"City of Kings" a Lima Travel Page by Assenczo

Lima was the main center of the Spanish South American colonies. Accordingly, expectations are high, but are they justified? Not exactly; maybe a visit during the “summer” with lots of sunshine is going to help. Otherwise, the visitor is stuck to the splendours of the main Plaza in front of the presidential palace. This does not mean that you will not be enchanted by the place. Where else would you see the bright yellow elegance of the buildings with their amazing wooden balconies? Even Spain has to be pushed hard to produce such a marvel of quazi Arabic architectural element. When going along the perimeter, the visitor ends up face to face with a superb example of European palatial structure, namely the president’s residence. It is maid in stone, decorated in grandeur and fenced off with elegance.

Put in the context of the city the main plaza is a lonely place. It is surrounded by a sadly neglected downtown area. The rich and famous, except for the President, have moved to the new area of Miraflores on the shores of the ocean. The old mansions of the elite, some family owned structures originating with the first conquistadores, have been neglected to an unattractive point. There are some attempts to revive some of them in the immediate proximity to the palace thus showing how many more efforts are needed for the reconstruction of the whole area. The life line is the pedestrian street, The Junin, which connects it to another architectural masterpiece – the San Martin square. Finally, San Martin is with us, the South American explorers, again. His presence is not as overwhelming as in Buenos Aires but more emphasized than in Santiago or La Paz. Facing him is his arch rival, Simon Bolivar represented by a swanky hotel (not in its prime).