Our schedule labeled this day as a cultural-experience day, though I saw its main purpose as a chance to decompress from five days in poverty. It allowed me to start reflecting, and to realize that a well-dressed touristy facade or rich business district can hide extreme poverty just a few blocks away.
We had hoped for quieter traffic, starting at 10:30 am on a Sunday, but a road closure sent us on a diversion. It forced us to skip a tour of the Pachacamac archeological site but it was still an interesting drive along the coast.
With less than a mile to go to our restaurant for lunch, Ashley told us we were about 10 minutes out, “depending on traffic.” The disclaimer was wise, as we moved about 50 yards in the next 10 minutes! There was gridlock outside a huge cemetery.
We had a fine and yummy buffet lunch at the Dpaso Mamacona restaurant where we watched several traditional dances. The restaurant’s vibe was very pleasantly non-touristy, with a couple of local groups celebrating birthdays.
After the food and indoor entertainment, we moved outside to watch a horse show demonstrating Peruvian Paso horses. They are the result of breeding between the Arabian horses that the Spanish brought and the local mustangs. They have a distinctive four- beat trot.
Subsequently, there were many acts, often playing out scenes depicting interactions between men and women. There was history behind it, but we just enjoyed watching so I put them here in chronological order.
Next stop was a market about 1/2 way back to the hotel in the Miraflores district. We learned that pure alpaca blankets feel cool to the touch! The prices were very reasonable and we had a lot of fun shopping for an hour.
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 