It is now 5pm and we think we have done pretty well, our brains 'over-filled' with information and, as it happens, entertainment. (Y uno cerveza -Ed)
We will need more photos (upon our return) to pad this story, but our guide, Barbara, took us past various respected city squares (such as Plaza Mayor, birth place of Lima, where some runners and musicians seemed to be preparing for activity), suburbs (rich and poor) museums and religious institutions. Ainsley, you would be proud of us, we attended church twice (on a Sunday), were well received, beatified and delivered into sainthood all before lunch. Interestingly nobody put their hand up for confession.
One of the cool aspects, at least for me, was when we visited a monastery and were presented with a local saint, Santa Rosa, whose tomb is now on site, but the items that caught my attention for the marble death bed statue of her from 1665, and then the library with its many books that were at least twice the age of modern NZ! (This photo is of us in one of the monastery gardens).
Outside this monastery there was plenty of loud brass music playing and people getting into costume for the parade that marks a week through until the celebration of Independence Day. Awesome colours and very uplifting music. More on this below.
After our double dose of religion (church and monastery) we headed off to a private museum reported to hold the greatest single collection of Peruvian and North Coast artefacts. Here we learned of the many civilisations that pre-dated the Inca, who may be a bit grumpy about the 'air time' achieved by the Inca brand, such as the Inca Trail given that some of them were around much longer, such as the Mochica 200-800AD.
Apparently all of the communities that pre-dated the Spanish Conquest did not have a written language and so all information and stories were told in art form, especially using ceramics, some of which tell very interesting stories indeed, but I will leave the story telling to your respective partners to explain!
After our tour, and a cliff top, seaside, lunch:
We headed back toward our hotel knowing that we would cross paths with the festival proper, which lived up to expectations with loud joyful music and bright coloured clothing. I was a little surprised to see that Disney comic characters such as Genie, from Aladdin, played a role in delivering Peruvian independence.
The festival is still blasting outside my window as I write. They know how to throw a big party.
We are off to find dinner shortly, if we can make it through the crowds and find restaurants that a open.
We are off to 'the jungle' tomorrow morning. I have no idea if Jungle WiFi exists, but one day we will get the messages out to you.
Beunas Tardes.
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