The Story of our trip to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador & Galapagos Trip 31.7 to 15.8.10

:)I would like to share with you the experience of our trip to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and the Galapagos with the Celebrity Xpedition ship from the 31.07.10 until the 15.08.10.

It was a really fantastic trip and I only have good word for the Celebrity Expedition team and ship, it was wonderful.

Please be patient..... I have this story in Spanish...... but it is long and I have to translate it so the English might not be perfect...... and I will take my time .......... chapter by chapter....... but I hope you enjoy it and maybe it will give help and tips to future travelers.

The first chapter is LIMA......... here goes.... :)

Friday 30th of July 2010 and Saturday 21st of July 2010

The flight from Malaga to Madrid (Spain) was scheduled for Saturday at 9 am and a couple of days before we received a call informing us of the change in the flight time, the new departure time was for 6:55 pm, which meant that we would need to be in the airport by 5:30 am, leave home at 4:30 am and get up between 3:30-4am and this way we would begin a long journey tired. Luckily, my husband, after a lot of difficulty, managed to change the flight on Saturday for another on Friday afternoon - and this was the best decision, it was a perfect solution.

We have worked on Friday morning and caught the flight at 5:40pm to Madrid. The good thing was the next day having had a great nights sleep, a good breakfast and a shower, we then took the flight from Madrid to Lima, Peru at 12:40 pm

The flight was with Iberia and had a duration of 12 hours. Although it is a long flight, I find it much more bearable being a day flight rather than a long flight at night.

Approaching Lima, from the plane we could see the mountains of the Andes:

Landing at Lima airport:

Having completed all the formalities at the airport, there was somebody waiting for us with a sign with our name for the transfer to the hotel.

On the way to the airport to the hotel the first thing we noticed was the way they drive in Lima. Overtaking on all sides and constantly using the horn! Coming out of their lane into yours and therefore forcing you to also have to change lanes! They turn or make a u-turn where they want, without prior advice. One of the two has to stop but you never know whose turn it is to do so! As they explained, they have one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake!

These are some pictures of the first impressions of everyday life through the different streets that we saw on the way from airport to hotel, in some very normal areas and other better areas (and some really beautiful but these will be a little later in when I explain the excursion of the following day in the centre of Lima):

We saw many local buses:

And the driver reading his newspaper at the traffic lights!:

My attention was drawn seeing a lot of signs pointing the way to the “playa” which means beach in Spanish …....but it didn´t look like the way to the beach and when I asked they told me that they were public parking areas or “beaches of parking areas” …..

And we saw all types of cars on these beaches:

And more general street scenes:

There were 7 hours time difference between Spain and Peru and we arrived at 6:30pm local time in Lima (1:30 am in Spain), but we had to get our bodies and minds used to the local time in Lima and therefore we decided to do something and not go straight to bed!

“Magic Circuit of the Water” - Parque de la Reserva - Lima City

Beautiful fountains with playing water, colored lights and laser rays which dance with the music rhythm. This newly revamped park is a pride of Lima's citizens. The Parque de la Reserva was inaugurated by the Mr. Luis Castañeda Mayor of Lima's Municipality (May 2007).

The Magic Circuit of the Water Tour is currently the world record holder for the largest fountain complex in the world, consisting of 13 distinct fountains, many of which are interactive. All of the fountains are lighted at night, many with continuously changing color schemes.

The largest fountain in the Park of the Reserve, named "Magic Fountain" (Fuente Mágica) contains a jet which forces water to a height of over 80 m. Additional attractions are the Tunnel Fountain of Surprises (Fuente Túnel de las Sorpresas), a 35 m walk-thru tunnel of water; the Children's Fountain (Fuente de los Ninos), a walk-in automated fountain; and a tunnel connecting the two sections of the park which contains an exhibition highlighting recent public works projects in Lima. The Fantasia Fountain (Fuente de la Fantasia), site of a regularly-scheduled laser and picture show, is 120 m in length and contains jets that are synchronized to music.

The park gates open Wed-Sun at 4pm, until 10pm. Tickets are sold at the gates and cost only S/.4 soles (that is, some US $1.3): children under four have free admission.

The first fountain which we saw – the “Traditions Fountain” was really spectacular:

Precisely at this fountain was where we saw many newlyweds who come to get their wedding photos:

The Fantasy Fountain (Fuente de la Fantasia) is the site of a regularly-scheduled laser and picture shows, where it has a length of 120m and contains a jet that synchronizes to the playing of music.

