel alone. I definitely have a better social life than the isolated single mother I was back in Australia.

We have to head off on a bus in the morning, therefore, it is an early night for us.

And it will be good-bye to Lima and the ‘mad zoo hotel’ in the morning.

We have loved the beautiful city.
I hope we get to come back and see more one day.

Questions and Comments

  • Have you ever been to Lima?
  • What did you love exploring the most?
  • If you are planning a trip to Lima can we give you any advice?
  • Tell us in the comments below – we are here to help.

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