Lima - en route to Machu Picchu

We are urban trekkers, but what exactly is "urban?" Does it naturally mean just modern cities? Or can this include ancient cities long abandoned by their citizens? Let's find out!

We flew to Lima to stage our Machu Pichhu trek. In the process, we got to check out one of western South America's largest cities.

Lima Trek

The sad fact of Spanish colonialization goes largely unnoticed here, as tourist attractions feature late 16th and early 17th century buildings. They speak to the strategy of the colonialists - set up administration and churches quickly, using granite mined by the Incas and the conquered natives as slave labor.

BEST Restaurants in the world? In Peru?? Yes.

The locals attribute it to the fact that Peru’s fertile soil and temperate climate can support almost any kind of product, often producing crops year-round, in several harvests. I do believe I had one of the best meals of my life here. Not at Michelin-rated Central or Astrid’s, but at Raphael's.

The menu was so inventive and fresh that I couldn't wait to try our next place. Unfortunately, nothing matched the meal we had there, and it's easy to see why this is consistently listed as one of the top 50 restaurants IN THE WORLD.

A Word about City Walking

For those less intrepid walkers, Raphaels is only a 7 block walk from the waterfront shopping district in Miraflores. In hindsight, I would have walked a lot of places the hotel told me I had to have a cab for. They look at Americans and, if the destination is more than a few blocks, insist that you need a cab. It's sad really because the way they lock it in is they say "it's dangerous to walk."  The truth is, it's always dangerous to walk anywhere... probably more so in American cities where guns are rampant. In Peru, guns are illegal - it's very difficult for even criminals to get them. As everywhere, keep your head on a swivel and don't draw attention to yourself, stay on lighted streets where there is a lot of activity, and you'll be safer than in many large cities in the world.  

Brace Yourself - Lots of Corn Varieties here!

... and over 4,000 varieties of potatoes!