Perusing Peru: Free Day in Chiclayo

Catedral de Chiclayo, with the Parque Principal de Chiclayo decked out for Christmas in the foreground

Today was my free day in Chiclayo, with the rest of time in Chiclayo devoted to upcoming tours of the historic sites in and around the city. And do you what happens when I have a free day with no planned activities while I am on vacation? Work happens. That's what happens.

So I got a late start on my not-as-free-as-I-would've-like day.

Lots of fresh fruit on the offer on Calle Capitan Elias Aguirre, the main road into the core of Chiclayo. 

Other things, too. Picarones, por ejemplo. I got a few of those for dessert after my supper. Picarones are Peruvian fried donuts, served hot (or warm) in a sweet syrup. Fried dough in syrup. What's not to love?  But I am getting ahead of myself.

I checked out the city's Central Market, Mercado Central.  

It was filled with people, but there was only a small section for food. Most of the booths were selling clothing of some sort, which just isn't as photogenic as food.

Nearby was a "artisanal" ice cream shop, Mapache Frío. One google reviewer said had the best ice cream in South America. That's high praise: a whole continent.

So I figured I should try. I had two scoops (dos bolas), one blackberry (mora) and one of rum raisin (ron y pasas). Surprisingly, to me at least, was that the rum raisin was clearly superior. Not only were the raisins juicy, but the rum part tasted like they used a whole distillery's worth of rum to make the batch. And it tasted like the alcohol from the rum was intact. This was not "rum extract," or "rum flavor." This was true booze.

Was it the best in South America. It was quite good, but everyone knows the best ice cream in South America is in Belém, Brazil. Seriously. Everyone knows this is true. True story detour: when I was in Belo Horizonte, Brazil a few years, talking to some women at the table next to mine at, all of all places, a German restaurant in Brazil, I asked about a local spot for ice cream and one of the women said, and I quote, "The best ice cream in Brazil is in Belém." I knew she was right. I had been to Belém and there was an ice cream store there (local chain) that had phenomenal ice cream. Some of the best I've ever had. Best flavor? I kid you not: Castanha do Pará. What is Castanha do Pará? The Brazil nut. Last nut taken in the Planters' mixed nut can. Best nut for ice cream.

Verdict: Very good. But not the best on the continent.

It was time to check out Parque Principal de Chiclayo and the Catedral de Chiclayo that is on the eastern side of the park.

In most cities in Peru, this park would be called "Plaza de Armas," celebrating the city's martial history. But Chiclayo has no military history. The indigenous tribes were largely gone when the Spanish got to this part of the Peruvian Coast, so there were no battles here. Until recently, the major city in this province of Peru was Lambayeque. This is why this called Lambayeque Province. Lambayeque was the center of the Sipán culture, which is an upcoming adventure on this trip. But Chiclayo is largely new and thus there is no "Plaza de Armas."

And it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in Chiclayo's Parque Principal.

How do you like your electric light-up reindeer?

With the Catedral de Chiclayo in the background?

Or do you prefer a backdrop of El Palacio Municipal de Chiclayo?

I figured this arch was going to look awesome lit up at night:

Alas, when I went back after dark, the full array of Christmas lights had not yet been turned on. What are they waiting for? Christmas?

 

You know who else is waiting for Christmas? The Christ child. The manger in the above scene is empty, as it should be until Christmas Eve.

Weirdly enough, and I hate to be a pedantic purist here -- oh who am I kidding? I love to be a pedantic purist -- while Baby Jesu has not yet arrived at the Nativity Scene, the wise men who, bearing gifts, traversed afar, are there and present. How could have even found the place, since the star has not yet risen and would not until the birth took place? I guess the Magi aren't called "wise" for nuthin'.

Here is a closer look at El Palacio Municipal de Chiclayo.

And the building on the other side of the Cathedral, while a little beaten up looking, still looks interesting architecturally:

I'm not sure if it even has a name.

The Cathedral does, however. Its official name is Basílica y Catedral de Santa María.

I decided to come back to the park once the sun went down. And look who was here.

Santa. That makes sense. This, however, does not.

King Kong? There is a very popular local dessert called the "King Kong." It's a large layered cake, with cookies and various jams between the layers. It sounds awesome by the way. I'm looking for somewhere that has it. Seeing that King Kong would make sense. Instead, I've only seen the above King Kong. For Christmas.

Earlier in the day I could not go into the cathedral because I was wearing shorts. Shorts are verboten in the pope's old church.

And here's how you know it's Pope Leo XIV's old church:

The man! There was a service going on and, besides, the interior was shockingly plain. It's almost, and when you read these next words, read them with the condescension dripping from them that I am intended, almost Protestant in its simplicity.

You can't tell in the picture below, but that figure in the balcony on the second floor of El Palacio Municipal de Chiclayo?

It's another cardboard cutout of Pope Leo XIV. They love it in Chiclayo that a local priest became the supreme pontiff.

Perusing Peru: Lima Arrival

Christmas in Lima with the traditional Nativity Scene:
Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus. The ox. The ass. The angel/ And two of the reindeer. Donner and Blitzen, maybe?

