Centro, Lima

The four of us woke up at 10am by E's snoring and frantically rushed downstairs to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Hotel Radisson serves a good selection of fruits, cheese and most importantly, delicious chocolate caliente. After 2 or 3 cups of the chocolate caliente each, we were ready to embark on today's adventures.

Our first stop was Plaza de Armas in Centro, the historical downtown of Lima.  The district is known for the colonial architecture and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Plaza de Armas is surrounded by a number of government and religious structures that are dominated by orange and yellow colonial architecture. The Plaza is also a significant landmark where the declaration of independence of Peru took place in 1821.

Plaza de Armas

The Archbishops Palace

We followed the narrow the streets and arrived at Iglesia de San Francisco.  The church is an example of the Lima Baroque style of architecture. The vast catacombs underground are connected by tunnels and contain bones of 25,000 people. Inside the monastery, parts of the wall are covered with Moorish style tiles that reminded me of elements from the Moorish palace, Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

We finished the night with another birthday celebration for Ed, dinner at Astrid y Gaston, a gourmet restaurant with chains in other South American countries including Chile. The dining ambiance was classy but chic. The food was delicious and the presentation was exquisite. Again, cubierto was charged to cover the complementary appetizers and dessert. Nevertheless, this restaurant is worth a visit if you are in South America.

Appetizer at Astrid y Gaston