Trip to Peru II
PART II:
After having seen and explored the church, we were on the move again to the main square of the city, also known as “Plaza Mayor” or the “Centro Historico de Lima”. At the centre of the square is a water fountain and spots of flowers line the corners of every direction. A 360 degree look from the fountain shows why the square is called the historical centre. Some of the buildings in this area are the Palacio del Gobierno (Government Palace), the Frontis Cathedral, the Palacio Arzobispal (the Archbishop Palace), and the Balcon Limeno (Balcony of Lima).
Once we had seen the capital and the historical Plaza Mayor, it was time to continue with the tour. The next stage took us to an excavated site where it is rumoured that Francisco Pizarro himself had walked. We had the opportunity to visit Pachacamac.
Pachacamac is an Incan God and the name translates to "He who animates the world". At the entrance, there was a small museum where there were traces of Incan history. Pieces of pottery and weapons and tools that had been discovered upon excavation were displayed. Additionally, there was a display of the textiles that were woven by the Incans themselves..each piece done entirely by hand. Again, unfortunately, no photos were allowed unless the camera had no flash! Close to the exit of the room, there was a grandoise Totem pole that had the image of Pachacamac. It was carved out of wood, and was very interesting from both an artistic and historical point of view.
When we left the museum, we got back on the bus, and went further into the sites that were excavated.One of the more interesting places we stopped at was the “Mamacuna”. This site has been reconstructed and is one of the major tourist attractions in the area.
As we started to move away from the capital and back into Miraflores, one of the most beautiful statues came into view. It was a stone carved statue of a man and woman embracing in what is called the “Peruvian Kiss”. The statue is located at the heart of Parque del Amor. According to David, at certain times of the year, there are kissing competitions held at this park to see which couple can kiss the longest.
With respect to sports, the country’s major passion lies in football and bullfighting. The most popular football club is ALIANZA LIMA, and some of the other clubs are Sporting Cristal, Sport Boys del Callao, and Universitario de Deportes.
During the bullfighting season, tourists can take in the experience at Acho; this is the oldest bullfighting ring in America and the 3rd oldest in the world.
On another outing to the city, we were privy to visit the zoo in Miraflores. Having only ever been to the Emperor Valley Zoo, I was in awe at the vast expanse of this zoo.
There was an extremely wide variety of animals, and they each had their own particular traits that defined them from the others. One of the most memorable to me was a particular monkey who managed to get his hands on a half empty bottle of Inca Kola. The evil person who threw the bottle beyond the moat knew very well what he was doing. The monkey spent his time knocking the bottle against whatever surface he came in contact with. I have to admit, it was a most hilarious sight, but at the same time, I did feel like jumping that moat to help out the monkey.
Some of the other creatures we saw at the zoo included llamas of various breeds, eagles, hawks, a black leopard, snakes, a wide variety of monkeys and several other creatures.
A very amazing part of the zoo was the section with the Botanical Gardens. This section was incredibly heavenly and had such aesthetic value. Everything seemed to be in total sync, as the greenery and waterfall served to offset the arid and overly brown earth around it.
When we had seen most of the zoo, it was soon time to leave and head for a late lunch. On the way back, we stopped momentarily to have a look at the sea from a lookout spot. It was quite scenic, and what was a bit odd for us was that even though it was chilly, there were people sun bathing on the sand!
After having taken our photos, we were on the move again, but we found yet another reason to stop. Each stop pushed back the late lunch to an early dinner. We came across these amazing statues that we needed to get closer to in order to take photos and get a close up of the details of the artwork. Each statue portrayed a romantic theme, and gave an indication of the culture of the country.
A few minutes later, we were finally headed to the restaurant for a well deserved meal. It was a good time to reflect the day that had passed and contemplate how much we had seen of this place in just one day. Everybody, students and teachers alike, were all tired at the end of the day and looked forward to much needed sleep. WE would need our rest because we knew that yet another exciting day awaited in a few hours time.
