Peru - One-day tour of Lima city center!

2024.08.31 Today I walked around downtown Lima and recorded my itinerary and experience for the whole day. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we started our exploration of Lima’s old town. The first stop is the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, a 16th-century church known for its Baroque architecture and catacombs. It is one of Lima’s most historic religious sites. However, we only went into the church next door, and did not go into the museum part which required payment. Next, we strolled around the Plaza Mayor de Lima, which is the historical center of Lima and is surrounded by important buildings such as the Presidential Palace, City Hall, and the Cathedral. We accidentally discovered a free museum, Museo Central - MUCEN. The exhibitions inside exceeded our expectations. Many precious collections about Peruvian history and culture were displayed. For free travelers who want to learn about local culture, this is a place not to be missed. Next, we walked over to eat Churros, Churros Virgen del Carmen S.A.C! When you go there, you will see two queues. You have to queue up to buy tickets first, and then queue up on the other side after buying the tickets. Fortunately, I don’t have two people, so one person goes to pay and the other one queues to get Churros. We ordered the caramel-flavored Manjar Blanco, which is delicious! One ticket costs 3.5sol (about NT$30). In fact, if we had known this earlier, we should have lined up early in the morning near the Basilica of St. Francis and the Convento de San Francisco, because there were not many people at that time! Because when I was queuing I realized that was where we were going to get off the taxi! Afterwards, we went to the Inka Market which was recommended by many people. We thought there would be many unique handicrafts, but in fact the types of goods there were very uniform, which made it a bit boring to visit. In the end, we left without buying anything. In comparison, I prefer the things I saw in Cusco or Pisac before, which had richer texture and choices. Next, we went to Al Toke Pez for lunch and ordered a takeout combo, which included a small portion of seafood fried rice, ceviche and fried squid for only 30 sol (about NT$250). My friend and I both agreed that the fried rice was delicious, but the ceviche was a bit sour. However, the price and portion are very reasonable, I really recommend it! In the afternoon, we went to the Barranco district with a strong artistic atmosphere. We first went to Dédalo, where there are many exquisite handicrafts and design products. The prices are slightly higher, but the quality is quite good. Afterwards, we had a cup of coffee at Caleta Dolsa Coffee and enjoyed some relaxing time. Finally, we accidentally walked into a weekend market and couldn’t help buying more stones. I felt like I was about to become a stone collector! Today’s trip in Lima was really fulfilling and enjoyable. Tomorrow will be our last day in Peru! Happy times always pass by so quickly. The journey is coming to an end. There is only one week left before we return to Taiwan!