Callo (Lima), Peru

Fri. & Sat. Jan. 14 & 15, 2011    79 degrees                           10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

The harbor of Callao is sheltered by the island of San Lorenzo. It is one of the safest and most spacious in South America. The port is equipped with wharves fit for the simultaneous berthage of more than ten ships, steam cranes, modern warehouses and cold-storage plants, and extensive dry-dock facilities. Chief exports are minerals, cotton, foods, wool and hides.  The port of Callao is 9 miles west of Lima.

Enjoy an overnight call in Peru’s lovely Spanish colonial city of Lima, where sights include gardens and fountains. It is large, noisy, polluted and shrouded in a misty costal fog. Slums on outskirts of Lima populated by Andean immigrants. Montreal is sister city.

Peru, one of the most diverse lands in South America, straddles the Andes Mountains, falling on one side to the Pacific and on the other into the Amazon Basin. Historically, Peru was home to the Incas, one of the most advanced races in the Americas; a people who developed amazing construction techniques as well as sophisticated farming and social infrastructures. Regretfully, their rule ended with the arrival of the Spaniards.

Lima has both decaying colonial splendor and the teeming vitality of an oriental bazaar; melancholy, cloudy winters and warm, breezy summers; impoverished urban sprawl and quiet, elegant corners among ancient buildings where the night air is scented with jasmine. Lima was founded by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro on Jan. 18, 1535 and is known as the city of kings. It is a city of 9 million people.

The usual starting point for exploring Lima is Plaza Mayor.  A political demonstration was expected the day we were visiting, hence the armed guards.  A The eastern side of the square is dominated by the Cathedral. Opposite stands the Municipalidad de Lima (City Hall). Next to it on the square is the headquarters of the Club de la Union. On the north side of the plaza is the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace).  Note the balconies on the Bishop’s Palace which were a major feature of Lima’s architecture during the colonial period. The Historic Center of Lima, made up of Lima and Rimac was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988 due to its importance during the colonial era.

We arrived at the architectural masterpiece, Santo Domingo, one of the oldest convents in Lima. Saint Rose of Lima, Saint Martin de Porres (first black saint) and St. Juan Masias remains are here.

Drove through San Isidro to Miraflores where we stopped to take pictures at Love Park on the Pacific Ocean. Also visited Larcomar Mall located below a beautiful park.