Lima
Lima is situated in the coastal desert district between the Pacific and
the western hills of the Andes mountains. Lima seems to scare off many
tourists, because it is one of the biggest cities in the Americas. It
is said to be poor, overcrowded, violent and dangerous. However, Lima
is - taken its size in mind - a rather friendly metropolis. As a
tourist you should be cautious of course, but shouldn't you be in New
York, Rome or Rio de Janeiro? If you take some time to explore the
city, you will be surprised and charmed.
The Cathedral and Plaza
Mayor in 1913
Lima runs at a slower pace than many South American metropolises; its
rhythm is more traditional, and its people reflect a steadier, calmer
constitution. Lima's unusually amenable inhabitants give the metropolis
the feeling, at times, of a cluster of smaller towns.
The Plaza Mayor nowadays. Image © Richard Crook
Lima's physical atmosphere is slightly dreamlike, mostly because of the
garua, a mist that settles over the city between May and October. Under
its blanket, Lima's inhabitants meet at the peñas (bars offering
Criollo music), shop at
the open marketplaces, and dine at Lima's celebrated restaurants.
Several museums display and preserve Peru's golden past, including most
notably the internationally famed Museo Nacional de Antropologica y
Arqueologica and the Museo de Oro, the stunning museum of Gold.
South of Lima, long white beaches washed by the cold waters of the
southern Pacific stretch away in an uninterrupted string, backed by row
upon row of huge, brilliant white sand dunes. In contrast to the
tourist beaches of warmer climates, these shores have few amenities
other than small restaurants and cafes. One of the best of these remote
beaches, as if to confirm its tranquillity, is known as El Silencio.
Like Lima itself, these beaches seem to exist in an eddy of time,
pleasantly removed from the relentless pace of more frequented
destinations.
The Plaza San Martín. Image © Edmund Fernandez
Of course Lima is also a dynamic metropolis, with all the advantages
and disadvantages of any big city. About six million people live in
Lima, which is spread out over a very big area. Although the city has a
typical Latin, almost Mediterranean touch, it is totally different from
the compact and crowded European cities. In fact, from a planologic
point of view it could be a North-American city. For example, most
people live in houses instead of apartment blocks, except for the
unavoidable shantytown settlers, and for some of the very rich people
who live in fancy apartments in Miraflores and San Isidro.
Museo del Arte in downtown Lima
Every part of Lima has its own unique atmosphere. Downtown Lima is
crowded and busy, modern and colonial at the same time. It contains, as
is commonly agreed, the most beautiful Plaza in Latin America, the
Plaza Mayor. Most neighbourhoods around the centre are friendly and
green, with many small parks and an unmistakable colonial touch,
especially Jesús María and Magdalena del Mar.
The other heart of Lima is the uptown shopping and business area,
Miraflores. Here you can find stylish avenues and fancy beaches. Close
to Miraflores is the romantic, village-like district of Barranco,
overlooking the Pacific.
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