Position 12°
03.17S 077°
08.72W at noon this day.
A long night last night due to a
couple of hours of fog horn activity. We made the port of Callao,
Peru at day-break and were fast by 0645. Today's view from our cabin
is of the harbor and the sea beyond. A couple of dozen fishing boats
are anchored outside the harbor, a car carrier and several container
ships. The harbor is busy with a car carrier unloading next to us and
a container ship on the other side.
 |
| View from our Stateroom |
We had arranged for a private tour
today and met our guide Rosia and driver Miguel at 9am alongside the
ship, set our plan for the day and headed out into the city. Our
first stop was the Monastery San Francisco (1676). Much of the tour
was inside where photography was prohibited. The paintings, tiles,
carvings, gilding and catacombs were very remarkable.
A short ride took us to the Plaza de
Armas, or city square where the large square was surrounded one one
side by the Cathedral de Lima, the residence and offices of the
Arch-Bishop, Government Palace (no longer the official residence),
private business buildings and a cultural center.
We toured the Cathedral, viewed the
tomb of Don Francisco Pizarro (“discoverer of Peru”) and the many
chapels dedicated to the most important of the Peruvian and Church
history.
We then drove to Miraflores for a stop
at a shop specializing in animal wool and found a few Alpaca sweaters
of our liking. A brief stop at the ruins of Huaca Puella pyramid and
then a brief stop at the Bridge of Sighs (which reminded me of
Sorrento, Italy) and then off to Pueblo Libre to the Museo Larco.
The Museo Larco is a private museum
housing an outstanding collection of ancient artifacts from the
earliest civilizations of the area. On the grounds we enjoyed a fine
lunch, including Lomo Saltado, a wok prepared dish of beef, onions,
peppers and spice.
By 1700 we were back on-board. Awaiting
us was the missing suitcase which was promptly unpacked and
inventoried. My formal wear has arrived along with a couple more
sport coats, slacks and shoes.
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