Lima, PERU
Airing Date: Sep 30th, 2002
Modern Lima features a lot of classic European architecture and the roots of it all can be traced back to one man - Francisco Pizarro. In 1535 Francisco put his stamp on Lima and for the next two centuries it was the capital of Spanish South America.
At Government Palace in the Main Square a marching band plays as part of the daily ceremonial changing of the guards. Also in the Square is a famous fountain that the locals call the Tootle Ooto Water Fountain. To the left of the fountain stands the Lima Cathedral, which dates back to the year the city was born. After bringing the Roman Catholic religion and a host of colonial art to South America Pizarro was decapitated on June 26, 1541 and the Lima Cathedral is his final resting place.
Down the road from Lima Cathedral is Casa-Solar De Aliaga, the oldest house in the Western Hemisphere to be continuously inhabited by the same family. This 70 room house spanning across an entire city block has housed 17 generations of the same family over the past 500 years.
Limas cabs are another reminder of the past and a one hour cab ride costs about $40. Twenty minutes from Casa-Solar De Aliaga is Miraflores where there are plenty of cambistas or Street Bankers. The local currency in Lima is soles and when people run out of local money, many visit a Street Banker to exchange their money. It may seem an unusual practice to Australians but it is legal and they often give you a better exchange rate than the banks.
In Lima a great place to spend some soles is the local Indian markets where pan pipes cost just $3 and wall hangings around $25. A pure alpaca jumper for 38 soles, the equivalent of about $20 Australian, is another bargain.
Ten minutes down the road is the Pulcullana Pyramid built by Indians more than 2000 years ago. Only rediscovered 30 years ago the mud brick ruin is still being excavated and is truly an amazing sight.
Next door to the Pyramid is the Huaca Pucullana Restaurant. A three course dinner is a bargain at around $40 and on offer are something like 200 varieties of potato.
Facts:
Qantas, in conjunction with Lan Chile, flies to Santiago three times a week. Prices start from $2048 per person from Sydney and $2859 from Perth. Prices include charges, levies and taxes. Call Qantas on 13 13 13 or visit qantas.com
Grupo TACA flies from Santiago to Lima daily, prices start from $400.
Inca Tours packages start from $590 per person based on 2 people travelling and include two nights at the Sonesta Hotel El Olivar and a guided city tour.
Airline Marketing Australia (group TACA)
Ph: 02 9252 5216
Inca Tours
Ph:1800 024 955
