I suspect you may recognize this photo… it’s the obligatory shot from the hut of the guardian at Machu Picchu, taken the next to last day of our trip.
We started out in Lima on January 8, after flying in from Santiago, 1500 miles to the south west. With population of 8.5 million spread over 300 square miles Lima has a bit of everything, but like most tourists we spent our time in two areas; the historic center and the up-scale neighborhoods of San Isidro and Miraflores near the coast south of downtown.
Driving across Lima from the airport it was clear that we were in the third world. While Santiago feels much like the US or Europe, Lima reminds me of Mexico City in the 70s: mostly gritty, crowded, and dirty. While not poor by international standards (Peru’s per capital GDP is near the world’s median at $8,500), it was pretty obvious that folks were just getting by. Alejandra was struck that many buildings were half finished; inhabited but unpainted and with reinforcing bars sticking out of the roofs; evidently waiting for money to build the next floor. The photo, taken from the national museum shows a fairly typical urban scene of working class neighborhoods.
The center of historic Lima is the Plaza de Armas with the Cathedral on one side (right) and the national palace (left) on the other.
The plaza was full of Peruvian and international sightseers, plus dozens of assorted touts, beggars and vendors, especially at noon when the ornately uniformed guard changes, though since everything occurred behind bars and a line of riot police it was a little difficult to appreciate.
Lonely Planet Peru made us conscious of the bag snatchers and pick pockets, as well as the general crime rate so we were a bit leery of large crowds, but we had no problems; other than escaping from aggressive vendors. We eventually learned that the only way to avoid a five minute hard sell is to completely ignore them. The slightest show of interest or curiosity and they will stay with you indefinitely. 
On the third side is the Palacio de la Municipalidad with the Union Club on the first floor, sight of a great mid-day buffet of classic Peruvian dishes.
East of the Plaza de Armas is the central market and Barrio Chino. Peru’s Chinese population is very visible, Chinese restaurants or chifas are very popular and Chinese influenced Peruvian food like lomo slatado (beef-tomato stir fry) and chufa (fried rice) are served everywhere. The largest supermarket chain is Wongs.
Our B&B ( left) was several miles from the city center in the San Isidro neighborhood; the up-scale home of golf clubs (below right) restaurants, hotels and the city’s wealthy, as well as the Japanese embassy, site of the 1996 hostage crisis.
It also has very classy supermarkets. Like the shirt?
Lima’s classiest mall, the ocean-side Larcomar is in nearby Miraflores. We had a very good meal there, though the $7 glass of white wine was a surprise. I eventually learned to stick to pisco sours and beer while in Peru.
Otherwise, restaurants were very reasonable, with two or three course meals with drinks running from $15 to $45.
Here, at the Punta Sal restaurant in San Isidro, we started with pisco sours; followed by a shared ceviche of corvina, the classic Peruvian dish. Alejandra’s main course was a shrimp pasta; mine was a pasta with a creamy sauce of Peruvian yellow chiles topped by fried squid.
Ceviche
Punta Sal’s wine was more reasonable.
The ocean front in the Miraflores area is a broad park reaching to the edge of the cliffs, though the beach itself is not particularly attractive.
…continued here.
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