CALLAO, LIMA, PERU
Today, we arrived in Callao, a port town bolted onto the capital city of Peru, Lima.
Once again, we were berthed alongside container ships, and a quayside sporting containers piled high, as far as the eye could see. And once again, the rules were that no passenger movement would be allowed inside the port area. This meant that anyone going ashore had only two practical options (three, if you include staying board ship); to take the big free shuttle bus into Lima, or to catch a small shuttle bus to the port entrance, which would cost $5 per person each way.
One would think that would make the free shuttle bus a bit of a no-brainer, but there were a few people for whom travelling into Lima wasn’t necessarily what they wanted to do, or was their best option. Anyone who had already made private arrangements with local taxi firms had no choice but to pay for the smaller shuttle, since no private taxies were allowed on the quayside. If anyone wanted to take a look at Callao, then they too would have to take the more expensive option.
The complimentary shuttle service wasn’t quite what it seemed, either. Lima is a big city, and there are two recommended locations of specific interest; Downtown Lima, the hub of the sprawling connurbation, where all the plazas and old buildings are, and Miraflores, a particularly beautiful area of the city noted for its shopping areas, gardens, flower-filled parks, beaches and Indian Market. The shuttle bus went to neither of these…
Instead, it dropped passengers off at Real Plaza Salaverry; right alongside a huge shopping mall in the middle of a non-descript area of the city, where taxis were waiting to pick up fares to either Downtown Lima or Mirflores. Why they didn’t just take everybody into the Downtown area, or Miraflores, is anyone’s guess (although, we have our suspicions…).
Because the first free shuttle bus wasn’t due to leave until 9am (and the last one back, at 6pm, running every thirty minutes), we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, expecting there to be a bit of a bun-fight to get on the first shuttle. As it happened, it was all quite civilised, and we got on relatively quickly. As we boarded, there was one lady who was kicking up quite a fuss, demanding to know why she wasn’t allowed to be dropped off at the gates by the free shuttle bus, so that she could go take a look at Callao, and was refusing to pay the five dollars for the other shuttle bus. In the end, she opted to go into Lima.
The bus ride into Lima took roughly 45 minutes, through some quite rough-looking areas. When we arrived at the drop-off point, Tracey and I decided to simply go for a walk in the local area, having identified (on maps.me) a park several blocks away that looked promising.
Sure enough, when we got there, we found an urban park that was nicely laid out yet still erring on the natural-side, with rough paths to follow and plenty of trees, bushes and birds to look at. It was clearly a haven for the local people, too; there were many folks who were clearly using it to enjoy a few moments of quiet solitude in the middle of their busy day, or to exercise; families existed happily alongside joggers. We saw lots of interesting birds, so Tracey was in her element, including several humming birds that we tried to photograph and film (unsuccessfully).
We walked the length of the park, to the more coiffured end, which featured a small lake and fountains, and several play areas for children. We then headed up several of the side streets to where there was another park, but that one was closed, so we continued walking in a large circular route, gradually back towards the dop-off/pick-up point.
After purchasing a giant bottle of water and a stupidly expensive bar of chocolate from the mall, to take back with us, we caught the return shuttle, and was back at the Marco Polo in time for lunch.
Later, we had tour escorting duty…
At 4:30pm, we were back on the quayside, preparing to go back into Lima. This time, it was to drive through Downtown, to The Parque de la Reserve, and an experience known as ‘The Magic Fountains of Lima’…
Driving behaviour in this part of the world is quite atrocious; it’s a wonder there aren’t pile-ups on every street corner. Cars switch lanes at the drop of hat, jockeying for position without any courtesy for fellow road users. There is a constant chorus of horns being sounded, as drivers play their game of car chess. Often, it seems the horn is sounded just to let others know they are there. At other times, they sound aggressive, and when cars start backing up, the cacophony of horns joining the symphony of impatience is almost comical… providing you are not standing in the way. Pedestrians seem to be taking their life into their own hands constantly; even using a pedestrian crossing seems to be no guarantee of being given right of access. Buses are a law unto themselves; a couple of times I saw a bus stop dead right in the middle of a pedestrian crossing for passengers to alight or leave. Apparently, in Lima, anyone can be a tax driver, or start their own bus service, there are no certificates required, so mini-buses prowl around waiting for prospective passengers to summon them by sticking their hand out, and when they do, they pull over with very little advance notice to adjacent drivers, and then the cacophony of horns and verbal retribution reaches a fresh new crescendo.
When the traffic does grind to a halt, at traffic lights for instance, there are people by the side of the road selling all sort of things, bottles of drink or food, or neck cushions (I imagine all drivers in Lima to suffer from whiplash), ready to weave their way through the cars in the hope of selling their wares. Lads and lasses with squeegies offer to clean windscreens at lightning speed, and jugglers juggle in the middle of the road, in front of oncoming traffic, or dance (I have video of someone dressed in a bear costume, giving it their all), in the few moments they have before the traffic thunders forwards again.
Our drive through Downtown Lima was as eye-opening as it was entertaining, and we enjoyed a gimpse of some of the old buildings and one of the large squares, where large groups of people were standing, listening to speakers – what they were saying, I can’t imagine, my guide seemed to think they were sharing political ideas, Peru’s answer to Speakers Corner, perhaps.
When we finally got to the park, our guide led us through the throngs of people as they queued to get through the turnstiles at the main gate, and then we were there.
The park was fantastic! Made all the more dramatic by the backdrop of the setting sun, there were lots of different fountains for us to see – there are 17 of them in all, by all accounts, although we just saw about a dozen or so. As the sun set, and it got darker, so the fountains became illuminated, giving it all a magic quality. There was a large, round fountain area, which was popular with kids of all ages, on which you could stand, and the water would pop up from out of the slatted ground, apparently randomly – so you never knew where it was going to pop up from – heaps of fun. Another fountain was a long series of water spouts that created a tunnel, through which you could walk – I loved that one.
Eventually, we were led towards the centre piece of the gardens, which featured a long, rectangular pool, with fountains placed right down the centre. Lights situated below them (and within then) made them change colours, and the jets would change velocity and direction from time to time, creating mesmerising patterns.
At 7:15pm, the show started.
Up until this point, I thought we’d seen it all, but the show was something else. In a 20-minute visual extravanganza, not only did the fountains perform for us, to music, but the lasers projected images into the spray, creating amazing three-dimensional images and patterns. At one point, a giant puma appeared to run in slow motion along the entire length of the fountain… the impression was jaw-droppingly effective!
Awesome!
At the end of it all, we were given 20 minutes free time before we had to return to the buses, and enjoy another interesting drive home, through the chaotic streets of Peru’s capital city.
It’s been a good day. It would be nice to have more time to explore; it feels like we’ve only scratched at the surface, but for us it was a well-balanced day, with a stunning finish. We’ll not forget Lima in a hurry.
