Lima, like many capitals around the world, is a very large, sparse metropolis. It is populated by around 10 million souls, and it is a vibrant, fascinating, diverse, yet confusing town. It has majestic architecture from long ago as well as all of the perks you would expect from a modern city. It is full of sounds, shapes, smells, and flavors you may not find anywhere else; it is a place that makes a long-lasting impression on whoever visits it.
1. Lima is to Chocolate what Milan is to Fashion
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In downtown Lima, it is virtually impossible to miss a spot called “Choco Museo,” which is not a museum but an excellent store where you can find very fine chocolate in every shape, form, and flavor. Now, if you are really into the stuff, you will notice “chocotejas” almost everywhere. Tejas are sugar fondant confections, usually made of dried fruit and dulce de leche. Chocotejas, then, are the natural evolution of those and probably one of the best chocolate treats you will ever have.
Yet Lima’s best chocotejas are made by Catholic nuns of the convent “Santa María de Lourdes.\” This is perhaps one of Lima’s best-kept secrets, located in Bajada de Baños in the Barranco district. This is one of the loveliest spots in Lima, but if you want to go chocotejas hunting, there is no way of procuring them for sure; there is no webpage or phone number to call the convent. So, you have to pretty much just go there, knock on their door, and hope they have chocotejas stock to sell you.
2. The Best-known Map of Lima was made by a Swiss Guy
Oliver Perrottet visited Lima back in the early 1970s from his natal Switzerland. He encountered a gigantic, chaotic mess of a city with which he fell in love. And, as one does, he decided to map it bit by bit by walking, busing around, and drawing the city one street at a time in its entirety. It took years to complete Lima 2000, a solo project that no one had done before.
Perrottet’s map and its subsequent updates have been around for decades now, but in the age of Google Maps and GPS, they are probably not as popular as they once were. However, if you want to see the whole city on a conveniently pocket-sized foldable map, you can order it in the US on these websites: omnimap and east view
3. Lima Might be the Birthplace of Punk Rock
In 1964, Erwin Flores and Francisco Guevara from the Lince district in Lima were fresh out of high school when they decided to band with Roland \”El Chino\” Carpio and César \”Papi\” Castrillón to form \”Los Saicos,\” a wordplay that could either mean “The Psychos” or a reference to Seiko, a brand of battery-powered Japanese watches. They hardly knew what they were doing with their instruments, but long before DYI was a thing, they developed a peculiar sound complete with guttural singing and jagged, surfy-sounding guitars.
They had a brief stint in the Peruvian musical scene that included a TV appearance and the release of a few singles until their breakup in 1966. Los Saicos went separate ways and were quickly forgotten until decades later, music archeologists found their material and coined it as proto-punk. This is a shared opinion among punk-era legends such as Yello Biafra and even more recent acts like The Black Lips. Don’t believe me? Have a listen: Demolición
4. Pisco Sours Were Created by a Mormon Bartender a Little Over 100 Years Ago
For those who are now familiar with Pisco the spirit or the cocktail pisco sour, this alcoholic drink is very popular in South America, mostly Peru and Chile. The cocktail was invented circa 1916 by Victor Vaughen Morris from Salt Lake City in his homonymous bar in Lima. The bar is not around anymore, but you can still try the original recipe at this traditional joint: Taberna Queirolo
5. While in Lima, You Can Have Guinea Pig When Fine Dining
Guinea pigs have been perhaps the most reliable source of protein in Andean cultures for at least 5000 years. In Peru, guinea pigs are considered a delicacy but are also widely consumed in most of the country. It is only fair to say that Peruvian cuisine can reach heights of sophistication not unlike those of French and Italian cooking. If you make a reservation at “Astrid and Gastón,\” one of the finest restaurants in Lima, you may end up agreeing and perhaps even trying “Cuy Pekinés de toda la Vida.”
These are just a few of the myriads of things you can see, experience, and find in what some call the “infinite city.\” This is one of the noisiest, most colorful, unique, and most inspiring metropolises to be found in the whole of the Americas. But don’t take it from me; by all means, go visit; you will not regret it.
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