After having seen and explored the church, we were on the move again to the main square of the city, also known as “Plaza Mayor” or the “Centro Historico de Lima”. At the centre of the square is a water fountain and spots of flowers line the corners of every direction. A 360 degree look from the fountain shows why the square is called the historical centre. Some of the buildings in this area are the Palacio del Gobierno (Government Palace), the Frontis Cathedral, the Palacio Arzobispal (the Archbishop Palace), and the Balcon Limeno (Balcony of Lima).
Once we had seen the capital and the historical Plaza Mayor, it was time to continue with the tour. The next stage took us to an excavated site where it is rumoured that Francisco Pizarro himself had walked. We had the opportunity to visit Pachacamac.
Pachacamac is an Incan God and the name translates to "He who animates the world". At the entrance, there was a small museum where there were traces of Incan history. Pieces of pottery and weapons and tools that had been discovered upon excavation were displayed. Additionally, there was a display of the textiles that were woven by the Incans themselves..each piece done entirely by hand. Again, unfortunately, no photos were allowed unless the camera had no flash! Close to the exit of the room, there was a grandoise Totem pole that had the image of Pachacamac. It was carved out of wood, and was very interesting from both an artistic and historical point of view.
When we left the museum, we got back on the bus, and went further into the sites that were excavated.One of the more interesting places we stopped at was the “Mamacuna”. This site has been reconstructed and is one of the major tourist attractions in the area.
As we started to move away from the capital and back into Miraflores, one of the most beautiful statues came into view. It was a stone carved statue of a man and woman embracing in what is called the “Peruvian Kiss”. The statue is located at the heart of Parque del Amor. According to David, at certain times of the year, there are kissing competitions held at this park to see which couple can kiss the longest.
With respect to sports, the country’s major passion lies in football and bullfighting. The most popular football club is ALIANZA LIMA, and some of the other clubs are Sporting Cristal, Sport Boys del Callao, and Universitario de Deportes.
During the bullfighting season, tourists can take in the experience at Acho; this is the oldest bullfighting ring in America and the 3rd oldest in the world.
On another outing to the city, we were privy to visit the zoo in Miraflores. Having only ever been to the Emperor Valley Zoo, I was in awe at the vast expanse of this zoo.
There was an extremely wide variety of animals, and they each had their own particular traits that defined them from the others. One of the most memorable to me was a particular monkey who managed to get his hands on a half empty bottle of Inca Kola. The evil person who threw the bottle beyond the moat knew very well what he was doing. The monkey spent his time knocking the bottle against whatever surface he came in contact with. I have to admit, it was a most hilarious sight, but at the same time, I did feel like jumping that moat to help out the monkey.
Some of the other creatures we saw at the zoo included llamas of various breeds, eagles, hawks, a black leopard, snakes, a wide variety of monkeys and several other creatures.
A very amazing part of the zoo was the section with the Botanical Gardens. This section was incredibly heavenly and had such aesthetic value. Everything seemed to be in total sync, as the greenery and waterfall served to offset the arid and overly brown earth around it.
When we had seen most of the zoo, it was soon time to leave and head for a late lunch. On the way back, we stopped momentarily to have a look at the sea from a lookout spot. It was quite scenic, and what was a bit odd for us was that even though it was chilly, there were people sun bathing on the sand!
After having taken our photos, we were on the move again, but we found yet another reason to stop. Each stop pushed back the late lunch to an early dinner. We came across these amazing statues that we needed to get closer to in order to take photos and get a close up of the details of the artwork. Each statue portrayed a romantic theme, and gave an indication of the culture of the country.
A few minutes later, we were finally headed to the restaurant for a well deserved meal. It was a good time to reflect the day that had passed and contemplate how much we had seen of this place in just one day. Everybody, students and teachers alike, were all tired at the end of the day and looked forward to much needed sleep. WE would need our rest because we knew that yet another exciting day awaited in a few hours time.
posted by aria | 9:10 PM
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