Huaca Pucllana is a pyramid in the Miraflores district of Lima. It used to be much larger, but some of it was bulldozed to build the houses seen here.
It has been under excavation for about 35 years, and it is estimated that another 40 years will be needed to complete the job.
It has been under excavation for about 35 years, and it is estimated that another 40 years will be needed to complete the job.
Lima Again
The end of the Trip
Lima is not for the faint of heart. At least if you have to make your way through the traffic. It was without a doubt the worst--and scariest--I've ever seen.The streets are clogged and the drivers are aggressive. Lima desperately needs a subway system to get some people off the street. From the airport to Miraflores, and from downtown to the airport were the two scariest rides I've ever taken.
On my first visit to Lima seven weeks earlier, Lucas had insisted on taking me out to Miraflores to see the pyramid, but it was too late to go in; I promised I would go see it when I returned.
On my first visit to Lima seven weeks earlier, Lucas had insisted on taking me out to Miraflores to see the pyramid, but it was too late to go in; I promised I would go see it when I returned.
As can see, Huaca Pucllana is all constructed of billions--billions--of adobe bricks which were made by hand without molds. The bricks were set on end with spaces between them. This was to prevent the whole thing from collapsing in earthquakes. Obviously, it worked. Why is it a pyramid instead of a flat system of rooms like in the first picture here? Because every time a new head priest/leader took office, he wanted his own palace rather than using the existing one. So they filled in the old structure and built on top of it.
A model of the pyramid area. You'll notice the lack of sunshine in these pictures. Although Lima is a desert, there is a lot of overcast and fog near the Pacific. Our tour guide, a native of Lima, and she said she was ten years old before she saw real rain.
There was a plot of plants grown by the Lima and Wari people. That's quinoa above.
There were also a number of their domesticated animals, including llamas and alpacas.
There were also a number of their domesticated animals, including llamas and alpacas.
My cab driver from Miraflores took me to the market district of Lima, though he clearly didn't think it was a good place for me to go. It wasn't a market such as I expected. It was blocks of big buildings crammed with stalls selling all kinds of things--not to mention the people selling things on the sidewalk. |
....And that is where my camera crapped out, so there are no more pictures. I made my way back to the old part of the city where I had been before. I found I wasn't interested in going into any more churches or museums. Mostly I sat in the Plaza de Armas and watched people. After a while I was joined by a young man from Cusco who wanted to sell me some jewelry. He spoke some English, and we talked for a while. I turned out he was living with a Canadian woman who was a teacher. He would lift his shoulders and hold his arms away from his body and say, "She's a BIG woman--but I love her!"
Then a shoeshine guy came by and wanted to clean my sneakers. He did a pretty good job, considering the weeks I'd worn them in the desert dust. But I didn't have the right change. He took a 100 boliviano bill and went to get change (but I insisted on keeping his shoeshine gear hostage.) Well he didn't come back, so I was out about 10$. I dumped his shoeshine box later. The jeweler (I don't remember his name) and I had some beer...and the trip sort of left me. I got more cash at a Scotiabank, had some farewell chicken (while watching city workers string Christmas lights on very green trees), and took a cab back to the airport.
The flight from Toronto to Lima on the dreaded 767 had been my worst ever, and I was steeling myself for more of the same. But the plane wasn't even half full, and everybody was able to spread out for a good night's sleep.
So there you are. Fifty days, nine flights, nine buses, a train and a ship; four countries and twice across the continent, 28,870.86 kilometres altogether. It was a little hard physically sometimes, sometimes frustrating and often amazing. I couldn't have done it without my smart phone and the Spanish classes I took before going. But I loved most, if not every, minute of it.
Then a shoeshine guy came by and wanted to clean my sneakers. He did a pretty good job, considering the weeks I'd worn them in the desert dust. But I didn't have the right change. He took a 100 boliviano bill and went to get change (but I insisted on keeping his shoeshine gear hostage.) Well he didn't come back, so I was out about 10$. I dumped his shoeshine box later. The jeweler (I don't remember his name) and I had some beer...and the trip sort of left me. I got more cash at a Scotiabank, had some farewell chicken (while watching city workers string Christmas lights on very green trees), and took a cab back to the airport.
The flight from Toronto to Lima on the dreaded 767 had been my worst ever, and I was steeling myself for more of the same. But the plane wasn't even half full, and everybody was able to spread out for a good night's sleep.
So there you are. Fifty days, nine flights, nine buses, a train and a ship; four countries and twice across the continent, 28,870.86 kilometres altogether. It was a little hard physically sometimes, sometimes frustrating and often amazing. I couldn't have done it without my smart phone and the Spanish classes I took before going. But I loved most, if not every, minute of it.