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.

Walking Tour of Centro Histórico

On the Plaza Mayor de Lima.
You know you are on the Main Square of any Latin American capital when, on one side of the square is
the main government building and another side is the Cathedral.

Every city in Latin America has a  Centro Histórico, the historic center. And every city of any consequence has a free walking tour for which you pay by tipping the guide at the end of the tour. Let's combine these two. Let's take a free walking tour of the Centro Histórico of Lima.

The meeting point for the walk was Iglesia de la Merced, a five-century old church.

The church is old, but I believe that the facade is a recreation. That is a common theme in the Centro Histórico. This is earthquake country, after all.

Across the Plazuela de la Merced is El Monumento a Ramón Castilla, the Monument to Ramón Castilla

Who is he? Why is he here? Why does he spend eternity looking at the beautiful facade of the Iglesia de la Merced? Only so many of my questions got answered on the free walking tour. And this was not one.

We walk down the Jiron de la Union and soon come upon this interesting looking building built in a different style from the rest of the Centro Histórico.

This formerly was the House of Photography, which housed photography or, more specifically, an extensive collection of old photographs of Lima. The photographs may be gone, but the photo opportunity is still there.

The style is art nouveau, which is an architectural style that, in Peru, may be limited to this single building. It reminds me of the Gaudi designed buildings in Barcelona. 

This is our free walking group. The reason for this photo is that it was the first of the "closed balconies" that I saw on a building in Lima, or, specifically, the Centro Histórico. The enclosed balconies are a signature feature of Peruvian architecture. Or at least I thought. I saw far fewer of these than I expected.

We soon reached Plaza Mayor:

This is the historic center of Lima's Historic Center.

That is the Club de la Unión building, significant enough to warrant placement on one side of the Plaza Mayor.

There is a fountain in the center, of course.

And, on the southeast side of the square -- since the sides are southeast, southwest, northwest and northeast rather than north east south and west I guess that makes this more of a "diamond" than a "square" per se -- on the southeast side of this diamond that we will call a square is the main cathedral of Lima. More of that later. In another post.

Walking down from the Plaza Mayor, down Jiron Ica, is the Iglesia de San Agustin.

It is closed for renovation. It was supposed to be renovated in time for the Peruvian bicentennial. But COVID happened and the renovation is moving along much more slowly than anticipated.

Again, the facade is a reproduction. Again, I think it is earthquake. It also could have happened in the war with Chile. Apparently much of the city was destroyed in a war with Chile (more on that later in the walking tour), so all damage is either earthquake or Chilean war.

But nobody blames the Chifa for any destruction in Peru.

"Chifa" is the fusion cuisine of Peru and China. In fact, much of what we consider Peruvian food is "chifa." Lomo saltado, for example, which, once this was mentioned, definitely seems to have a Chinese type preparation method. On the other hand, the unofficial national dish of Peru -- ceviche -- is all Peru. Although not from Lima. It's from Trujillo on the northern coast.

Next door to the Iglesia de San Agustin is the accompanying convent:

Convento Nuestra Señora de Gracia - Orden de San Agustín.

This is Teatro Municipal de Lima.

This is the performing arts center for Lima, fine arts dvision.  This is where you will find your opera and your ballet and the other pinkies-out performing arts.

Casa Fernandini:

If you look real close, you can see an ornate chandelier in the open window in the middle of the second floor.

But the neighborhood soon looks a little beaten-up:

The streets are perfectly safe (at least during the day) (probably into the evening here, too), but they are a little frayed in parts.

We then come to an interesting structure that I intended to visit after the walking tour (but I forgot until just now):

El Museo de los Combatientes de Arica. This is a museum dedicated to war with Chile. In that war, Chile extended its territory northward, taking away Bolivia's sea access (to get saltpeter mines, the important chemical in the manufacture of gun powder). Peru lost Arica. And the Chilean army sacked and destroyed Lima during the war.

One thing I learned today: Peruanos do not like Chilenos. It's like the Irish and the English. Croatians and Serbs. Ukes and Russians. The animosity may run both ways, but is much stronger in one direction than the other. I did not know this until today. But, much as the Peruanos despise the Chilenos, they really hate the Bolivians. The Bolivians switched sides in the war to help Chile and everyone hates a betrayer more than any other enemy.

We have now entered Lima's Centro Histórico's "Blue Period." This is the Case de Osambela.

This is the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo:

Casa de la Gastronomía peruana:

The House of Peruvian Gastronomy. You would have thought I would have been all over this particular house. But, unfortunately, closed to the public today. No Peruvian gastronomy for me on this day at this house.

Plaza Peru:

It has fountains, but these are not the most famous fountains in Lima. That would be the Circuito Mágico del Agua, south of the Centro Histórico. Those are supposed to be lit up spectacularly at night. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next time in Lima.

And we're back on the Plaza Mayor.

In front of the Cathedral:

And the Government Palace of Peru, El Palacio de Gobierno de la República del Perú, on the northeast side of the diamond that is the Plaza Mayor.

We then walk toward the Museo del Convento de San Francisco:

It too is under renovation.

But it is open for touring. The catacombs underneath this church are a popular tourist tour in Lima.

And soon we reach the end of the free walking tour:

Parque de la Muralla. This is a city park where the city walls of Lima once stood.

The walls are gone.

But Francisco Pizarro is here.

The tour ended on a bridge over the railroad tracks where you can look down on the statue of the conqueror of the Inca Empire Francisco Pizarro. Yes, Lima has train tracks. Freight trains throughout the year, but an ancient steam passenger train runs in July. This is not July. So it is time to tip the guide and wander the Centro Histórico on my own.