Lima

The Couchsurfing didn't really work out, but we've made the best of it and there are some pretty cheap hostels here.  Unfortunately we both got a bit sick from something (at the moment we suspect the new malaria pills we got for our farming stint next week), so have been taking it pretty easy.

That said we did manage to get out and about a bit in Lima.  We went to the ruins of Pucllana which was a large temple complex made by the Lima culture (not their own name, just the name posterity has assigned them) about one and half thousand years ago to worship/appease a sea goddess.

Because of the lack of writing systems and the occupation of the site by several different cultures afterwards, there was definitely a lot of guesswork showing in the interpretations.  One of the later occupiers from the Wari culture, which was an empire which lasted far longer than Inca one. But, as we are discovering, like the Aztecs in Mexico, the Inca are the most famous simply because they were the most major culture the Spaniards met and crushed.  The Wari used Pucllana to bury some important people and they buried their heroes with several babies who would act as guides to the spirit world (maybe, possibly).

Also at the site were gardens with a lot of traditional crops and animals as would have been cultivated by the people here.  There were sweet potatoes, chillies, yuca as well as animals like guinea-pigs (which due to upset tummys we still haven't eaten yet) and alpacas.

We felt this was a nice addition as it provided variety from mud bricks and introduced the agriculture and food culture of the people, understanding its food is really importan in understanding a place and also if you are from Peru, would highlight that the diet wouldn't be a million miles from modern Peruvian food.

We also went to the monastery of San Francisco still owned by the Franciscan monks.  You weren't allowed to take photos inside, possibly because it would show just how much golden loot this supposed poverty-sworn order have in there.  It was used as a graveyard for the city for almost three centuries so there are catacombs underneath filled with bones, which modern archaeologists have arranged in fetching patterns for their own amusement.  We didn't think archaeologists were supposed to do this.  There was also a library of 60,000 volumes some dating from the 16th century, with spiral staircases, that we both would have liked to live in.

On Saturday night, we went to Parque de la Reserva where there are dozens of fountains and light displays every night.  Considering it only cost about a pound, it was a lot of fun and very magical.

Later on, there were also lasers, which we suspect is an addition to the 1930's fountains (oh the jaded youth of today, not satisfied with fountains alone).

Today we are taking a 20 hour bus to Cusco, where we are going to work on a coffee farm for a week.  As Peru is one of the world's biggest producers of organic coffee, this should be pretty appropriate and interesting.  We are also looking forward to the change of pace, as we are a bit travel worn.