Third trip to Peru. Third trip to Lima. Third time that Machu Picchu is not on my Peru itinerary.

Mental health getaway. Once upon a time this would be my first trip after retirement. But retirement has been postponed, but the trip already was scheduled and this is an inexpensive time of year to travel, so why not a return trip to Peru.

This is my hotel for the first leg of this Perusal of Peru: the Crowne Plaza Lima in the Miraflores neighborhood of the city. This, being a U.S. based chain hotel, is your typical American-style business hotel. I picked it for the neighborhood, since I prefer to avoid U.S. chains when I travel due to this simple fact: They cost more.

Speaking of neighborhood, this is the neighborhood. That is NOT a sad-looking Christmas because there is no such thing as a sad-looking Christmas tree. Think of the bend at the top as being an homage to the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

The neighborhood is a bit noisy. This is a city after all. And traffic is a mess. But it's clean and decently safe with plenty of nice restaurants.

 

This is the upscale "suburb" of Lima.

I did not get moving today into well into the afternoon because yesterday was a travel day with the first airplane ride of the day starting at 1:00 p.m. So nothing much on the day's itinerary. So I walked down to Parque John F. Kennedy. It's known as a "cat park."

Lots of stray cats. All looking healthy and well-cared-for.

And here is the park's namesake:

They nailed the hair, but the face? Less so.

He looks a bit chubby to be JFK. More Teddy than John John, if it had been eaten by Teddy.

There even was a dog and cat adoption taking place at the park. And a fairly large Christmas just inside El Parque D'Onofrio restaurant.

Lima does get decked out for Christmas quite nicely.

This is the side view of La Parroquia La Virgen Milagrosa, the Parish of Our Lady of Miracles:

This is the side facing Parque John F. Kennedy, America's first Catholic president. (We Catholics have done much better with the Supreme Court than the presidency. Only two Catholic presidents, but working control of the Supreme Court for nearly 40 years, at least since the George H.W. Bush presidency.)

Let's have a look inside, shall we?

I have seen more ornate Catholic churches, but the structure itself, with the curvature of the roof pulling your eyes toward the alter in the front, is very nicely done.

This is the front entrance:

Across from the front entrance, in Parque 7 de Junio, which borders Parque John F. Kennedy, Yes, two side-by-side parks in Miraflores, Lima, Peru, filled to the brim with stray cats. Struttin'. As stray cats do.

But Parque 7 de Junio has something that Parque John F, Kennedy does not: a nativity scene for Christmas:

And how do we know we are in Miraflores?

Letters! Every city in Latin America has its perfectly-instagrammable letters. Miraflores is decked out in its Christas garb, as you can see.

One last look at La Parroquia La Virgen Milagrosa:

And right next door is the lovely Miraflores City Hall.

I'm not sure why it's called a "city hall," since Miraflores is not an independent city but is a neighborhood within the City of Lima. I guess the term "city hall" is used more loosely 'round these parts.

With all the Christmas decorations up, I presumed that these parks would look even better after dark, when the Christmas lights come on. I was not disappointed:

This giant Christmas Tree is still under-construction. Maybe it will be done tomorrow? It's a very short stroll from the Crowne Plaza, so it would be worth checking out.

There were more Christmas decorations in Parque 7 de Junio than Parque John F. Kennedy. Separation of church and state? Or, more likely, it's because Parque 7 de Junio is much, much bigger.

The reindeer were lit up, as Christmas reindeer should be.

A couple of dozen. None with red noses.

This giant tattooed blue bull probably is a year-round presence here in Parque 7 de Junio.

I don't think he is one of the oxen for the Christman creche.

Obverse angel:

A festive angel of lights:

Now the festive angel of lights with the Miraflores City Hall in the background, breaking all those rules of "separation of church and state" that are more meticulously observed in adjacent Parque John F. Kennedy: 

Here is La Parroquia La Virgen Milagrosa lit up for the night:

With the lights being white, this might just be night-time lighting and not festive Christmas lighting.

On the other hand:

There is no mistaking the red and green lights lighting up Miraflores City Hall. It's definitely not honoring the Italian-Peruano community for the local San Gennaro festival.

Separation of church and state indeed. The concept does not exist in Miraflores.

I was going to get some chifa -- that hybrid fusion cuisine combining Chinese cooking with the flavors of Peru, but I have a ridiculously early start tomorrow for a tour outside of town -- so historic it's not pre-Columbus but pre-Christ -- the real B.C. -- so I ate a light Mexican supper:

Mandil Taqueria.

I decided to try the nachos with a tamarindo agua fresca.

The tamarindo agua fresca was awesome. Very refreshing.

The nachos?

I got the pollo nachos. Grilled chicken. Guacamole. Jalapenos. Pickled onion. Black beans. Maybe some tomato. I couldn't tell. Which is how I like my tomato. And a light, runny cheese sauce. In a bowl of chips. This was, perhaps, the healthiest nachos I've ever had in my life. It was very good. But was it "nachos"? Depends on if you are nachos purist. But, again, this is Peru. Do you really order nachos in Peru if you are a nachos purist?