- HEMISPHERES
of Kings. Lima local Eric J. Lyman introduces us to a metropolis blessed with a compelling combination:
the mystery and adventure of a lost civilization and the energy and vitality of a nation building anew.
- A few degrees south of the equator, but with cool and mild temperatures, Lima has the
perfect climate to unmask archaeological wonders and enjoy the golden opportunities of this capital
city.
- It's ironic that Lima, one of the oldest major cities in South America, is one of the last to experience a
rebirth. But now, 460 years after conquistador Francisco Pizarro chose the city's location because of
a plentiful fresh water supply and easy access to the sea, Lima is being reborn.
- For generations, Lima was the jewel of South America, called the City of Kings and once the capital
of all of Spain's possessions on the continent. The original city was laid out on the banks of the
Rimac river like a chessboard surrounding the still-stunning Plaza de Armas. And scores of colonial-
era homes and cathedrals still like narrow avenues designed not for the cars of today but for the
horse-dram carriages of another era.
- But Lima has since ballooned to nearly 8.5 million inhabitants. With the new residents came new
problems like poverty, overcrowding, and crime. Lima's image, once gilded with the gold of the felled
Inca empire, slowly became tarnished.
- The last 25 years have been especially tough for the capital city. The overcrowding became
epidemic, and money to maintain the centuries-old city was hard to come by. Terrorism and runaway
inflation took a heavy toll.
- But newfound tranquility has allowed the city to rediscover itself as a cosmopolitan center. The
Spanish of the conquistadors' descendants can be heard along with other languages from around
the world in the fashionable sidewalk cafes of Miraflores and San Isidro, now the cultural and
commercial centers of the new Lima.
The rebirth is reaching the old city as well. Though the centuries of neglect are slower to give way to the broom and paintbrush, the stately
monuments and unique architecture have never stopped calling to visitors.
But the biggest change is in the attitude of the limenos (Lima natives), who are today prouder than ever of their city. Most Peruvians you
meet will ask immediately if you are enjoying your stay. After these three days in the reborn City of Kings, your answer will likely be easy:
"Perfecto!"
The best place to stay in Lima is the five-star Hotel El Olivar, located
on a peaceful side street across from a century-old olive grove
(ideal for an evening stroll) in San Isidro, perhaps the city's most
elegant district. One of the attractive features about El Olivar, known
for its posh rooms and outstanding service, is its location: close to
shopping malls, the business district, and some of the finest
restaurants in Lima.
Breakfast will start at one of them, the fashionable Café Ole, a staple
of many elite limenos and just a minute's walk from El Olivar.
With a busy day ahead, opt for a light breakfast – the restaurant's
Spanish-style tortilla de patatas is a good choice – with fresh juice.
After breakfast, head back to the hotel and have a taxi called for the
next five hours (until lunch). Be sure to dress lightly and comfortably.
First stop is the ruins of Pachacamac, one of the most important
archaeological sites within easy access of Lima – just a 45-minute
drive south of the city. Dating back to around A.D. 500, the area was
taken over by the Incas in the mid-15th century and was the biggest
city on Peru's coast when the Spanish arrived. Take at least two
hours to explore the ruins, with information available at the visitors'
center.
After the ruins, return to the hotel to freshen up before a late lunch
at Costa Verde (bring along a light coat or sweater for the cool,
early evening air). Known for great views of the ocean and the cliffs
along the Barranco and Miraflores districts, Costa Verde is the place
for tasty seafood. For lunch, sample the buffet and try cebiche,
a traditional dish of fish marinated in lemon.
With a full stomach, head up the cliffs in one of the cabs waiting at the restaurant to Barranco, Lima's bohemian district, and the private
Pedro de Osma Museum, a visit the hotel arranged for you. The museum, open only by appointment, has one of the best collections of
postconquest art and artifacts from all over Peru. Tours are in English or Spanish.
The Barranco area is the former home of world-renowned personalities, such as novelist Mario Vargas Llosa. Stroll from the museum
through Barranco along the old trolley tracks of the Av. Pedro de Osma to a small museum and antiques shop in the beautiful colonial
home of Vivian and Jaime Liebana. The Liebanas offer a tour (by appointment only—again, have the hotel arrange it) of the well-
appointed museum. The quality of merchandise available for sale in the shop, some dating back to the conquest, is without parallel in
Lima.
