Lima is the largest city in the country of Peru and is also its capital. It is a very beautiful place with plenty of history and great food to boot. Known and world-famous for their Peruvian cuisine, Lima is considered as one of the best places on the planet to have the freshest seafood. Lima is also the largest financial district in South America, home to the Lima Stock Exchange, which is now considered as one of the fastest growing institutions all over the world.
Where is Lima? Geographically, it lies on latitude 12° 2.6’ south and longitude 77° 1.7’ west. The city is on Peru’s south central coast. Its nearest neighbors are Quito, which is 250 miles away and Bogota, which is 500 miles away from the city. Besides having a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean, this city is also built upon valleys around the Lurín, Rímac and Chillón rivers.
Lima is located in a tropical region and a desert, which might make one be led to believe that it gets to be hot during certain times of the year. On the contrary, the climate is quite comfortable in the city due to the cooling that the ocean provides it even during summer. On average, it never gets to be above 29 °C (84 °F) throughout the entire year which makes Lima a perfect place to live in if you are looking for a city that is neither too cold nor too hot.
There are basically two seasons in the city of Lima. Winter is from the months of June all the way to October which means they experience rainy weather most of the time. These brief periods of light morning showers are called camanchacas or llovizna. Sometimes they are called garúa. It is also cooler during this season, with temperatures ranging from 12 °C to 16 °C or 54 °F to 61 °F maximum on a daily basis. Skies are also darker and the breeze is much, much cooler than other times of the year. From the months of December through April, it’s summer in Lima. During this time, the temperature is quite warm with some humidity. The sunny weather makes it ideal for people who want to soak in the rays without actually feeling the heat.
The Jorge Chávez International Airport in Callao, the largest airport in Peru, serves the city of Lima. Five smaller airports also handle flights in and out of Lima. Going around the city and other regions in the Peruvian coast is possible through various means of transport using the Central Highway, the Southern Panamerican Highway and the Northern Panamerican Highway and several freeways. Railways, buses, taxis and above-ground mass transit systems are available to ferry passengers and cargo over land.
The city land area is about 825.88 square kilometers or 318.87 square miles. Taking into account the suburbs that comprise the metropolitan area of Lima, the land area grows to 2,672.28 square kilometers or 1,031377 square miles. Next to Cairo, Lima is the world’s second largest city that is within a desert.
There are many poor neighborhoods in Lima where those who had migrated to the city but failed to find work, live. Petty crimes are existent in the city. As a newcomer to Lima, it is best to dress simply and use only the minimum of jewelry. Avoid attracting attention to yourself by keeping a low profile and avoiding going out alone late at night. Pickpockets and snatchers usually prey on tourists and even small items such as sunglasses are attractive to them. Hold on to your purse and your shopping bags. If you are carrying a backpack, place it in front of you. Always use an official taxi service, especially when coming from the airport and ask your hotel concierge to get a taxi for you. It is not that safe to hail a passing taxi on your own as there have been cases of taxi drivers participating in petty crimes. Even if you are a soccer fan, it is best to avoid watching soccer games live at the stadium where violence among fans can erupt anytime.
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Downtown Lima, areas around the airport, San Isidro and Miraflores are safe areas as these are well-guarded but it will be better to still stay on the alert. Avoid going to Callao and La Victoria if you are not with a group or a licensed tour guide.
While you are in the city, you should sample the many gustatory delights Lima is known for. Ceviche is the national dish of Peru and an octopus ceviche or ceviche de pulpo is something that you should not miss. Just make sure that you do not eat this on an empty stomach as the acidic food may not agree with you. Also, it is best to eat this early in the day when the seafood ingredients are very fresh. As you know, ceviche is a dish made from raw fish and other seafood marinated in vinegar or lime/lemon, salt and chillies.
Pisco Sour is Peru’s national drink and you can order this and its many variations in Lima. Its base is Pisco, a grape brandy mixed with other fruit juices. The fresh, sweet flavor of this drink masks an alcoholic kick so do be careful. If your taste goes for non-alcoholic drinks, try the yellow-colored and cream soda-tasting Inca Kola, the fresh fruit juices called jugos or the mixed fruit juices called surtidos. Another good drink to try is chicha morada made from purple corn.
History of Lima
Lima was then part of the Inca Empire that was spreading its rule throughout what are now the Americas, including Chile and Ecuador. There were two brothers, Atahualpa and Huascar, who fought for the throne of the kingdom. Their fight caused their forces to be weakened, which proved advantageous for Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador. Pizarro came to Peru with nearly 200 armed soldiers in 1531 when Atahualpa was the ruler of the entire country. This all changed when in 1532, Pizarro went to Atahualpa’s home and took him hostage. Since the Incans never had any experience with modernized weapons and horses, Pizarro quickly gained the upper hand and took over Peru.
