Lima: route through the city of legends and cliffs
Lima Lima stopped being, mine, the souvenir. O ceased to be partly or, perhaps, probably, It is that it was not before and it is now. It had been many years, I think 16, since I came here twice, for work, young, Looking forward to eating world. Lima was then a job. And poverty and misery latent. And one night getaway surrounded by rich kids in the neighborhoods of children well. As a fortress emerged colonies San Isidro and Miraflores, as in that book A World for Julius, to contain the threat that others will arrive, the poor, and wealth rot hunger.
Also he remembers that the ocean in Lima was an intimidating spectrum, as if it were always this tsunami coming announcing everywhere and a wave out to erase forever this city made of gold and crying. Nothing moved in that sea without boats to everyone feared and then you understood the fear produced remoteness and custom. And Lima was also a historic center hasty, and a city gray, and people of carved and sad faces, and many old cars releasing smoke. Lima was smoke, in my head, without having to corroboration, having to return.
Many years later
Lima is now Costantino, December of 2018, receiving very early at home, in robe, and when a journey starts with someone who greets you at home in a bathrobe it is very difficult for everything that comes next is not good. And how good it pointed him, the inhabitant, two tourists who taught his city. The kicked eager to find solutions to the gray sky, I now understand that it is almost perennial, and the traffic chaos that was still there, and the challenge of finding more than two neighborhoods, San Isidro and Miraflores, they remain committed to flee the city by the sea floating on a cruise.
San Isidro and Miraflores, they remain committed to flee the city by the sea floating on a cruise
The first day we walked around the Malecon Cisneros, Love across the park, up to Larcomar, a mall hanging from a cliff, and we came to the district of Barranco, the young neighborhood, modern and cultural, that makes its way on to my new Lima. Barranco is part of the small victories of a city that each side makes its way to these middle classes are leaving to generate common spaces. We went several times there, to see the museum Mario Testino, make crowns, dine, cross the Bridge of Sighs or wait to open a room microteatro. Everything has a new air, revitalizing, a city that was still another of my memory.
In the other corner of the city is another small victory: Callao. The city made Lima neighborhood also is gaining ground to the violence and poverty. At the tip of Callao is an area of beaches and restaurants where people spend Sundays as before, with ice cream and rides hand without malls. There we ate at the Mirador, a popular restaurant where people make long lines to wait for table. The food was plentiful and good, sweet flavored sea. But the interesting project of Callao is next to the Real Felipe Fortress. It is called Monumental Callao and consists of a restoration of the historic center. Open modern art galleries, shops and restaurants in streets painted with graffiti, as if inventing colors disenchantment abatiera.
Open modern art galleries, shops and restaurants in streets painted with graffiti, as if inventing colors disenchantment abatiera
In the middle is another interesting route. From the Park Museum, the Italian Art Museum and the Art Museum of Lima, He will walk to the Plaza de Armas. There are the Municipal Palace, the Government Palace and the Cathedral, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro Spanish, inventor of the city (surprisingly the feast which is buried with the Conqueror compared with forgetting suffering residues Hernan Cortes in Mexico City, whose bones were taken from the cathedral and hiding in a nearby church after a small tombstone). In any case, the center has been restored around the square. Worth visiting The House of the Peruvian Literature and its magnificent exhibition of good writing homeland.
Then, for those who like cemeteries, There is a long walk to a place that agglomerating much of the country's history. Presbyter Matias Maestro, three kilometers walk, crosses some of the most humble and "dangerous" neighborhoods in Lima. You can also go Metro, line 1. If done on foot should not draw attention and have some caution. Life is dry in many parts of Lima, death also. With dry and desert mountain background, surrounded by low and poor gray concrete houses, The Pantheon is a grid of history. an entry is paid, They go up and down some stairs and a network of streets is observed with niches, some mausoleums and a dome in the distance which is a neoclassical chapel. Is 1808, and they say it was the first cemetery of civil character in America. exist 766 mausoleums and 92 historical monuments among its marbles in there buried dozens of former presidents, military and renowned artists.
exist 766 mausoleums and 92 historical monuments among its marbles in there buried dozens of former presidents
There are also legends and stories, Children as Ricardito, whose tomb are hundreds of people to beg him to save sick children like him, or Maria de la Cruz, the first woman to be buried there and now converted into a miracle worker. Perhaps it is true that make them out because we took a taxi and upon entering the taxi driver asks me to keep the mobile phone in that area because it is very dangerous. I say we got there from the Plaza de Armas with the phone in his hand was guiding us and the man starts laughing and says alarmed: "The miracle is that they have not docked, I can not believe, you do not know where they have gotten ".
The beach was the last small victory. Of that sea inert ago 16 years spent a sand that something is going reform, with promenades and gardens, until the Chorrillo, El Salto del Fraile. It is a cliff, next to a restaurant with beautiful views, where a legend says that a young monk died by jumping into the sea of love. The legends always belong to places where hope was or is a swing. Today one can see young friars dresses, emulating the jump of yesteryear, but changing obtain love for soles (currency of Peru).
The legends always belong to places where hope was or is a swing
Also we stroll through Miraflores and San Isidro to eat in one of its great restaurants. Peru Food is a culture that must live. Featured IK, who invited us generous Costa and share with their fantastic friends Sveva, Gabriele, Sabrina and Ramin, and highly recommended return to Siete Pecados (I was doing 16 years there and reform has left unrecognizable), Popular or mentioned Mirador de la Punta del Callao.
And there, after several days, Lima left the smoke turned into a pleasant Lima. Without magnify anything, without epithets, only a city with enough nooks beautiful, culture and cuisine to merit a visit, Non denostarla. Their defects, there are still huge and palpable, with its huge pockets of poverty and violence surrounding wellness bubble. But the bubbles grow, expands, and improve the smoke of yesteryear. I found Lima is overcoming the curse of sea fog city, sandwiched between barren mountains and a sea, where fish fearful recited verses from the cliffs sad.
Comments (2)
Laura B
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What a wonderful story, Brandoli, so sensory and true about that "intimidating spectrum".
Congratulations once again 🙂
Laura
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Marco Antonio
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A good article. Peru is a wonderful country, travel and live the incredible experience: https://incredibletravelperu.com
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