Peru: Lima – Plaza Mayor
The natural starting point for the exploration of the historic heart of Lima is Plaza Mayor aka Plaza de Armas, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This large rectangular square has all the most important buildings in Lima facing it – Lima Cathedral, Archbishop’s Palace, and the Governor’s Palace (official residence of the president of Peru and the place where Jose San Martín declared the country’s Independence in 1821). Interestingly, none of the buildings from the original historic 16-17th century Lima survived the earthquake of 1746 and the only original structure that remains standing in the center of Plaza Mayor is the bronze fountain built in 1651. Police presence is heavy in and around the square, many with full riot gear and guns blazing, patiently observing local Peruvian girls taking endless selfies with selfie sticks. Streets radiate from the square in all directions, many with historic houses with beautiful balconies, shopping arcades, restaurants, hotels, and some distant views of other more mountainous parts of the city. Not the best weather – it was overcast and low clouds with pretty bad light – but apparently this is typical for Lima with its coastal location on the Pacific.
