When we first got to Huaraz, we looked around for overnight buses to Lima. We chose to go with Transportes 14 since it seemed to be relatively cheap for their VIP option at 100 PEN1. Our bus left at 10.30 PM and we were not disappointed. There was plenty of legroom and the seats reclined well back; whilst not 180 degrees, it was comfortable enough to get some sleep throughout the overnight journey. The route to Lima is along winding roads which took a little getting used to, but I dozed off shortly after departure. Total travel time was about 7-hours 30-minutes arriving at a bus terminal below the historic city center. From here, we took an Uber2 to get to Miraflores which only took 15 minutes since it was 6 AM and there was no traffic. At check-in, we were told our room wasn’t going to be ready until 2 PM, so we left our bags and went for a walk by the sea. We ended up walking for about an hour through the beautiful modern neighborhoods of Miraflores and Barranco. We took some rest at the relaxing park where the Puente de Los Suspiros is located. Next, we walk back towards Miraflores for about another hour, stopping at parks and the Arts and Crafts Market.
We were in the vicinity of Huaca Pucllana, so we decided to visit this pre-Incan archaeological site. Entrance tickets cost 12 PEN or 6 PEN if you’re a student. After purchasing your ticket, you may have to wait a little before the next guided tour begins. It’s not possible to roam around the site on your own, but you can visit the information center while you wait. Once the tour begins, the guide will take you around explaining the culture of the Lima people who inhabited the site. They are thought to have been around between 100 AD and 650 AD. The Lima people were experts in irrigation and proven to grow crops in desert climates. The site is believed to have been an administrative site and is built from clay and adobe. The stepped pyramid is deemed to have been used for religious rituals. Human remains have been found at the site but considered to belong to the Wari culture who took over around 700 AD. The site also has workshops and a small farm with livestock the Lima people would have had.
After visiting the site, we headed to the nearby Kennedy Park. This park is also known as the ‘cat park’ since you’ll be able to see several cats roaming around freely. By this point, it was around 2.30 PM so we headed back to the hotel. After freshening up we headed back out to the historic city center. An Uber from Miraflores to Plaza San Martin took about 30 minutes and cost 11 PEN. We walked around the plaza and towards the river. The riverwalk is filled with people and street entertainment. We continued walking around here and crossed the bridge to the other side. There are several restaurants and bars in this area as well. We then went back across the bridge and towards the park Circuito Magico del Agua. At this park, they have a night light show. They light up fountains and areas in the park. The main spectacle though is a video projection on the main fountains. A very unique and impressive presentation. The park also has some funfair rides and food stalls. Once done visiting all the lit-up sites, we headed back to the hotel for some rest before checking out the nightlife. We were quite close to an area called Calle de Las Pizzas which our Uber driver said had several bars and clubs. The main strip has many bars with live music and deals on drink buckets. The music was good and the drink prices reasonable at around 15 PEN for a beer. We didn’t stay too late to check out the clubs since we were leaving the next morning for Paracas, but the nightlife was certainly energetic.
