Well rested and beefed up with cooked breakfast we are ready to explore Lima on the second day. We are advised not to use the public bus: too chaotic.
Change of guards at the government palace
We should better take a taxi, not much more expensive for an European. It is crucially important to have an internet capable smartphone therefor.
Archbishop residence and cathedral at Plaza de Armas
The mobile phone provider Claro is highly recommended in the net. So we purchased a prepaid (=prepago) SIM card in a shopping mall yesterday. The passport and a fingerprint are required apart from 40 Soles (approx. 10€). We receive a local mobile phone number plus 1 GB and several GB-Bonus for the internet the next 2 weeks. The Claro salesmen explained and installed the SIM patiently into our phone that we can use it straight away.
City hall at Plaza de Armas
With the internet smartphone we are contactable on the road again for the loved ones at home, able to check the bank accounts (VISA charge appears in seconds online) and install the Indrive-APP locally. 5G is applicable in the capitol Lima.
The APP enables to call a taxi locally. It identifies your actual location, transfers it with your requested destination to the next registered taxi drivers around. A recommended fare appears on screen. But you can offers more to have a faster response.
The Government Palace
By the way, we have not found an ATM for cash withdrawal without high fee until now. Neither at the airport, nor in town, nor at tourist hotspots. For 400 Soles (=100€) withdrawal we paid a fee of 25 Soles.
A letter box of past time
Limas Centro histórico is very busy. All important buildings are to be found at Plaza de Armas. The Aliaga-house remains in family ownership since 1535.
Beyond Plaza de Armas the streets are jammed and noisy.
We walk further to the market hall and Chinatown, Barrio Chino. Chifa is a traditional Chino-peruvian dish, originated from the Kantonese cousine.
Plentiful offers in shops
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chinese immigrants mainly from the Guangdong province came to Peru as workers. Many of them settled in Barrio Chino (Chinatown) in Lima. The Limeños were amazed and fascinated by the Cantonese cuisine that Peruvian chefs began to use products used in traditional Chinese cooking and other ingredients as original Chinese ingredients from homeland were not all available. Chifa has probably its origin from Cantonese “Sik fan” = “to eat cooked rice” = “have a meal”, and now a day one of the popular dishes of Peru.
Well-known and unknown goods can be found here
First Chifa-restaurants, also called Chifa, are founded around 1920 in Lima.
Inca Kola: tasty, refreshing and caffeinated. It belongs to the Coca cola company out of Peru
Cuy fritto = deep-fried guinea pig can only be found in a local shop, not even at the food stalls in the market hall. A further national dish what we should try, or perhaps better not….