Wednesday, 27 August 2014
I started the day with a tour to Pachacamac, a sacred site built around 1470 in the valley of Lurin. At the highest point stands the Temple of the Sun, because the ancient people of Peru worshipped the sun and believed it to be all powerful. Pachacamac was inhabited since the year 200 to 1533 when the Spanish came to Peru. There were 4 main societies or empires in Peru, the earliest being Lima, which existed from the year 200, followed by Wari from the year 500, Ichma from the year 700 and Inca from the year 900 until the arrival of the Spanish in 1533. Pachacamac was believed to be built by the Ishma society. They used to sacrifice animals such as alpacas, as well as young women, who are chosen to be sacrificed from young, and it is apparently an honour. Some are strangled, some are beaten on the head. There is a compound, aligned directly with the Temple of the Sun, only for women known as the Mamacuna.
During this tour I met a girl from Brazil named Renata, and after the tour we went to the Inca market together. This is a market selling all sorts of souvenirs at reasonable prices. I bought 2 t-shirts. Then we took a cab to Larco Mar shopping centre where there were also many souvenirs, but more expensive.
Then we went to eat! I had a dish which is rice with vegetables and fried fish and prawns. It was delicious! I also tried the local alcoholic beverage, pisco sour. Pisco is a Peruvian brandy, and the drink is mixed with lemon and egg white on top. It is nice, but potent! One drink and I was flying! After spending the whole afternoon with Renata, it was time to say goodbye (so sad!) and then I went to the tour agency to get my itinerary. Tomorrow afternoon I will go to Paracas, but in the morning I want to visit one more place before I leave the beautiful city of Lima.
I should also add that it is probably not a good idea to drive in Ecuador or Peru. Apart from the fact that they drive on the right side of the road, their driving is quite scary, they will squeeze in wherever they can and I see most cars here with dents somewhere. That said, they follow the traffic lights to a tee. In comparison, Malaysian drivers are not that scary but somehow they seem to be colour blind when it comes to traffic lights.
Lima is also very clean, and I like the people here too. Although most of them don't speak English, they try and help you as best they can. But it is very cold here now, 15 degrees Celcius!
I started the day with a tour to Pachacamac, a sacred site built around 1470 in the valley of Lurin. At the highest point stands the Temple of the Sun, because the ancient people of Peru worshipped the sun and believed it to be all powerful. Pachacamac was inhabited since the year 200 to 1533 when the Spanish came to Peru. There were 4 main societies or empires in Peru, the earliest being Lima, which existed from the year 200, followed by Wari from the year 500, Ichma from the year 700 and Inca from the year 900 until the arrival of the Spanish in 1533. Pachacamac was believed to be built by the Ishma society. They used to sacrifice animals such as alpacas, as well as young women, who are chosen to be sacrificed from young, and it is apparently an honour. Some are strangled, some are beaten on the head. There is a compound, aligned directly with the Temple of the Sun, only for women known as the Mamacuna.
During this tour I met a girl from Brazil named Renata, and after the tour we went to the Inca market together. This is a market selling all sorts of souvenirs at reasonable prices. I bought 2 t-shirts. Then we took a cab to Larco Mar shopping centre where there were also many souvenirs, but more expensive.
Then we went to eat! I had a dish which is rice with vegetables and fried fish and prawns. It was delicious! I also tried the local alcoholic beverage, pisco sour. Pisco is a Peruvian brandy, and the drink is mixed with lemon and egg white on top. It is nice, but potent! One drink and I was flying! After spending the whole afternoon with Renata, it was time to say goodbye (so sad!) and then I went to the tour agency to get my itinerary. Tomorrow afternoon I will go to Paracas, but in the morning I want to visit one more place before I leave the beautiful city of Lima.
I should also add that it is probably not a good idea to drive in Ecuador or Peru. Apart from the fact that they drive on the right side of the road, their driving is quite scary, they will squeeze in wherever they can and I see most cars here with dents somewhere. That said, they follow the traffic lights to a tee. In comparison, Malaysian drivers are not that scary but somehow they seem to be colour blind when it comes to traffic lights.
Lima is also very clean, and I like the people here too. Although most of them don't speak English, they try and help you as best they can. But it is very cold here now, 15 degrees Celcius!
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