Under his rule, Pizarro was responsible for being the founder of Lima. This was done on the 6th of January in 1535 on a coastal part of the country. The place had been inhabited by people for many years yet he named Lima as the “City of Kings,” as it was the Day of Epiphany. In time the name was soon forgotten.
His rule did not last that long as his countrymen began to fight each other and his partner, Diego de Almagro was captured and killed while Pizarro was murdered in his own home in 1541. Spaniards ruled Lima for the next 300 years which saw the city flourish. In 1746, Lima experienced one of the most devastating earthquakes but bounced back quickly owing to all the wealth the city had accumulated over the years. With the help of the native people who continuously mined for gold and silver, the government used the mine revenues to rebuild the city with even greater architecture than before.
During the 1800s, Lima was slowly losing the power it had as the other parts of Peru flourished as well. People started to detest the Spaniards, especially since Spanish regulation insisted that all trading be done on the Callao port. This then paved the way for the Peruvian War of Independence, which lasted from 1821-1824. Though Lima suffered during this time from Patriot as well as Royalist armies, independence was still achieved. Lima then became the capital of Peru. The city experienced a time of peace and prosperity until Chilean armies occupied Lima in 1879, starting the War of the Pacific, which lasted until 1883. After the Chileans left and the war ended, there was a surge in growth of population and the city experienced renewal, creating the revitalized and modern city of Lima that we know today.
Demographics of Lima
According to 2007 surveys, Lima has a population of nearly nine million inhabitants for its metropolitan area while the municipality has over seven million residents. The city boasts of a very complex group of people, with racial mixes and varying ethnicities. There is literally not a race or ethnicity that you won’t be able to find in the city. While the Italians and the Spanish are considered to be the largest ethnic groups, those with a European background come as a close second. They are called the European Peruvians. You will also be able to find groups of people of German, French and even Croatian origins. There are also Peruvians that are considered to be minorities, such as those of African descent and the Amerindians. These people were originally brought to Peru as slaves but are now part of its diverse ethnicities. In the metro area of Lima, there are also a lot of Asians that can be found. Peru is said to have the largest concentration of Asian inhabitants in the whole of South America. The majority of Asians that are part of the population are of Japanese and Chinese (Cantonese) heritage.
Back in the 1500s, Lima was just a town which only had a little over 26,000 inhabitants that were a mix of white and black people. By the 1700s, the white population increased in sheer numbers. The largest rush of people migrating to Lima happened during the very early 20th century. This is the period when Europeans such as the Germans, Italians and French came into this city. With this huge rush of immigrants, they of course infused a lot of their own culture onto the native inhabitants. These include, but are not limited, to art and their cuisine.
Majority or 85% of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic faith while about 10% follow other Evangelical religions. The country’s literacy rate is at 85%. In Lima, there are several public and private institutes of higher learning. The oldest is the University of San Marcos that was established in 1551. The second largest school in Peru, the Universidad Nacional Federico Villareal is famous as a research and teaching institute.
The language spoken in Lima is Spanish, although it is heavily influenced by Castilian Spanish. In the upper regions of the city and the province, the local language called Quechua is spoken.
Economy of Lima
In the whole of Peru, Lima is considered to be its financial and industrial center. This is where most of the largest corporations and businesses have been set up. In fact, the Lima Stock Exchange is located in the city as well. The city, in fact, generates 53% of the entire GDP of the country. The metropolitan area is the industrial portion of the country with over 7,000 factories that produce products that range from food, textile, fish, leather items and even clothing. The reason why the large companies have set up here is due to the availability of people that are willing to work and the lower cost of infrastructures.
The industrial businesses are mostly located near the port of Callao. In the entire region, Lima has the largest number of products that are being exported to different parts of the globe. These products include cotton, coffee, oil, steel, silver and even zinc. Callao also has a seaport where the fish industry is thriving. On the other side of the city, San Isidro is where the financial district is located. Lima is doing so well in the industrial and financial area that the unemployment rate in the metro area is only a little above 7%. Finally, banking is also a large sector in Lima. Institutions such as the Interbank, Bank of the Nation, Banco de Credito de Peru and Banco Interamericano de Finanzas have offices in the city.
