We got back to Lima in the morning, and with a whole day ahead of us, I was not going to leave Peru without seeing the capital. After checking into Dragonfly Hostel once again, we asked for directions from the hostel staff, and they kindly taught us how to walk to the metro bus for a comfortable bus ride to the historical center of Lima.
The metro bus system is pretty cool. They seem to have ring roads around Lima, which seem to be highways. The metro buses run on these highways, making the journey smooth and quick.
The historical center of Lima was pretty like other former Spanish colonies, in terms of architecture. Like Antigua, Guatemala, there are very many impressive old buildings. In particular, the balconies of Lima were really impressive. And inside these old-looking buildings, are usually very modern shops. For instance, one is a department store.
We went on a tour of the Iglesias San Francisco, which was actually pretty cool. Although we didn’t understand the tour, which was conducted in Spanish, we got to see the library, whereby some of the books they have were larger than us. They also have a catacomb in their basement, which was creepy and cool at the same time. I wouldn’t want to get lost there!
After the main attractions closed at around 6pm, we headed back to the bus station, only to realize that due the office traffic, getting onto the bus might be a little impossible. So, we ended up eating at a chifa, which is a Peruvian-Chinese restaurant. It was pretty cheap at around 4 USD, and our one-dish meals came with a wanton soup, which could have been a meal in itself.
Random note: there are a lot of casinos in Lima!
Old building, new use in historical center of Lima
Elaborate Architecture of some of the buildings
The central square at night
The freebie wanton noodle soup at the Chifa
Wanderlust 