At 8:30pm was a show where the Magic Fountain expresses the magic, grandeur and overwhelming flow of water. (9.30am Its main feature is formed with water and a majestic figures spectacular Central Geiser over 80m. high, large central dome, “lily” overflowing water and palm trees with a crown of vertical jets and multicolor spray screen to receive the laser projections. Apparently there is an even more impressive show at 9:30am but we couldn´t wait as late as we were extremely late.

Here are some of the photos of how we saw it:

The Fantasy Fountain:

We also saw this fountain:

It was now 9.15pm and we had not eaten yet and for us (in our home time) it was already 3:15 am so we took a taxi and returned to the hotel.

Right next to the hotel was the promenade with these views ... ... ... .and with a cross lit up at night:

Right reside the hotel was this lovely church:

When we arrived at the hotel the easiest was to just order the room service and after dinner we went to sleep. We slept very well and we woke the next day feeling much better and really looking forward to seeing Lima.

Sunday, 1st of August, 2010

At 9 am we were met at the reception for a group tour of downtown Lima.

Lima is divided into several districts or areas and is very noticeable class differences in each area.

Here you can see quite clearly the differences:

A lower class area:

A médium class area:

And a good or higher level neighbourhood:

We arrived at the center of Lima which was really beautiful with squares and some impressive buildings with beautiful architecture. The only regret was that the bus didn´t stop and as it had darkened windows we couldn´t take any good photos. But it didn´t worry me as we had booked a private guide for 2pm to show us what we wanted to see so we knew that we could return later to see again the places that we really liked. Nor am I worried as we had hired a private guide for 14h to see what we wanted so we knew we could come back later with confidence to see the most beautiful.

Where we did stop and got off the bus was in the Plaza Mayor, a place that I loved, where the Government Palace, the Cathedral of Lima, Lima Archbishop's Palace, the Palacio Municipal de Lima and the Union Club are all located.

Empezando por el mano izquierda, un edificio del lado sur de la plaza, sede de la Revista Caretas: Starting from the left, the building on the south side of the square are the headquarters of the Magazine Caretas:

Then the Town Hall:

And the Government Palace:

Al otro lado de la plaza está la Casa del Oidor (en el fondo en color amarillo con madera), una de las edificaciones mas antiguas de la ciudad. Aquí habitaba el oidor, enviado de la monarquía española que asesoraba al virrey, y el Palacio Arzobispal:

On the other side of the square is the Casa del Oidor (Magistrate´s House) (in the background with yellow wood), one of the oldest buildings in town. Here lived the judge, sent by the Spanish monarchy which advised the Viceroy and the Archbishop's Palace:

The Archbishop´s Palace: This important place in the middle of town reflects the immense power the church had in Colonial Lima. Constructions for the Cathedral of Lima and the original 'Palacio Arzobispal' started shortly after the foundation of Lima in 1535. The palace was built using only the finest materials shipped in from the old world, like cedar wood and mahogany, tiles from Seville, bronze and marble. In 1924 the Archbishops Palace was completely reconstructed and renovated...

And beside the Archbishop´s Palace is the Catedral:

We went inside and as it was Sunday they were celebrating Mass:

When we left the cathedral we went to the Museum of Central Bank of Peru. This museum consists of paintings about the independence of Peru and about the scenes of war. We could also see some huacos and sculptures of ancient pre-Inca cultures of Peru. There are exhibitions of archaeological ceramics, gold, wood and textiles from the Moche, Chancay, Inca, Lambayeque, Nazca, Chimu and Chavin cultures.

And I couldn´t resist taking a photo of this couple making love, hihihi

It displays the private collection of gold-based Cohen Hugo based on masks, bracelets, nose rings and other pieces typical of the Peruvian coast. It looks like that it should be a valuable collection judging by the security door type that protects safe:

We left the museum, and we walked along different streets. We felt safe at all times because there were so many different kinds of police on all sides:

Even this friendly policeman posing for his photo!

