Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Impressions of Lima, May 2007




Admission is charged everywhere, and though I expect that in museums, I have an issue with paying to enter a house of God. I get quite stubborn about this, actually. We were able to sneak into this church. Such golden splendor! I wondered how many public bathrooms....just for starters...could be built so no one would need to urinate on the sidewalks. This was no house of God.






I was that nasty tourist who dared take a few flash photos
inside a church! But, just look at the gold! It's real!









There are treasures inside the old buildings, and this ceiling was one of the few we were fortunate enough to see.














I don't care for large cities, in general. I saw men urinating on the street...rather casually....and more squalor than I have seen anytime in recent history. The people are friendly and helpful, though visibly more stressed than they are in the small cities and villages. Still, I had no wish to linger, and stayed out of Lima on my second trip to Peru. I was coughing and gagging from the diesel fumes, so I was more than just a little bit cranky.
Though this city of almost 8 million people is choked with pollution from diesel belching cars....lots of them, taking up every square inch of the wide city streets without painted traffic lanes....there are gems of Colonial architecture to see among mostly unfinished building projects.


Peruvians are excellent drivers! We were very impressed both by their skill, patience, and courtesy. It's really amazing!

2 comments:

MiniBear said...

I am enjoying travelling to Peru, vicariously!
Thank you for your wonderful photos, and honest comments.
I had a dream once of travelling to Macchu Picchu, but it has faded in favour of discovering the details of the world closer to home, as I realise that there is so much about Great Britain I don't know....(and I can learn through the writings of travellers such as you)..
Thank you!
Anji in Stockport., UK

Chaska Peacock said...

Oh, I would love to see the treasures of Great Britain....only, for me, Peru is much less expensive.