Lima Information
More than 7 million of Peru's 23.4 million inhabitants live in the capitol city, Lima. Located on the central western coast, it is large, noisy, polluted, and shrouded in a misty coastal fog (garua) for much of the year. The sky reappears during the sunny summer months of December through April, when many coastal and highland people flock to the beach. Despite the often-dreary landscape; the friendly people, important historical sites, quality museums, and variety of dining and entertainment options make Lima an interesting place to visit.
Festivities can be found year-round in Lima. The Lord of the Miracles (Senor de los Milagros), the patron saint of Lima, is celebrated in October with a series of street processions during which a life-size replica of Jesus is carried through the streets on an elaborately adorned altar. The processions include hundreds of faithful followers who are customarily adorned in purple robes, clothing, or ties. The entire reverent, yet festive, occasion is accompanied by music, singing, the ringing of ceremonial bells, and the burning of incense.
October is also the month when the bullfighting season starts. The best bullfighters of the world come to compete for the Escapulario de Oro (the gold epaulet) in the Plaza de Acho ring. Other celebrations throughout the year include a wine harvest festival in March, and the Feria del Pacifico international fair in November.
The main square in Lima, La Plaza Mayor, marks the spot of the Spanish founding of Lima - where in 1535 Francisco Pizarro whipped out his sword, carved a square into the ground, and called it the city limits. In addition to housing the heart of city government, it served as a bullring and marketplace. Six years after he founded Lima, Pizarro was assassinated in the same square. Today La Plaza Mayor includes the majestic Government Palace, the Town Hall, and the Cathedral, where the remains of Pizarro lie inside a crystal crypt.
Outside Lima's city center lie many distinct districts with unique personalities and attractions. Barranco, an bohemian enclave south of Miraflores, has a good selection of restaurants, as well as the enchanting Bridge of Sighs (El Puente de los Suspiros) where couples often can be seen taking romantic strolls. Miraflores is a modern district with plenty of shops and facilities for tourists. Both Barranco and Miraflores offer an active nightlife. Anywhere in Lima you can visit the penas where live folkloric music and dance, food, and drink are enjoyed. You'll find throughout Peru that music has been an integral part of all cultures - ancient and modern. The Paracas culture, located south of Lima, created this pan flute some time between 200 BC and 300 AD, varieties of which are still played today in Peru.
The museums in Lima offer a fascinating array of artifacts dating from pre-ceramic, stone-age cultures through the pre-Inca, Inca, and Colonial periods. There are several museums to choose from, including the National Museum, the gold museum and the Pueble Libre Museum, which for me is the most interesting of them all.
It never rains in Lima and that is why there are so many umbrella salesmen out of work.