Lima Attractions
The Monasterio de San Francisco is a famous church and monastery which now serves as a museum that is well-known for its catacombs that contain over 70,000 burials as well as passageways that are lined with bones. It also houses a library containing thousands upon thousands of antique texts in which some date back as far as before the conquest. The structure is white and yellow in color and was built during the colonial period in Lima. The monastery has been restored after suffering from a high-magnitude earthquake in 1746. A guided tour is available to see the monastery. Inside the church are glazed ceramic tiles called the azulejos that came from Seville as well as the carved ceilings or mudéjar that are Moorish-inspired. You’d also get to see beautiful carvings of saints and portraits of apostles painted by the famous Spanish painter, Francisco Zurbarán. While a lot of carvings and paintings can and will be seen inside the Monasterio de San Francisco, it is still the catacombs, believed to contain the remains of over 75,000 people, which provides the most interest to visitors.
The Cathedral of Lima glows when lit at night. It is a basilica of the Roman Catholic Church and its construction began in 1535. The cathedral, which is dedicated to the Evangelist and Apostle St. John has three large doorways in front and several doorways on its sides. Large paintings of the Way of the Cross are inside the church, It is most notable for containing the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, Peru’s Spanish conqueror.
The affluent neighborhood of Miraflores is a favorite haunt of tourists and locals. This area has several hotels, shopping areas, parks, gardens and beaches. The district figured highly during the War of the Pacific. There is a mud brick temple ruin in the district, the Huaca Pucllana that predates the Inca. Paragliding, surfing or simply soaking up the sun are some of the activities that you could do in the beaches of Costa Verde, including Punta Negra, Santa Maria del Mar and Punta Hermosa.
The Aliaga House is perhaps one of the oldest as it is known to have been built since Lima came to be. As one of the oldest houses in South America, the structure is now on display and contains a vast collection of artifacts and Peruvian art. The name of the house originated from conquistador Francisco Pizarro’s trusted ally, Jeronimo de Aliaga, to whom Pizarro gave a piece of land so that they could be neighbors when Lima was built. Though the house has been renovated over the years, much of its original parts are still intact.
The Plaza de Armas is located in the central square of Lima. Inside this plaza, there are historic and monumental structures that can be seen and visited such as the Cathedral of Lima, which was built during the 1600s. It adjoins the Palace of the Archbishop. In the same area, one would also have the chance to experience the Government Palace which serves as the house and office of the country’s president. The structure is almost as old as Lima itself, since its construction began in 1535 under Spanish rule. It has undergone several renovations through the years. Pre-arranged tours are available for you to be able to visit the palace. While you may not be able to go inside the palace without special arrangement, you can experience the ceremonies involved in the changing of the guards at the palace gates every day precisely at noon.
Museo Rafael Larco Herrera is a mansion that was built in the 1800s. It houses the largest collections of pots and ceramics anywhere in the world. The collection is estimated to include over 50,000 pots that were collected during the 1900s by a former vice president of the country. The museum also displays a collection of silver and gold pieces and antique textiles as well. You should have an open mind when you visit this museum for the illustrations on the pots are quite explicit, illustrating the ancient sexual practices of early Peruvian men and women, some of which date as far back as the pre-Columbian era.
Bullfighting is one of the more popular events in Lima and the Plaza de Acho is the most popular place for it. In existence since 1776, this is the place where bullfighters from all over the world have displayed their skills. To commemorate this rich history, the Museo Taurino holds a grand display of an assortment of weapons, photographs and even paintings of the bullfighting events. Some of the outfits that famous bullfighters have worn are also on display as well.
A museum that’s truly worth its weight in gold is the Gold of Peru Museum. It is a private collection containing a large display of gold, gilded copper and silver items from the pre-Hispanic times, including from the pre-Columbian cultures of Peru, such as the Chimú, Nazca, Lambayeque, Mochica, Vicus, Huari, Inca and Frias. Its partner museum is the Arms of the World Museum that showcases 20,000 items including uniforms, equestrian implements and equipment and weapons displayed in five halls. A bookshop and souvenir shops are near the museums for those wanting to buy some Peruvian-made items.
The Magic Water Circuit is an establishment that was recently built, which is now one of the most visited attractions in Lima. You will be able to experience various light and sound shows that combine water into the attractions. The place has a slot in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest complex of water fountains in the world. This is a fun experience that the whole family can and will be able to enjoy.
Lima maintains two zoos. The Parque de las Leyendas or Park of Legends was built on the Maranga archeological complex, an ancient city. Inside the park is the Botanical Garden that houses some 3,200 individual species of plants. The zoo is focused on Peruvian fauna and divided into selva (jungle), costa (coast) and sierra (highlands) climatic regions of Peru. Jaguars, monkeys, parrots, coatis, crocodiles, toucans and snakes are in the jungle section. The coastal section has turtles, penguins, cormorants, sea lions and pelicans while the highlands section houses vicuñas, pumas, guanacos, condors, owls and llamas. These are also hippos, buffaloes, ostriches, bears, giraffes, lions, tigers and zebras as well as a section with young animals.
