Publicēts: 15.10.2018
We have been on the road for a little over a week now, and for the past five days we have been a group of four. Our first impression of Peru: We are definitely no longer in Germany!
Due to some stories, forums, and travel guides, our expectations of the capital were rather low, so our first impression - marked by miserable traffic, constant honking, and lots of dirt and dust - did not surprise us. Nevertheless, after a total of six days in Peru's largest city, we have seen a lot - beautiful things and also some less beautiful things, but all very memorable.
About a third of all Peruvians, around 10.5 million people, live in the city, which extends over an area of about 2,600 square kilometers; making it larger than the entire Saarland (Wikipedia). The sheer size of the city mainly manifests itself in the never-ending traffic. It smells of exhaust fumes, and even on the coast in Miraflores, the wind from the Pacific hardly improves the air quality. The driving style of the Peruvians is chaotic to say the least. Traffic lights and intersections are skillfully ignored, and whoever arrives first and honks the loudest wins. We are slowly getting used to it.
And yet there are very beautiful spots in this city. Lima's historic center impresses with countless colonial-style buildings. Here, everyone who could, showed off. Especially the Plaza San Martín, where our hostel was located, and the Plaza Mayor are quite impressive, especially when the sun peeks out from behind the eternal cloud cover.
The most beautiful districts are definitely Miraflores and Barranco, both located directly on the coast. The wealthy Limañas and many foreigners live here.
Besides its colonial history, Lima has a lot to offer. In the middle of Miraflores, we visited the remains of a temple complex from the Lima culture (200-700 AD). Huaca Pucllana, a complex that once covered an area of 18 square kilometers and of which only a main pyramid and some small passages and storage rooms remain today, was completely built of unfired adobe bricks. It is a miracle that so much is still preserved after more than 1500 years - until you remember that Lima is in a desert and it simply never rains (according to our guide, a maximum of 20mm/year). Since this key realization, we have become more accustomed to the dust in the city ;)
The route mainly passes through the less beautiful districts of Lima. This is probably where most Limañas live in the so-called barriadas, the city's slums. Many things are self-built and therefore chaotic. Everything for daily needs is sold at flea markets and huge makeshift grocery markets. You quickly lose track, yet the whole chaos seems to follow a certain systematics.
All in all, we have grown quite fond of the city, perhaps precisely because of its contrasts. The Peruvians are all incredibly warm and helpful, so we really felt welcome. In the six days in Lima, we have seen both sides of the coin and feel that we have arrived in an emerging country that is ready for economic progress. We are definitely excited about everything that is waiting for us in the south of the country.
Best regards,
Laura and Markus