I took a half-day tour of Lima, to orient me to the city so I could decide where I wanted to go back. In contrast to BA and Rio, the city seemed drab? flat? There wasn't anything visually interesting. And because of the traffic (there are 260,000 taxis in Lima) it took a long time to do anything. I was not motivated to take a single picture. One reason for the differences with Rio and BA may be because they had so much youthful energy.
It doesn't rain in Lima, primarily due to the combination of cold water (the antarctic flow - no one swims in the ocean) and the Andes. Because of the lack of rain, most historic construction along the coast of Peru has been adobe. The highlands - such as the sacred valley - used rock (e.g., Machu Pichu).
The primary export is minerals from mining, next is fishing (Peru cuisine, especially the seafood dishes, is the toast of South America), then tourism. My Canadian seat-mates on the tour bus said that it was easier to use English in Cuzco (in the Sacred Valley) then in Lima. They also said they were not hikers but did not find the four days on the Inca trail that difficult.
I learned in BA - and saw evidence of it here - that the same guy who liberated Argentina in 1818 - San Martine - liberated Peru in 1821.
One of the reasons the city may be drab is that historically it has been prone to earthquakes, so old and charming is not around. Because of that, 60% of the main cathedral is built of wood because it absorbs shocks better. In addition to the cathedral, there are 29 churches in the central historic district.
Location:Lima
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