Lima

Peru Day 10: For our last day in Peru, we started the day visiting the main square of Lima in the heart of the city, as part of a larger walking tour. The square itself was cordoned off from vehicular traffic, making it particularly welcoming to pedestrians like us. One edge of the square housed the Cathedral of Lima, notably not only for its architecture but also as the final resting place of the conquistador / explorer Francisco Pizarro.

Tomb of Francisco Pizarro

In addition to the cathedral itself, there were many exhibits on the history of the Church in Peru and artifacts. We spent about an hour walking through the halls, including the catacombs in one corner. After exiting, we tried to make our way to the main administrative building to see the changing of the guards but just missed it. We walked onwards past the Basilica de San Francisco to the Parque de La Muralla, a modern park that retained portions of the original wall of the city.

After relaxing on a bench for a while, we headed back to Miraflores for lunch and to meet Lupe. We walked through the bustling commercial district, with many shops and restaurants filled with people. After lunch, we also visited the Park of June 7th (named after a battle). Despite Peru already having been eliminated from the World Cup, decorations celebrating the games were still up, including a giant soccer ball with the World Cup logo. We walked through the adjoining Parque John F. Kennedy, named after the US President visited in the 1960s.

After my mom bought jewelry from ladies selling handmade wares in the park, we took an Uber to the Buenavista Cafe on the seashore. Lupe had made a great choice, as the cafe sat on the cliffs overlooking the beach. Even though it was windy, the cafe offered heat lamps and blankets to keep us comfortable. We chatted with Lupe and reminisced on all the coincidences that had brought us to that point.

After wishing Lupe well, we headed back into the city for a second attempt at Parque de La Reserva. Our flight was so late that we had enough time to catch the evening show, come back to the hotel for our luggage, and still make our flight with time to spare. The light show was well worth it. The parque has about a dozen unique fountains, with the second one serving as a backdrop for the light show. The surprise was that by causing the fountain to mist, the laser light show was *on* the water itself. The show was about the history of Peru and lasted about twenty minutes. We spent another hour walking around the fountains as night befell us.

Entrance to Parque de La Reserva

Light show at Parque de La Reserva

We made our way back to the hotel and then bid farewell to Lima and Peru as we headed back to the airport, thoughts of future trips dancing in our heads.

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