Day 12 - Lima, Peru

We arrived this morning at our only port-of-call in Peru. Tim and I were looking forward to our visit to Lima today, since we’ll only have a very short time in this city during our trip to Peru after the completion of our cruise.

Welcome to Peru

For a change, Tim and I both selected the included excursion, “Best of Lima,” to learn about antiquities and architecture. This was the description:

Gain a deeper understanding of Lima’s history by viewing its ancient art and exploring its colonial structures. Board your motor coach and drive to the Larco Museum, a colonial mansion built atop a pre-Columbian, 7th-century pyramid. As you walk up to the museum, take in the colorful flowers that populate its garden. Once inside, uncover 5,000 years of ancient Peruvian history as you walk through their extensive collections, including Mochica Portrait Bottles and pre-Hispanic gold and silver works. Continue driving through the streets of Lima to Santo Domingo Church. Here, you will see its Rococo-style belltower and wander through its ornate turquoise and gold interior. Finally, stroll to the city’s main square and view the towering Cathedral of Lima and the Presidential Palace, before returning to your ship.

Peru’s chief seaport is Callao, which is where we docked, and we drove through the city on the way to Lima. We passed by several of the city’s murals, including those dedicated to the giants of salsa music and dance.

Sights in Callao

Our first stop in Lima was the Larco Museum, which showcases thousands of years of Peruvian pre-Columbian art and culture. These works, which predate the Inca Empire, are arranged chronologically, allowing us to trace the evolution of Andean cultures. Included were a wide variety of artifacts, including textiles, weapons, tools, and incredible gold and silver jewelry.

The Larco Museum Is Also Known for its Beautiful Flowers and Gardens

A Sampling of Sacrificial Artifacts

Items Made of Gold and Silver

We learned that gold and silver, the two most precious metals, were important to the Andean cultures, but not because of their economic value. In ancient Peru, their real value lay in their status as symbols of royal identity and supernatural power. Gold and silver expressed the power of the sun and moon, which were major gods, as well as that of their descendants, the royal elite. The adornments and clothes made from gold and silver were worn by the political and religious leaders.

Spectacular Adornments and Clothing Made of Gold and Silver

The museum is also known for its extensive collection of pottery, and we were able to walk between shelves containing 30,000 catalogued, ancient pottery artifacts.

An Incredible Pottery Collection

After leaving the museum, we drove past Mateo Salado, the largest and one of the most important archeological complexes in Lima due to its monumentality and size. These ancient pyramids, or huacas, were built by the Lima and Ychsma cultures and were later used by the Incas. In Peru, a huaca refers to a sacred object or monument that represents something revered and is often associated with rituals and veneration. Mateo Salado is one of at least 54 huacas in Lima, although only 26 have been preserved. Many are 4,000 years old.

Mateo Salado

In just a few blocks, we moved from ancient Lima to the late nineteenth century when we circled the Plaza Dos de Mayo, an iconic square that commemorates the Battle of Callao, where Peruvian forces triumphantly defended the port of Callao against a Spanish fleet on May 2, 1866. The central obelisk is under restoration, but we were able to see the eight French-inspired buildings that surround the square.

Plaza Dos de Mayo

Our bus dropped us off at the Alameda Chabuca Granda, an urban promenade set along the Rímac River in the heart of Lima’s historic district. Here, we began our walking tour.

Alameda Chabuca Granda

Our first stop was the Museum of the Convent of Santo Domingo, a religious and cultural complex founded by the Dominican friars in 1535, shortly after the arrival of the conquistadors. The architecture of the convent was beautiful, and the tilework was remarkable.

Museum of the Convent of Santo Domingo

We entered the First Cloister, which is decorated with Sevillian tiles and seventeenth-century canvases depicting the life of Saint Dominic. The tiles date from 1604 and 1606 and were brought from Seville, Spain, to adorn the columns and walls of the main cloister.

The First Cloister

Beautiful Tilework in the First Cloister

The Second Cloister is simpler in design and reflects the influence of the Middle East with its trilobulated arches on the second floor.

The Second Cloister

The Chapter Room dates to the seventeenth century and was the location where all the friars were gathered by chapters to choose their authorities and solve their problems.

The Chapter Room

One of my favorite rooms was the Library, which houses the oldest books used by the Dominicans. The coffered ceiling was beautiful.

The Library

The restoration work at the convent is ongoing, and I enjoyed watching the craftsmen at work.

Restoration Work Is Ongoing at the Convent

Tim and Sarah at the Convent of Santo Domingo

Although we did not visit the interior of the Santo Domingo Church, we did see the façade and the bell tower as we walked through the Plaza of Santo Domingo, one of the oldest in Lima.

Santo Domingo Church

Plaza of Santo Domingo

We then walked through several streets in the Historic Centre of Lima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Scenes in the Historic Centre of Lima

We were on our way to Plaza de Armas, the main public square of Lima that dates to the foundation of the city by Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535. Surrounding the square are some of Lima’s most important buildings, including the Government Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Municipal Palace, and the Palacio de la Unión. It’s an impressive place.

Plaza de Armas

Buildings Around the Plaza de Armas

Lima is an interesting city with so much history, and I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion.

After returning to the ship, Tim and I headed to the World Café for dinner where a wonderful surprise awaited us. Many new crew members joined the ship today, and among them were three more of our favorite crew members from the World Cruise. What are the odds that so many of these great people are now on Viking Octantis. The surprises didn’t end there. Later that evening, we discovered that our new Stateroom Steward is Ron, whom we also knew from the World Cruise. How great is that!

Khyati, Asif, Sarah, and Shamila; and Ron and Sarah