Centro Historico de Lima

This is the Cathedral of Lima, photographed during the only hours of sunshine I have experienced in Peru (you can click on the pictures). It was built in 1535 and has been restored many times. We didn't get to go in.

Next to the Cathedral of Lima and not quite as magnificent is the government palace, named House of Pizarro. It was named after Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador that came to Peru in the 1500's with a handful of men and brought the Inca era to an end.

I first read about this clash of civilizations in Jared Diamonds' book, entitled 'Guns, Germs and Steel'. This is one of my favorite books but I'll try not to write a book report. Basically, it is a theory about the root causes for why the balance of power in our world is so lopsided, exemplified by how Pizarro's 200 men defeated an army of 80,000. Yeah, that's not a typo. Why did Europeans conquer North and South America and not the other way around? The answer is given in the title, but Diamond tries to understand why Europeans developed the guns, germs and steel, and the Americans didn't. It's not cause they're smarter.

The historical account of when Pizarro met the Inca ruler, Atahualpa, is astonishing. In a nutshell, the Inca empire was weakened by civil war and smallpox from earlier European contact. When they formally met, Pizarro's guns and horses freaked out the Incan army and in the ensuing panic and massacre, Atahualpa was captured. Pizarro asked for one room filled with gold and two with silver as ransom. He received it and then killed Atahualpa anyway, sending the Inca empire into chaos. Guns, germs and steal?



The government palace has army guards, gates and tanks surrounding it.









About two minutes away, behind the House of Pizarro, beyond a strategically placed tank, across a bridge and past the armed soldiers, is a different world.

I think this is the edge of the slums.




We were tempted to go further but it would have been unwise according to Gisela, our Peruvian friend and guide. Why tempt fate?




We retreated to a relic of a bar that was centuries old (said the newpaper on the wall) to satisfy our thirst for authentic Peruvian experience.

One Car Ride Worth of Thoughts

As we drive from the aiport into town, I´m nervous and restless but I sit still and silent next to Stacey in the back seat of the car. I don´t like how erratic this driver is driving, I don´t like the dark smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes, I don´t recognize these faces as trustworthy ones. I´m feeling ill-prepared. Why did I pack so much crap? Why didn´t I practice my Spanish more? Good thing Stacey´s with me. I owe her a cerveza.

We´re stuck in traffic. I try to make small talk with Stacey´s friends parents in the front seat but it´s frustrating because of the language barrier. All I can do is say "Gracias" and then "Mucho gracias" with as much sincerity I can muster instead of "Thank you so much for being so accomodating to a complete stranger, your kindness makes me feel right at home." It´d be a lie anyway. I don´t feel at home. I tell them it´s my first time in Lima. It sounds like a question because I´m not sure I´m saying it right. I laugh out loud and then stop because I realize I can´t explain to them what´s so funny. The driver honks for a good 20 seconds. We still aren´t moving.

I catch myself thinking about how nice it would be to get back on the plane and head back to the 401. I slap myself, mentally. You signed up for this. Relax. Oh look, there´s a Starbucks, KFC and Burger King right next to each other. What a relief...

Actually, I´ve changed my mind, it´s not a relief. It´s sad that these megacorporations make me feel at home. Why do I even want to feel at home? I´m in Lima. Now I´m disappointed that `the man´ has got me brainwashed. How unfamiliar can this place be if I can still grab a Latte and Whopper? Why is it familiar even though I´ve never had a latte or a whopper in my entire life?

What did I expect? Familiarity and excitement rarely coincide. There´s no consistency to my emotions. My thoughts are going a mile a minute. For one mile I´m excited, the next minute, I´m tired. I steel myself. I´m ready. This is going to be fun.