Category: Lima

April 25, 2013

Lima, Peru: Views from the Malecón

Lima. Last week, when I was wandering around the malecón stretching between Barranco and Miraflores and enjoying the sunshine and coastal views, I realized that I really love Lima, and the idea of leaving this city makes my heart ache.

Malecón, Miraflores, March 2013

Technically, Huaycán, where I live and volunteer, is part of Lima, but when I think of Lima, I think of riding a combi down the long throughway of Javier Prado, where I pass through many neighborhoods, such as La Molina, San Borja, La Victoria, and San Isidro, on my way to Avenida Arequipa, which leads to Lima Centro through Lince, and through San Isidro to Miraflores, where I have spent a great deal of my free time. Since my combi rides are usually about two hours long, I have become very familiar with the storefronts and businesses lining these main roads, with the buses that connect different parts of the city, and the rhythm of life in Lima, both in the metro area and the district of Ate Vitarte where Huaycán is located. For all its overwhelming noise and stress, Lima has won a part of my heart.

Malecón, Barranco, March 2013

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I’ve spent a lot of time in Lima over the past 10 months. In 2012, I usually spent my entire “weekend” in Miraflores with my friends, escaping from volunteer life on Tuesday nights and coming back Thursday afternoon or even later. Recently, my routine has changed, both due to changes in the lives of my closest friends there (one of whom moved away, *sniff*) and my need to spend time on my own projects and save money for backpacking. As I come closer to the end of my stay here, I’m allowing myself to spend a little more money and enjoy more time in Lima. I’ve spent a lot of that time wandering along the malecón, taking advantage of the sunny days of summer and early fall.

Parque del Amor from the Malecón, Miraflores, March 2013

As fall sets in, so do the never-ending clouds and chill in the air, so I feel especially lucky to have appreciated so many blue skies and the intense sunshine of summer. It’s strengthened my love for Lima, and enabled me to see a happier, more relaxed side of this hectic city. Many visitors come in the months of July and August, as I did in 2007, when Lima just doesn’t have the same appeal. Now that I’ve seen Lima through its different seasons, it’s going to be even harder to leave.

Sunset from Larcomar, October 2012

February 12, 2013

Caral, Peru: Traveling from Lima to the Ruins of Caral Via Caleta Vidal [Part 1]

In October, after a few months of volunteering, some great treks, and many weekends spent in Lima with friends, I had the opportunity to visit the ancient city of Caral, located nearly 200km north of Lima, with some of my fellow volunteers. The owner of a Lima hostel had recently started a new hostel in the town of Caral outside this ancient, hard-to-visit city and was trying to get support for a nonprofit he had also created. He offered to take us to Caral in his 4×4 so that we could explore the ancient city, stay in the new hostel, see the work he is trying to do, and meet the local kids of Caral.

Caral is believed to be the oldest city of the Americas, a settlement established 5000 years ago. The diligent work of Dr. Ruth Shady led to the pyramids being uncovered not even 20 years ago, and they continue to be studied by Dr. Shady and her team. The easiest way to visit Caral is through a tour or using a private car, but it’s possible to get there on bus and stay in the town.

We left Lima early in the morning, heading north on the Panamerican Highway. Our first stop was at giant field of strawberries, where we got to try the delicious fruit and take some with us at only 15 soles a pallet!

From there, we continued on north until we reached Caleta Vidal, a small town on the coast right before the inland turn-off to Caral. It was nice to see the coast again up so close, along with all the sea creatures, like crabs, seagulls, and starfish!

Colorful fishing boats to liven up the grey morning!

After enjoying the coast, we began the trip inland. The 18th anniversary celebration was held the following weekend, so we saw everything being spruced up. Along the way, we also stopped to appreciate the crops growing in the fertile land of this region.

And then we continued on to the main event: seeing the pyramids of Caral for ourselves…in the next post!

February 8, 2013

Day Trip from Lima: Chosica and Catarata de Huanano in Surco

An easy escape from the noise of Lima is the small city of Chosica. Chosica is well-known for its sunny climate year-round. In the South American winter, it was nice to see and feel the sunshine! Chosica has a pleasant canal and a lot of greenery to lift the spirits.

Picturesque canal located in the “tourist district” of Chosica

Statue near Parque Echenique and the main park/plaza, perfect for relaxing

While Chosica is pretty in its own right, it’s also a required stop en route to Matucana and San Jerónimo de Surco, a town from which you can hike to more waterfalls: Catarata Huanano and Cataratas de Palacala. When I visited in August, it ended up being too late in the day to begin the longer hike to the Cataratas de Palacala, so we decided to go see Catarata Huanano.

The first thing that is striking about Surco is all the greenery, as well as the predominance of cacti and other desert plants. The landscape is similar to that of Matucana, but unique in its own way. On the way, you can also see the ruins of Huanano (not pictured), which I don’t know much about. It’s just proof that ruins are everywhere in Peru.

And then here’s the waterfall!! Small but attractive, and a nice place to stop and have a snack. 🙂

But for me, the best part of the hike was seeing the beautiful sunset on the way back. There was actually a little bit of rain on the descent, which led to the atmospheric clouds. Beautiful, right?

It’s so nice having these places as low-budget escapes. I need to make an effort to get back there soon!

February 4, 2013

Day Trips from Lima: Matucana and the Catarata de Antakallo

One of the fringe benefits of my year-long volunteering position is the proximity to all the cool things there are to do in Peru, especially in the area around Lima. Most people who visit Lima as tourists or travelers use it as a transportation hub for getting around to major sites around Peru or as another major city to explore. By living here, we find out about other types of day trips that the average foreigner just doesn’t get to see.

For example, Matucana. Matucana is a small town located about three or four hours outside of Lima on the Carretera Central (the main highway). To get to Matucana, you first must get to Chosica via the “Chosicano,” a frequent combi bus that runs through Lima and then up the Carretera Central, or a colectivo, or shared taxi. Chosica is a small city often used as an escape from Lima or the surrounding towns (like Huaycán), since it tends to be sunny year-round. From Chosica, you take another colectivo to Matucana.

After being in dusty Huaycán, the drive through these beautiful mountains with all their greenery and running rivers is especially refreshing. When you arrive to Matucana, you arrive to the quiet plaza, where you can eat a snack or get some treats for the hike, as well as visit the tourist information center. They’re always surprised but happy to see foreigners there, since I imagine not many pass through unless they are living, working, or volunteering around here.

The main attraction in Matucana is the trek to the Catarata de Antakallo (a waterfall), though it is also known for its great climate (sunny in the Peruvian winter, great for growing different fruits and vegetables). You walk along a path up through the town and then begin the fairly steep hike up and then across to the waterfall. I went on the hike twice within my first two months in Peru, and the second time I found the trek much easier as my legs had grown accustomed to walking up and down the foothills of Huaycán! The photos that follow are a combination of both trips. Each time I was constantly surprised by how beautiful the Andean sierra is. I love the Andes. 🙂

Route to our destination!

One of the murals and some detail along the path through the town

Companions along the road!

Views of the path on the way up and the terracing all around

Cabeza de León (Lion’s Head) and some cows roaming around…

The changing colors of the mountains and me along the way…

Views of farming terraces and the town below, along with the foliage on the path

Almost there! and a modelesque pose…

Finally! The waterfall at the end of our hike!

My hiking companions and me on the way back

Views of the landscape and a sheep dog

The roads of Matucana and the municipality building reminding us of where we were

As you can see, this short trek has lots of beautiful views. It’s a calm retreat from the craziness of the city. Perhaps I’ll go visit one more time while I’m here!