My attention was also attracted by the taxis, we were told that almost anyone can be a taxi driver without requiring a license. You will notice that the numberplate is painted on the side of the car as well as being installed in front and behind and is apparently necessary to avoid car theft, as it is easy to install a number plate but is more difficult o change if you also have to piant the side of the car:

Many taxis also had religious phrases in the back windscreen of the car:

We saw many typical shops and souvenirs along the way:

We even saw that the famous "Octopus Paul" (who “selected” the World Cup match winners, and has just recently died) is famous also in Lima, but we have not heard the end who won: the octopus Paul or the Guinea Pig Jimmy !!!!:

After we walked through some streets we arrived at the Basilica and the Convent of San Francisco de Jesus

The Church and Convent of San Francisco is besides the Cathedral of Lima probably the most significant religious complex in Lima. The church with the impressive main portal, the affiliated convent and the two churches of 'El Milagro' and 'La Soledad' form together the most successful and impressive monument of Colonial architecture in whole Latin America. Under the temple and convent there are underground galleries transformed into gloomy catacombs that served as a cemetery of Lima during the viceroyalty.

It is forbidden to take photos in the catacombs and the following are not my photos but are some taken from the Internet.

It surprised me that the bones of the skeletons were not kept together but they were classified according to the type of bone, in other words all the femur bones were kept together and all the skulls were in another place, etc.

In this place more than 25 thousand people who had lived in Peru in that period were buried. The convent catacombs have a series of subterranean passageways to which the general public have access since 1950.

On the way to the catacombs is the library, some rooms such as hall, the choir and the sacristy. The library is the second largest in Latin America with major works including the first dictionary published by the Royal Academy of Spanish Language.

After this visit we returned to the bus and carried on through the different districts in Lima, arriving at the Miraflores area where we saw the beautiful views of the Chabuca Granda Alameda with the nice restaurant downstairs called "La Rosa Nautica Limeña" built in a breakwater by the sea, so that the view must be spectacular:

In passing from the bus we saw the “Parque del Amor” or Park of Love, which is supposedly inspired in Barcelona:

We returned to the hotel after 1pm…….. just in time to have something quick like a sandwich to eat before our private guide Eduard, from Lima Cabs arrived………..

As I mentioned Edward from Lima Cabs came to pick us up at 2pm. We had contracted him for 3 hours and as we were only going to be in Lima for 1 day we wanted to see the maximum and the idea was a total success as Edward was charming and totally concentrated on showing us exactly what we wanted to do and see.

We returned to the centre in order to see and enjoy what we had just quickly seen in the morning. We started with the Plaza San Martín which is one of the most important areas of the city of Lima.

The square was inaugurated on July 27, 1921 to mark the centenary of the independence of Peru.The design of the plaza was the work of Spanish artist and architect Manuel Piqueras Cotolí. In the middle, there is a monument in honour of General Jose de San Martin, designed by the Spanish sculptor Mariano Benlliure.

The following photo was taken just inside the Grand Hotel Bolivar, which in the twentieth century was the most elegant building of Lima, where this beautiful Ford was parked in the entrance hall:

Then we walked along the Merced Street, a pedestrian walkway connecting the two plazas, Plaza San Martín to the beautiful Plaza Mayor which we had seen earlier in the morning. It is a shopping street and the funny thing is that it was Sunday where you would normally expect to find everything closed but all the shops were open and full of people:

I was amused to see this sign advertising “rotos” meaning "broken or damaged ones" (I had seen several similar signs on the way) and the guide told us that the sign was referring to money or bank notes in bad condition or torn and those with the signs pay a slightly lower value for them as they are notes which are no longer accepted in the shops!:

On the same street there were some beautiful buildings and incredible architecture:

Including the San Agustin Church:

Look what a lovely façade:

San Agustin Church was built and founded in 1573 in front of the plaza of St. Augustine, in the vicinity of the Plaza Mayor of the capital.Due to the large number of earthquakes that have plagued the city, this building has been rebuilt several times, as this forms the list of damaged buildings due to this earthquake. Another cause of its destruction is due to political confrontations, a clear example is the sharp deterioration of the church in 1895, where the tower of the building was totally destroyed by a rocket from Pierola and caceristas forces. The front was built in 1710 with stone, and was decorated with beautiful ornaments. This consists of three naves and three blocks, of which, the centre one is the one used to access the building, the front and outside is of a Churrigueresque style where the portal is entirely carved in stone and is one of the best known doors throughout the city which reflects this style.

On the way we also visited the Post Office building which at the same time is a small museum explaining the history of the post in Peru:

Further along the street I was surprised to see this vehicle which appears to be prepared for riots for when they need to hose the water to disperse the crowds, you can see the water hoses on the roof:

After a while we arrived at the Plaza Mayor which I liked so much when we saw it in the morning and I enjoyed be able to spend time there with no hurry or rush and be able to appreciate it.