The other zoo is called the Parque Zoologico Huachipa is a refuge and research center for over 2,000 animals. It recently added a Sea World exhibit of penguins, otters, pelicans and sea lions. It also has a recreational area with a restaurant, lagoon, miniature train, pirate boat and gardens featuring native, exotic and endangered plants as well as a cactus, succulent and bonsai gardens.
Lima Culture
With Lima having such a historic background, a lot of its traditions and customs still apply to the people that inhabit the city. For instance, people in Lima generally have festivals to pay tribute to a saint. However, these people also generally love to dance to traditional Peruvian music. An example of this can be seen in the Main Plaza in the city in which every night, people would gather at 9pm and would sing and dance. Another example of tradition that is applied to this very day is the way they traditionally dress. Perhaps one of the most popular symbols recognized by people from all over the world is the poncho, which is mostly worn by farmers. Women also wear skirts of a traditional design in a combination of black and red color.
Lima has very religious people and they always pray to their saints as well as other icons of their faith. One such figure is the Saint Rose of Lima, who, even without a religious sect, spread goodwill and charity which made her famous when she was still alive. She has a shrine in Lima where people flock to ask for cures for illnesses as well as other miracles. Every August 23, her feast day, people will write in detail their wishes to the Saint Rose of Lima and drop these letters in a wishing well near her shrine.
The people of Lima are also very superstitious and a lot of their daily activities involve some of their belief in it. One of the biggest events where superstition has the most importance to the Peruvians in Lima is during the New Year. They believe that eating 12 pieces of grapes while saying the name of each month in succession as each piece is consumed will bring about good luck for the incoming year. At the same time, if a piece is dropped, bad luck will happen on that month. Another grape is usually eaten for good luck.
Another belief during New Year’s Eve is that three potatoes are placed under the sofa or a chair. One would have no skin, another halfway peeled while one will be left unpeeled. At midnight, the person will pick one potato without looking and it will foretell what kind of year he would have in terms of finances. A skin-on potato would bring about abundance of wealth while the other end signifies no money at all.
Interesting Facts about Lima
There are quite some interesting bits of information about Lima that many people do not know about. These bits of information add to your knowledge about the place and make you more appreciative of the place and its people.
- The city has very colourful sunsets during summer which made them receive the nickname “cielo de brujas” by a lot of Lima’s inhabitants. This term translates to “sky of witches” in English and this refers to how the skies in Peru changes from color to color such as hues of pink, red and orange when the sun sets in the evening.
- Lima never experiences any rain of sorts. Some drizzling occurs during certain times of the year but hard rain is something you will never see in Lima.
- The city was originally founded by an Indian chief named Taulichusco. Of course, this all changed when the Spaniards led by Francisco Pizarro conquered the land. If you want to see remnants of the past, some of the ruins from this era still exists and can be located in the garden of an old manor on the Main Square in the city.
- Lima also has the largest population in the entirety of Peru with over 8 million inhabitants.
- Food is a huge deal in Lima. Due to the massive influence on Peruvian cuisine from Japan, West Africa, Italy, Spain and Chine, Lima is world-famous for its variety of food which is evident in the massive number of great restaurants in the city. Staples are potatoes, chili called ajies and corn, combined with wheat, rice, meat, kiwicha, and quinoa. There are 468 registered dishes that make up Peruvian cuisine. In fact Lima is the capital of gastronomy of the Americas.
- Kiwicha is a local cereal and is famous for being the cereal that astronauts bring with them when they go on their space trips.
- The green lime and the yellow lemon are both called lemon in Lima.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima
http://wikitravel.org/en/Lima
http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Lima-History.html
http://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1977548_1977464_1977432,00.html
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/South_America/Peru/Departamento_de_Lima/Lima-1605109/Local_Customs-Lima-TG-C-1.html
http://www.nileguide.com/destination/lima/overview/local-info
http://www.perutravels.net/peru-travel-guide/art-festivals-santa-rosa.htm
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/peru/lima/sights/museum/museo-rafael-larco
http://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1977548_1977464_1977427,00.html
http://travelogue.travelvice.com/peru/peruvian-new-years-traditions-and-superstitions/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/peru/lima/sights/museum/museo-taurino
http://gosouthamerica.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=gosouthamerica&cdn=travel&tm=280&f=00&su=p284.13.342.ip_p531.56.342.ip_&tt=3&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.frommers.com/destinations/lima/A31044.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/peru/lima/sights/other/monasterio-san-francisco