Back in Aguas Calientes, we had time to shop and eat before taking the train out. I ordered a traditional dish of guinea pig. It was cooked it something like a pizza oven.
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And here is the guinea big with some veggies. Unfortunately, there wasn't much meat, just skin and bones. People swear that it can be a great dish, so maybe I just had bad luck?
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Instead of Peru Rail, we were taking Inca Rail out of the mountains. Both companies share the same rails up here and they do a great business since you can't drive into Aguas Caliente.
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The train was very classy with a complimentary drink service, but most people chose to sleep.
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This is the only photo that I took in Cuzco. I will likely return some day with other visitors and have time to explore more. I was surprised how big this city is, though. We stayed at a nice boutique hotel in the old part of town.
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Yes, there are ruins in Lima too! In fact, Huaca Pucllana is in the middle of a ritzy neighborhood. The structure is at least 1000 years older than Machu Pichu. The giant mound was apparently built for religious purposes.
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It is hard to see the scale of the site, but it is quite impressive considering it was built by a bunch of people you've never heard of...
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On top of the mound, you can see how it is really in the middle of the city. They have done some restoration, but since Lima gets practically -0- rainfall, the simple bricks have held-up amazingly well.
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Lima is on the coast, but the city sits on high cliffs which conveniently protect it from any tsunamis that might come across the Pacific. The new structure on the left which is built into the cliffs is supposed to be the nicest shopping center in town.
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A river flowing through downtown separates the poorer area known as Rimac which lies ahead. We walked up a block and turned into a huge public market. A couple local women highly recommended that we leave immediately as theft of handbags from tourists is supposed super common :(
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Back on the good side of the river, there are still many parts of downtown Lima which look a bit worn down. Still, you can see that some structures must have been impressive in their day.
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Same street corner looking to the left.
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Latin America has some pretty impressive churches. This one was apparently going for the award for the most intricate carving ever imagined!
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Yes, there is a Chinatown in Lima. Not so many Chinese around, but it was much more lively than the Chinatown in Buenos Aires.
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Back at the river that leads across to the land of have-nots. The colorful houses on the hill over yonder make-up one of the more famous slums. Guides were offereing tours of that neighborhood, but we didn't have time.
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This used to be the train station, but now it is used as a library, museum, and coffee shop. Very cool structure.
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This is not the main plaza, but it looked impressive. Everything is less than 100 years old and it seems to be lacking in trees and benches.
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Never seen a blue church before...
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Lima is famous for some of the best cuisine in Latin America. It is the home of ceviche, of course, but there are plenty of restaurants serving all kinds of fusion and imaginative things. Apparently this was cow bone marrow which has a lot of fat and not so many nutrients. It tasted pretty good and the plate was only about $10!
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