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ACCOMMODATIONS:
San Antonio Abad
in Miraflores approximately 5km from historic Lima.
The rooms, though dated in their decor, were very clean with
comfortable beds. We had two rooms, one facing a street (Rm210, traffic was not an issue) and the other (Rm205) on the
inner courtyard. Pickup at the airport included as was a
buffet
breakfast. There was an umbrella-table in the
courtyard and we used it for "picnic" dinners and evening card
games. Recommended.
MORE PHOTOS
of San Antonio Abad.
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ARRANGEMENTS:
For accommodations:
Booked online through San Antonio Abad website.
Received confirmation/deposit voucher via email. No
problems.
For touring historic Lima: Self directed
with pre-arrival input by guide book
Rough Guides.
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FOOD & DRINK:
BREAKFAST at the hotel
was in a cheerful room overlooking the courtyard. Buffet
offered a variety of items and eggs were cooked to order.
BAR CORDANO
Lucky for us, we "found" this lovely old bar just at the time we
needed a little refreshment (it was only later we saw mention of
it in a guide book). It has stood at 2020 Jiron Ancash (on
the corner of Jiron Carabaya by the railway station) since
around 1905 when it was established by Italian immigrants. Over
the years, being in the political heart of Lima, it has been a
popular meeting place for travellers, politicians, bureaucrats
and even presidents. Today the bar is owned and operated
by the people who work there. Our waiter had been working
there since he was sixteen years old ... that was forty years
ago. The place isn't as crowded as it once was ... other
than for the loyal locals and some tour groups glimpsing in the
door or grabbing a quick drink. This is a place in
which one should linger, order a beer and a simple, fresh made
ham sandwich (cut to order) and gaze at well polished history.
If ever back in Lima, it is a place we would seek out.
Highly recommended.
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PLACES TO GO:
There are lots of places to see in Lima and guide books will be
able to help you make selections. There are lots of
churches and museums, if that is on your to-do-list. We
selected one ...
Museum Convento de San Francisco: (no inside
photography allowed). Only guided tours allowed.
Impressive is the library; though not big by today's standards
it was the center of studies for the Franciscans in Lima and
contains over 25,000 books and some rare tomes including the
first dictionary published by the Real Spanish Academia.
Furniture and art are also part of the Convent's collection.
We visited the catacombs which were rediscovered in 1943.
An estimated 25,000 bodies were placed here until a cemetery was
opened outside the city in 1808. The crypts, built of
bricks and mortar, have withstood numerous earthquakes and open
pits show thousands of skulls and bones some of which are
displayed in arrangements.
Walking the streets: Streets are not simply a
means of getting from here to there; for us it is a joy to be part
of a street scene where women shop, school children in uniform
walk in long lines and say "hello" in English as they pass,
business men rush, lovers walk hand-in-hand and neighbours
hang out windows visiting. To be close to people doing
what they do in their own community is one of the reasons we
like to travel.
Balconies: While walking, we had an opportunity
to get up close and personal with Lima's architecture which has
been recognized by UNESCO and the historic centre is now a World
Heritage Site. Punctuating its colonial mansions are
approximately 1600 balconies built similar to those in southern
Spain. These windowed balconies permitted the ladies of
Lima's high society to observe what occurred in the streets
without having to go outside. In an effort to conserve the
balconies Lima has invited individuals,
companies and countries to adopt a balcony in order to maintain
them.
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TO & FROM:
Arrived in Lima with
Continental Airlines.
Left Miraflores/Lima by
Cruz del Sur bus to
Nazca.
LIMA
Miraflores is located approximately 5km from the historic centre
of Lima. A taxi will cost about $5-6 USD. Confirm price
before getting in. Hotels often have preferred,
reliable taxi drivers for only a slightly higher cost.
TAXI BY THE HOUR:
The hotel arranged a taxi which we could rent for $15 USD per
hour.
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