I spent the last leg of my Peru trip in Lima, where I broke down and bought an over-priced point n' shoot digital camera. It was an unplanned, but necessary expense. Otherwise, I would not have captured the photos below....
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| El Beso (The Kiss) sculpted by Victor Delfin at El Parque del Amor (Park of Love) |
Like for example, "El Parque del Amor" (Park of Love); a gorgeous park nestled on the Chorillos Cliffs, which looks outward to the Pacific Ocean. At its center is a huge statue called "El Beso" (The Kiss), which was sculpted by Peruvian artist Victor Delfin. The statue is a self-sculpt of him and his wife locked in an amorous embrace. Ironically, Delfin is known more for his paintings than his sculptings. Locals claim that couples come and kiss under the statue, and engage in a "friendly competition" on who will kiss the longest.
The Park of Love was a beautification project spearheaded by local volunteers, who created the colorful mosaic tiled seawall shown in the background. On Valentine's Day 1993, the park finally opened to the public.
The view of the Pacific Ocean from the park was spectacular!
Next, I went to the city's Main Square. I loved its canary yellow parliamentary buildings and its manicured lawns.
The central water fountain was magnificent.
Daily at noon the "Changing of the Guards" ceremony takes place in front of the Presidential Palace.
My next tour was a Pre-Inca (200 AD - 700 AD) site called "Huaca Pucllana," which was a trapezoid-shaped pyramid with an adjacent outlying plaza. Religious ceremonies in particular were conducted there for bountiful crops, succesful huntings, and powerful healings.
In the outlying plaza, life-sized clay figures were strategically placed depicting life at Huaca Pucllana.
My final stop in Lima was at the Banco Central de Reserva Del Peru Museum; a bank that was converted into a museum!
My favorite part of the museum was the Pre-Inca gold exhibits that were displayed in the bank's former vault.
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| Golden Tunic |
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Painful-Looking Gold Earrings |
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Intriguing Gold Nose-Rings |
And then before I knew it, it was time to depart for Lima's Jorge-Chavez International Airport to head back to Cairo. It was a trip of a life time, and I was so grateful that I got to see this beautiful country. Adios, Peru!
