After another simple breakfast of some crusty and soft bread rolls with mantequilla (butter) and jam (don’t know how to say jam), we said goodbye and took a picture with our hosts from our hostel in Miraflores. The suited man who took our picture kept saying something that made us smile and laugh– what was it again, S?
[that suited man aptly used the word “baby” at the end of each sentence. with his accent, it sounded like “baybey”- “Ok baybey… let’s go baybey…say ‘pisco’ baybey”- no wonder we all look so happy in that picture! -S]
Bye to our friends at Wasihpy hosel
We decided to visit some of Lima’s best known museums, the National Museum of Archaeology on Plaza Bolivar with its extensive history and artifacts of pre-Incan and Incan peoples, and the Museo Larco, a beautiful colonial mansion (in the style of a casa Trujillana of northern Peru) with its own incredibly large collection of ceramics and other metal artwork.
Taxi ride to Pueblo Libre neighborhood outside Lima
Both being in the Pueblo Libre suburb of Lima, between San Isidro (wealthier enclave) and Callao, we headed out in a taxi. Let’s just say that these drivers have some pretty good skills. Stop on a dime kind of stuff, just narrowly avoiding choques (accidents) like no one’s business. National Independence Day for Peru is coming up this coming Wednesday July 28th, so he also pointed out all the preparations being made for the military parade, celebrations and parties. I think we’re going to be at Machu Picchu that day, so S. and I were a little scared that it might be closed. Our driver assured us that it would be open (though that translation is coming from a person that doesn’t know how to say ‘jam’… heh).
The museums themselves were incredibly impressive. The pictures below are just a glimpse of the artifacts that really gave us a sense of the breadth, the skill and the depth of the many peoples of Peru’s history, from the Mochica and Chimu, to the Nasca and Paracas to the Incas.
The first we visited, where we got an extensive personal tour in English by our guide Marcos (talking close to two hours), was the Museo Nacional de Arqueologia.
School groups visiting the National Archaelogical Museum
Starting our English-speaking tour in the museum's open courtyard
Pottery of the Moche and other pre-Incan peoples
Precious metals and elaborate jewelry
We also took a look at the home next to the courtyard where both Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin lived, along with a low sprawling fig tree that Bolivar apparently planted nearly two hundred years earlier. Our tour guide Marcos, flashing a huge smile, took a small twig of the tree between his index finger and thumb and gave it a nice little handshake.
[Marcos! by far my favorite guide on this trip (best out of two!). not only was he informative and interesting, but he also had a love for Street Fighter (he and James discussed their favorite characters) and easily laughed with me when we lost James to picture-taking. He really became “one of us” at the end of our tour, when he introduced me to the very old fig tree planted by Simon Bolivar with a gesture I would certainly do—by taking a bud between his fingers and shaking it while saying “helloooo”. Yes, marcos, you may come home with us. -S]
The house where Bolivar and San Martin both lived
The sparsely filled rooms
The second museum we walked to, the Museo Larco, had its own sense of colonial elegance, history and style. Really stunning flowering landscaping and design, and so many perfectly preserved ceramics and metal pieces to absolutely impress.
Walking to the entrance of the Museo Larco
Flowers lining the entryway of the museum
As lovely an entrance as you will see
The museum's namesake
Really artful display floors and cases
Syncretic paintings integrating European and Incan themes
Various ceremonial objects of pre-Colombian and Incan people
Depiction of ceremonial sacrifices
Elaborate silver work
Striking silver bowl with bird reliefs
[it’s important to note something too long to caption here. The ancient cultures of peru all worshiped the land, air, and the subterranean world. These were represented by the jaguar, hawk or owl, and the snake. Their depictions of sea birds, most likely cormorants, on this stamped silver bowl represent their ability to connect the air and the water- an idea that heightens the elegance of this piece, floating in black. -S]
S taking in the displays at the Larco museum
Incredible bead work
Erotic ceramics of the Mochica culture
Another good day, which we capped off with a fancy snack at the Museo Larco’s adjoining courtyard restaurant and later, a fastfood ‘treat’ at Norky’s near central Lima, where we took a pretty long cab ride to the place we’re staying at for the next few days, the once grand Gran Hotel Bolivar next to the Plaza to San Martin. Looking forward to exploring centra Lima!
that suited man aptly used the word “baby” at the end of each sentence. with his accent, it sounded like “baybey”- “Ok baybey… let’s go baybey…say ‘pisco’ baybey”- no wonder we all look so happy in that picture!!
One Comment
I wish I had gone to Peru with you! I never saw any of this stuff! Beautiful pictures.