Day 2: Lima is wonderful!

We arrived in Lima late last night - not getting to bed until about 3 AM.  We got up again around 11 AM and called our friend Eric who came over and accompanied us while we took a cab to our lunch restaurant of choice: Cebicheria la Mar which was wonderful.. pictures below.  Good thing we got there when we did because they don't take reservations and there was a 1+ hour wait within minutes of our arrival.

Tour of Cebiches

Aji de Gallina (Chicken in cream/egg sauce)

Saltado Pacifico (prawn, scallop, fish in red sauce
over ravioli with riccota)

It was a beautiful indoor/outdoor setting

After lunch we walked around Lima and had a wonderful time shopping in little boutiques and in flea market like covered markets.  Lots of little arts and crafts, dolls, leather works, and hand weaved products.

Dried gourds with Peruvian life
scenes etched into them.

Peruvian ancient stories played out in
little puppet dioramas

After shopping, we took a little siesta at our wonderful hotel, the JW Marriott.  We can't recommend it enough.  It's expensive but worth every sole.  Its beautiful, safe, well located and truly 5 star.

After we awoke from our siesta, we asked the hotel where to go for dinner and they recommended a 5-star Peruvian restaurant (#8 of 400+ restaurants in Lima according to TripAdvisor) called Pampa de Amancaes which we happily walked to.  We were the only table at the restaurant (can you believe it?) and the food was incredible.  We had cebiche, steak, and duck stew (which wasn't stewed -- but was wonderful!) 

Cebiches

Duck "Stew" ?

Steak

After that we walked back home in time to get in bed (after filing this blog update, of course) by midnight.  Tomorrow, we're up at 08:00 to get ready for our flight to Cuzco, ancient capitol of the Incans and gateway to Macchu Picchu!

 See everyone again tomorrow!!!