We spent two and a half days in Lima. On the first day I helped Gladys find a charger for her camera battery. We took the shuttle bus from the port of Callao – about 11 miles from Miraflores in Lima where the bus let us off. Everyone on the bus rushed into the Marriott Hotel and Starbucks to use the internet. The internet on the ship is, for all practical purposes, non-existent. Too many people trying to get on at the same time and the up-link to the satellite is shaky. We asked where the nearest camera shop was and were told Ripley’s – a department store about 5 blocks away. It was more like 10 blocks. Ripley’s did not carry the battery, nor the charger but sent us to a shop named Hiraoka – an electronics shop near the Inka Market were were heading to anyway. We found the charger in the store but no batteries. Well, at least one problem was solved! Gladys headed back to the Hotel and a ride back to the ship. I window shopped the market and walked around the Miraflores area, found the alley of restaurants I had been to the first time I was in Lima. The “Old Pub” was closed till 4 PM, so I got a ceviche and a beer in a restaurant called Los Incas. I walked back along the scenic shore route to the Marriott Hotel and caught the shuttle back to the ship. I had been in Lima in 2007 and did not need to see the center of town where the churches and government building were. I got back in time to join the “In the Dark ” trivia team for 5 PM Pub Trivia. Later after dinner, I went to the ship theater to watch Lee Daniel’s The Butler.- a very interesting movie on the life of Cecil Gaines, as a White House butler for 8 presidents.
I took the shuttle into Lima the next day to buy stamps, mail postcards and have lunch at a restaurant recommended by one of my dinner table mates. I discovered the night before that the “mall” (LarcoMar) everyone on the ship was talking about was below the street level in front of the JW Marriott Hotel. I took a troll through the mall, purchased an in depth guide to Peru and headed out to mail postcards and scope out the restaurant – El Punto Azul as I headed toward the area of Barranco. Barranco is an area South of Miraflores with lots of restaurants and pubs. i walked around the area near the town center and decided to have a drink at Piselli a pub that is famous for serving Piso – however, they were out of Piso, so I settled for a Peruvian beer. I then walked back to Punto Azul and discovered it to be full at 2:30 PM. I had to wait until 3:15 to get served. The specialty ceviche was fabulous! By now it was 4:30 and a little late to head for the town center. I was thinking about checking out the Lima cathedral to see if I could get a photo of the “last supper”. I think that is the church that has the “last supper” with a guinea pig for the main course. Guinea pig is a delicacy in Peru and other Andean areas. I headed back to the ship but did not get back in time for the Pub Trivia. The show for the night was Peruvian Folkloric Music and Dance.
Yesterday, there wasn’t time to go into town before the ship left. I spend some time in the small tourist market at the end of the pier to get rid o my last 7 sol (about $2.50). The was a sail-away party on the stern as the ship departed at noon for Easter Island.
Photo Gallery Lima:
Looks like a nice place!