Trip date: January 2019
Why Lima?
- I didn’t get a chance to explore the city 3 years ago.
- I have a friend there now.
- There is a lot of great food here!
I’ve been wanting to go back to Lima after my first visit to Perú, as the last time we didn’t really get to see much of the city, nor tasted the amazing food that everyone keeps talking about. When I found an awesome fare, I quickly booked my ticket along with an Airbnb and off I went. Oh yes, I also contacted my Peruvian friend and made sure she was available to hang out.
Day 1: Historic Center and Barranco
After checking in to my well-located Airbnb in Miraflores, the first thing I did was to purchase a tap card for the Metropolitano, which is basically a BRT (bus rapid transit) system for the city. All I had to do after this was to recharge the card and I was ready to get on a bus.
My friend and I met up at the bus station, and our first stop was the Historic Center. We walked around the Plaza de Armas, and somehow ran into the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace.
My friend asked me what I wanted for lunch, I said any Chifa. We ended up in the local Chinatown after walking through the Mercado Central. I finally solved the mystery as to what Pollo Tipakay was in Chinese… so it’s actually 鐵扒雞 (iron grab chicken) for those who read Traditional Chinese characters. As with most Chinese dishes overseas, the name of the dish was most likely derived from Cantonese.
Believe it or not, there are Chinese words in Peruvian Spanish. Ginger is known as “giong” (薑) and soy sauce is “sillao” (豉油) – both Cantonese.
After lunch we walked to the Biblioteca Nacional del Perú, which was a classic building. It wasn’t grand, but the perfect size to tour through. Outside was a lot of police presence, as Guaidó became acting President of Venezuela. Venezuelans in Lima were coming out to support the new president with Venezuelan flags painted on their faces, or simply wearing their flag colors.
We took the Metropolitano down south to the Barranco district to take a little break from all of the walking. The main event was to see the million-dollar sunset over the Pacific. Along the way there were quite a few murals from local artists.
After getting back to Miraflores, we went to Mercado 28 for dinner. Basically yummy, fancy Peruvian style food. One of these was from “Sushi Pop” which was a stand from Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura, the chef from the well-known Nikkei restaurant “Maido.”
Day 2: Chicharrón, Callao, and Fountains
Well, last night began with a 5.6 earthquake. The epicenter was a few hours’ drive outside of Lima, but I felt it on the 9th floor of a residential building. Then I went back to bed (I *am* Californian).
My friend had asked me the night before what I wanted for breakfast, and I wanted to try something she liked. So she took me to this cafe that sold pork chicharrón sandwiches. Of course, it was very good.
After breakfast we went to the Real Felipe Fortress to see the army museum and understand a bit of Peru’s colonial history. Then, we walked along the streets of Callao (we were told certain areas were not the safest) to see the street art before grabbing lunch (more food).
The afternoon was spent back in Miraflores walking along the parks along the Pacific, before resting up again. Finally, we ended up at the Parque de la Reserva to see the fountain light show at night before my friend went home.
As for myself, I ended up exploring and then walking home – but not before grabbing dinner at La Lucha. I was able to get myself a sandwich with my non-existent Spanish (sometimes with the help of my friend through Whatsapp).
Day 3: Cebiche, Huaca Pucllana
This was my final day in Lima – alone. Therefore, I decided it would be a food and cultural tour, so I started out with cebiche at El Cebiche de Ronald. The portion was a too big for me, but I finished it anyway.
The afternoon was then spent at Huaca Pucllana, which is an ancient adobe and clay pyramid in the city. Well, I think it’s pretty cool to have something like this in the middle of the city.
Sadly, as with all fun trips, it must come to an end (temporarily). After getting back to the Airbnb, I packed and then called myself a Taxi using Whatsapp to take me to the airport. I’ll be back again Lima!
Practical Information
Transportation to/from Jorge Chávez (LIM) Airport: I used Uber before, but this time I used Taxi Directo. As with many South American countries you can easily get an “approved” company (read: safer) inside the security area before you exit the airport. The trip cost S/.60 (US$17.91) from the airport to Miraflores, and S/.50 (US$15) on the way back because I had a coupon. I made the reservation via WhatsApp.
Metropolitano Cards: You can purchase these at any Metropolitano station. There is a machine as well, but I decided to purchase one at the counter.
Postcard Rates: S/.8 (US$2.38) globally
1 USD = S/.3.35, January 2019