Further along the street I was surprised to see this vehicle which appears to be prepared for riots for when they need to hose the water to disperse the crowds, you can see the water hoses on the roof:

After a while we arrived at the Plaza Mayor which I liked so much when we saw it in the morning and I enjoyed be able to spend time there with no hurry or rush and be able to appreciate it.

The panoramic photos come out very small in the forum but are nice because you can see the entire square, but you must click on the photo to see it larger:

After Edward, our guide, took us totally unexpected to see the Osambela-Oquendo House, which today is the headquarters of the Cultural Center Garcilaso de la Vega where one can study Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The Casa de Osambela or known as well as Casa de Oquendo is one of the most traditional buildings that combines the cultural and historical patrimony of Lima. This impressive mansion was built by Martin de Osambela, a merchant, banker and ship-owner as his family residence at the beginning of the 19th century (the construction took nearly four years and was finished in 1807). Really unique for Lima (at that time) are the 3 levels of the house and the lovely ‘mirador’ (look-out) on the roof, from where the owner used to watch the incoming ships of Callao's harbour. Impressive are also the five wooden balconies. Inside you find a spectacular patio and around 40 bedrooms. If you like to visit, the friendly staff or ask for Mr. Lizardo Retes, who takes care of the house, will take you on a tour through the mansion. They will be happy about a tip for their service.

The building had two owners, and its first was the man who commissioned its construction.

Founder

Don Martín de Osambela lived in the house from the time of its construction in 1808 until 1823 when as a Spaniard loyal to Spain he was forced out at the hands of republicans at the declaration of Peruvian independence. Don Martín was born in 1754 in Navarra, Spain, before moving his entire wealth to Lima after some misunderstanding with the Spanish Royal family.

Don Martín de Osambela was involved in the Spanish fight against the revolutionaries, donating vast sums of money to the Spanish cause. But it was in vein. San Martín was soon standing just metres from the mansion of Don Martín proclaiming Peruvian independence to a crowd of cheering creoles.

Most elite Spaniards in the city of Lima swiftly switched allegiances and co-signed the declaration of independence, but Don Martín did not. He did however meet with San Martín, invited him into his home and even donated his personal library to the newly formed republic as a good will gesture. These books formed the basis of the new National Library. As San Martín left to meet with Bolivar in Guayaquil, a wave of anti-Spanish sentiment swept the city. Many of those born in Spain found themselves without property or titles, these being confiscated.

Don Martín de Osambela was forced to rent out his house at a low price to Peruvians in order for he and his family to be allow to keep it. He could not longer run a business in Lima, and the rent was the only income he had.

Things eventually got so bad that in 1825 he fled the 14km to Callao, where the fort there was still controlled by the Spanish – the only part of Peru where they had not been pushed out. Here he and a great number of other Spanish hold-outs died of scurvy before the Spanish commander Ramón Rodil surrendered.

Despite his services and loyalty to Spain, his disagreements with the royals decades earlier had not been forgotten, and no grand recognition was awarded. He did however receive minor honours from lower authorities.

New owner

His widow and children eventually returned to the house, but ended up selling it to lawyer named José de Oquendo… who on his death in 1854 left it to his two daughters María Rebeca and María Sara.

Both daughters lived most of their early lives in Paris, where María Sara married and stayed, becoming a famous writer. María Rebeca married a Chilean, returned to South America, eventually split with her husband and returned to Lima, to the home still known as the Casa de Osambela.

María Rebeca, part of high society both in Lima and Paris, eventually became a painter, for which she received a fair amount of recognition. Her work was exhibited in Paris in 1874 and 1878. From her husband she duplicated her already impressive wealth and used part of it to restore her colonial homes in Viña del Mar, Chorrillos and of course Lima.

She adored her son Enmanuel, blinding herself to the life he led in Paris as a millionaire playboy. He would return to Lima each year under the pretext of a visit, but he was really only interested in more money to fund his lifestyle. Eventually he had spent her entire fortune, and she had to open an art school for women in her home to support herself. Seeing that his mother had no more money, Enmanuel commited suicide in Paris in 1932.

Eventually María Rebeca became extremely poor, so much so that she lost her historic home to the bank. After begging to the bank for pity, she was allowed to stay rent free in what was once her home until she died in poverty in 1941.

The house is on the Jirón Conde de Superunda Street, number 298, on the street that leads to the plaza. Standing opposite of the Presidential Palace, on the other side of the plaza facing it, turn to your left and head straight down the street. Ask Lizardo if you can see the view from the roof. Also, be sure to see the library and its almost 500 year old books.