Lima Day One: City Tour

My first full day in Lima started very slow but ended with fireworks!!! So all in all not a bad day at all... My tour company forgot to pick me up in the morning at 9:00 as they promised so I was not happy at first, but after digging through my emails, thank god for Wi-Fi and iPad, I found a number to call. When talking to them on the phone, they tried to blame it on me but I quickly proved to them by forwarding them my trail of emails that I have confirmed my reservation and that they knew which hotel I was staying at, they then quickly scrambled and found me another similar tour with another group but in the afternoon at 2:00!! At this point I had no option but to accept !!! Well my patience paid off, it was a much better time of the day for it as Lima was covered by fog in the morning so not bad after all. The other plus was that the group spoke English so we were all talking to each other this time.... 

Lima is a big city, much bigger than Quito, and it's economy is booming.  High rise buildings are sprouting everywhere and I could see many signs for multi-national companies. Peru is a big country rich of natural resources, just name it, they have it and the best for that too... Add to that the 4.5 million tourists a year spending a lot money that sure sounds like a country that is doing well....

Here is a sampling of pictures from the tour...

The love park overlooking the Pacific Ocean 

The pacific coast line of Lima ( this is winter in the Southern Hemisphere that is why you have gray skies, but I will take their winter any day over ours) 

Olive tree park ( the olive tree was brought to the Americas by the Spanish invaders )

Restored Inca archeological site in the center of Lima 

A mummy 

A very strange looking dog known as the hairless Peruvian dog. This dog won the distinction of the ugliest dog in the world two years in a row!!!

 

A Moorish building in Lima 

A government building

A beautiful garden and buildings surrounded by Moorish style buildings

Main plaza of Lima with Independence Day activities (Independence Day is the 28th but they start celebration early)

Another side of the plaza, just an awesome place

School kids in different costumes parading in downtown Lima 

More school kids posing for us to take their picture 

My first day in Lima started slow but turned out just great! Lima is a vibrant city full of energy, with a booming economy and more importantly very CLEAN!!!

Tomorrow I start my quest to follow the Inca trail by visiting the Pachacamac Ruins outside of Lima! That should be another exciting day of learning and seeing beautiful sites. This is a build up to my arrival in Cusco the day after tomorrow  and Machu Picchu two days later... The appetizer part of my trip is nearly over, the main course is about to start!!! Though the Incas controlled lands as far north as Ecuador, with Quito being their northern capital and Cusco their southern capital, their epicenter remained Cusco and lake Titicaca !!!