Lima

A vast polluted metropolis situated in the middle of Peru's desert coastline, Lima is a magnet for struggling highland villagers. But it also has plenty to offer the adventurous traveler - interesting museums, a vibrant cafe scene, striking architecture and genuinely friendly people.

Lima's growth - and growing pains - have continued at an astonishing pace. Today's population figure stands at nearly eight million today. Lima is simply too big to support itself. The city has a few wealthy and middle class suburbs but the majority of people live in poverty with inadequate housing and a lack of food, and unemployment is rife. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be a short-term solution and, with the population continuing to expand, it seems Lima will continue to grow beyond bursting point.

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Downtown Lima is distinctly Spanish with a colonial feel. The streets follow a checkerboard pattern surrounding the Plaza de Armas, flanked by the Palacio de Gobierno, the cathedral and other important buildings. Street names can be confusing here due to a mixture of old and new names.

There are numerous, excellent, reasonably priced bars, restaurants and interesting nightclubs.

The outdoor and indoor markets, away from the city center are the best. Here is where you find locals only.

La Catedral
When the cathedral was originally constructed in 1555, it was considered too small and had to be rebuilt. The church has interesting woodcarvings in the choir stalls and the altars are finely covered with silver. You can appreciate the original Spanish mosaics on the walls with the inscriptions of Lima's founder, Francisco Pizarro, and the city's coat of arms. Of great interest are the coffin and remains of Pizarro in the mosaic-covered chapel to the right. There is a small, but informative Museo de Arte Religioso (Religious Museum) at the back.

Museo de Oro del Peru
Our favorite museum was the private Peruvian Gold Museum. This is somewhat of a misnomer as not only does it have an incredible collection of Pre-Colombian gold, it also has an incredible collection of Pre-Colombian ceramics, textiles, jewel encrusted mummies, axes, tools and weapons.

It also has what could be considered a whole other museum of weapons with all sorts of swords, firearms, uniforms and even Japanese samurai armor etc. that defies imagination.

San Francisco Church
The San Francisco church and monastery is known for its stunning baroque architecture and catacombs. Built in the 17th century, this church has cloisters with the famous Sevillian tiles, a good library containing thousands of antique texts, José de Rivera paintings, a museum of religious art and the well-visited catacombs, which are said to contain the remains of some 90,000 people.

Plaza de Armas
One of the best things about traveling around Peru is to experience daily Peruvian life, which revolves around its plazas (squares). Lima's plazas are no exception. They are the social hub of town, and each town or city has a Plaza de Armas, or main square. Lima's Plaza de Armas (also called Plaza Mayor) was the old heart of Lima and its foundation place. The only original parts of it are the central old bronze fountain built in 1650 and the building (Casa del Oidor) in the corner of the Government Palace and the Archbishop's Palace. Be sure to catch the changing of the presidential guard here at daily. At the east is the Archbishop's Palace, built early last century with a superb balcony, with the cathedral to the right.

Salsa band performing at the nightclub