March 25 – Lima (Day 2)

We stayed in Lima overnight and won’t be leaving until late in the afternoon.  So we decided to take the Lima city tour.

Our first stop was in the city’s historical district which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  In the Plaza de Armas we were able to view the Government Palace, City Hall, Lima’s Cathedral and the Arch Bishop’s house. The buildings are based on the architecture found in 16^th century Spain.

In the cathedral they were the celebrating Palm Sunday mass.  The church was full and there was a small crowd outside listening to the service over loud speakers. I was surprised by the number of rude people who were taking pictures of the church during the service.

We then visited the Church & Convent of San Francisco. It is one of the most important examples of colonial architecture in Peru.  The cloister was a wonderful restive place with blue tiled walls and a peaceful garden.  There was also an impressive library, which can still be used for research.

We then travelled through the city to the cliffs of Chorrillos overlooking the Pacific Ocean, that is several kilometers north of our port, to a park called El Parque del Amor. At the heart of the park is a sculpture entitled El Beso (The Kiss) by Peruvian artist Victor Delfín. It depicts two lovers locked in a romantic embrace.  The walkway is bordered with a barrier that was based on designs of the Spanish architect Guadi.

As we were returning to the boat, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the majority of Lima’s residents.  I have never seen such abject poverty. Peru has no social welfare.  Our guide told us that when someone is unemployed there are no social services to help them.  They must rely on the kindness of their family and neighbours. A popular social event is a “chicken party” where neighbours gather and help families in need.  Most houses are small ramshackle shacks.  Education is free but you need money to send your children to a private school, which results in families not being able climb the social ladder.

When we left the port, we were amazed at the number of huge cargo vessels waiting for a berth to become available.  There were at least a dozen boats that we could see, stretching out for many kilometers to the north.  Also just outside the breakwall was a sizeable fishing fleet.

For dinner Marg had Lamb Shanks and I had strip loin steak.  Both were very good.

The evening’s entertainment was a jazz pianist and arranger named Kym Purling.  It was the best show on the cruise so far. Marg thought he was “awesome.”  He was a Vietnam orphan, who was one of the first orphans from Vietnam adopted in Australia. At the age of four he was playing music by ear.  We could have listened to him for several hours and would not have been bored.