Less than a 100-meter walk from the Liebana's home is the restaurant La Ermita (the Spanish word for a wall portal that holds a
sculpture of religious significance), where the bustle of Barranco will be temporarily lost in a peaceful island of flowers, trees, and
classical jazz. The restaurant is located beneath Barranco's famous Bridge of Sighs. The view from the bridge is what induces the
sighs—but so might La Ermita's light versions of native cuisine and dishes made of exotic fruits from the Amazon jungle.
After dinner, enjoy a short walk around Barranco. On the north side of the Bridge of Sighs is a sliver of land called El Punto, with
spectacular views of Lima's u-shaped coastline. On the other side of the bridge is the colonial-era Plaza de Armas de Barranco, with its
old library and numerous quaint bars on the far side.
Walk back toward Pedro de Osma to Manos Morenas, a restaurant and bar known for its outstanding show of native dances and music
that starts each night after 10:30 p.m. The bar serves what some consider to be Lima's best pisco sour—Peru's most famous drink.
(caption: after shopping for colorful
handicrafts, stroll through the Plaza de
Armas, where echoes of colonialism
still reverberate from the cathedral's
towers.)
- Day Three
- Start your day with an outstanding breakfast at the Hotel El Olivar. Load up on
the fresh-squeezed juices.
- From the hotel, it's about a six-block walk to the Huaca Huallamarca, the best
preserved of the eight, millennia-old, adobe, flat-topped pyramids within the
city limits. Get information at the main entrance and spend 45 minutes
exploring the site. A small museum of artifacts includes a mummy that was
unearthed in ongoing excavations.
- From there, head to Pueblo Libre and the Larco Herrera Museum, home of the
finestpre-colonial Peruvian ceramics collection anywhere. The best pieces are
laid out in chronological order. Tours are given in English, Spanish, or French.
The museum also has small but striking collections of mummies, gold, and
textiles. Downstairs is the museum's unique erotic art collection of explicit pre-
Columbian pots.
- Lunch is five minutes away by cab at Costanera 700, perhaps Lima's best
kept secret. The name is simply the address of the restaurant, and the
building is a reconstructed parking garage tucked away in an unfashionable
part of town. But once you're in the door, the change is monumental, especially
when the food arrives. The unique blend of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine
creates a taste available nowhere else. The chita al sal—tender rockfish
baked in a shell of salt—is the restaurant's signature dish. For an appetizer, try
the fresh mussels or Peru-styled sushi, made to include uniquely Peruvian
vegetables. The best bet may be to ask owner Humberto Sato—a second-
generation Japanese immigrant who went to school with President Alberto
Fujimori, also of Japanese descent—to create a special dish for your tastes.
From there, head back to Miraflores and Parque Kennedy, where the flowers are always in bloom. A short walk to the south, along
avenues La Paz and Alcanflores, are shops that sell the finest Peruvian artwork. The best may be Agua y Tierra on cross street Diez
Canseco #337-B.
Two blocks closer to the ocean is the pedestrian walkway Taratas, closed in 1991 to become Parque de la Paz (Park of the Peace), now
a popular meeting place for young people.
Nearby, El Senorio de Sulco (the pre-Spanish name for Lima) is the choice for la ultima cena (your last dinner) in Lima. The restaurant
goes to great lengths to accurately produce scores of native dishes—some of which had been forgotten for generations. The best
appetizers are the rocotto rellena (a pepper stuffed with steak and vegetables) or the papas huancaina (potatoes and a mildly spicy
cheese sauce). The signature dish is huatia sukcana, a Lima version of the Andean favorite pachamanca, a beef and pork dish cooked
underground while buried with hot coals. Try one of two dozen pisco brandies, and save room for dessert: the suspiro de Limena is
extraordinary. A taste will show you how it earned its name, awkwardly translated as the "sigh of the Lima native."
Wrap up your three days near where they started. Next to Café Ole (where you ate your first breakfast) is El Ole Bar, a new establishment
with a relaxing dark wood interior, deep leather chairs, and the best wine list in Peru. It's the perfect place to sit back and savor your new
insight into the long road Lima has traveled, while looking forward to how impressive this reborn capital will be when you return.
