Flowers in Miraflores

Miraflores is an upscale residential district of Lima, the capital of Peru. Occupying just under 4 square miles in area, the town hugs the Pacific coast 260 feet above the ocean. Temperatures are mild, and cloud cover is common on most days. It seldom rains. So a day like today, with blue skies, is a day for photographs.

Looking north, much of Miraflores is bordered by a well maintained strip of parkland, with a wide walkway where the locals are seen jogging, walking dogs, biking, and sitting on benches. Tourists come to enjoy paragliding tours (click here for the website).

Miraflores means "Flower lookout," and beautiful flowers bloom year round.

Looking south toward Chorrillos and Barranco.

Public art is found along the park.

An obvious tribute to Güell Park created by Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain.

It's time to join Miraflores artist Rocío Nakahara for lunch, overlooking the park.

Plaza Mayor, Lima, Peru

In the center of Lima is the lovely Plaza de Armas, also called Plaza Mayor, where in 1535 Francisco Pizarro founded the city which became the center of the Spanish empire in South America. It's said that in the colonial era this was the site of the market, bull pen, and executions.

No original buildings remain, due to earthquakes and fires, but this bronze fountain was erected in 1650 and serves as a perch for birds. The Cathedral is in the background.

The Cathedral sits on the site of the first church built here in 1535. It has been rebuilt in 1551, in 1622, and after earthquakes of 1687 and 1746. The last major restoration was in 1940.

Many of the buildings surrounding the plaza are painted a canary yellow, though the public buildings are not painted, such as the Cathedral, Archbishop's Palace, and Palacio del Gobierno.

The colonial architecture included these Moorish style balconies, where upper class women could see out but maintain privacy within.

The Palacio del Gobierno is where the president of Peru, Ollanta Humala, lives. Every day at noon there is a ceremonial changing of the guard, preceded by about 30 minutes of band music. The musicians parade up to the front gate, where they stand on a raised platform and perform. I recorded two short videos here: Video no. 1. Video no. 2.

During the changing of the guard and band concert, the streets around the Plaza are closed to traffic. Several armed police and soldiers are in place, and this horse patrol circles the Plaza.

Huaca Pucllana, Lima, Peru

A major archeological site of the Lima culture (200-700 CE) is found in the Miraflores district of Lima, the capital of Peru. As in many sites throughout Peru, this one contains a huaca, or pyrimid structure used for ceremonial purposes. The above photo shows a small portion of the structure made of adobe bricks and clay. The Lima culture was succeeded by the Wari (ca. 500-1000). My visit was on August 4, 2012.

The huaca covers a large area of several acres, much of which has been destroyed by the urbanization of Lima. Studies of the site began in 1967, but by 1981 it still suffered from neglect. A street runs through an ancient section, but what remains is now a protected zone, as scientists continue to study and map the structure. Some areas have been restored, but much of the original construction remains.

Coastal Peru is affected by periodic violent earthquakes, so the inhabitants learned to build with adobe bricks in a way that would resist the movements. Instead of laying bricks horizontally, they placed them in a vertical position, in triangular groups.

Plaza de los Ancestros, where the ancestors are buried

This (reconstructed) burial tomb contains the remains of a man and a woman and a child. A false head sits atop the clay sarcophogus. The woman is identified by the wool tufts that she will need in the afterlife for her weaving. A basket of purple corn will provide the corn to make chicha, a favorite beverage.

A friendly Peruvian hairless dog, found at most historical sites

A typical kitchen garden and livestock are kept at the site to show visitors the common food items in the ancient diet

Llamas and alpacas provide wool and meat.

Cuy (guinea pigs) are a common source of protein in Peru

Internet site in Spanish:

http://www.mirafloresperu.com/huacapucllana/index.htm