Peru

Peru! The beautiful land of the Andes and alpaca! This country not only has beautiful topography, but also truly beautiful people! Chris and I were fortunate enough to visit Peru with a missions organization through his university. We spent a week running free medical clinic and serving the people of Pachacutec! I know my life was touched forever by these amazing people. 

On our last day we spent the day sightseeing in Lima, so I wanted to do a quick little post of some of the fun things that we saw and experienced while in Lima! 

Here's my top 5 things to do in Lima!

Make sure to visit the 1. Plaza de Armas, Cathedral of Lima (Catedral de Lima) and President's Palace. The Plaza de Armas is a stunning plaza with a gorgeous fountain and tall palm trees encircling it. 

The Cathedral and President's Palace are just on the outsides of this square, so you don't have to look too far for them! The president's palace also has a neat changing of the guard ceremony that you can catch. Take a second to sit in the middle on a bench and enjoy watching people stroll by.

2. Bodega y Qvadra: This was such a neat stop that we just happened upon! It's an archeological dig site within Lima along with a museum that houses Incan and other Peruvian artifacts. When we went it was only 4 Sol ($1.20) to enter and it was definitely worth it! 

3. Visit a Market: Since it was our last day, we were in search of some souvenirs and we ran into the Miraflores Indian Market! Yes, it technically was geared more towards tourists, but hey sometimes you need that t-shirt that says "Peru!" in huge letters right? 

If you're against going to touristy places, then I would just recommend popping by at least one market of some sort while in the city. They're always full of food, textiles, jewelry and other fun things that you won't be able to find in the States!

4. Basilica de San Fransisco: This gorgeous church also has a secret. Tour-able catacombs!! Unfortunately, due to time constraints we were unable to tour them ourselves (which was probably my biggest disappointment of the trip), but I've heard it's a really neat experience! If catacombs aren't your thing, then just step inside and appreciate the gorgeous architecture and colors. 

5. Eat some amazing food! If you haven't heard, Peru is the home to new edgy cuisine! Apparently, different chefs have paired up with local farmers in the mountains to create new dishes (check out what they can do with a simple potato!) that are fascinating! Search out one of these trendy spots to complete your Peruvian experience.

There you go! My top 5 for Lima! I think both Chris and I would love to head back to Peru at some point to spend a bit more time in Lima AND to visit Macchu Pichu because we simply weren't able to on this trip!

I hope you take the time to head to Lima and the beautiful country of Peru! It's worth exploring!