Lima

I'm liking Lima a lot. There is plenty to see - ruins in the heart of the urban landscape, museums, a mix of colonial Spanish buildings and modern architecture. I seem to be in the minority of the hostel crowd, though. More folks seem to prefer the countryside and Cusco.

(Governor's Palace)

(Plaza San Martin)

Today I went to the reconstructed ruins of Huaca Pucllana. This was a sacred sight in the current neighborhood of Miraflores that was used by people who lived here before the Incas. Three successive (and different) peoples used the site. The first, the Lima, carried out religious ceremonies that involved sacrificing young women. The second group, the Wari, appear to have sacrificed infants. The third, the Yschma, merely left offerings of food and drink (phew).

(The Lima appear to have ritualistically smashed pots whenever they constructed a new building)

(Reconstruction of a tomb for infants)

The site has a pyramid that is built of Adobe in such a way that it could withstand seismic activities. They call it the "bookshelf" method for reasons obvious when you look at photos. In a quake, the bricks could shift slightly without the entire structure collapsing.

It was quite cool that the ruins are right smack in the middle of this modern city.