Lima, the capital of Peru, is comprised of 43 districts. Our last day of our Peruvian vacation was spent sight seeing in the Barranco district, known mainly for its street art and beaches.
Market in the Barranco District of Lima, Peru
Our first stop was at a market. One, we were curious and two, I was still on the hunt for a dishtowel from Peru, a request from a friend and one that up till now, I had not been able to find. Nobody that I asked seemed to understand what a ‘dishtowel’ was.
Market in the Barranco District of Lima, Peru
I’m pretty sure our tour guide thought we were odd, taking pictures of raw meat, but she politely waited for us to finish wandering through the market. Besides sight seeing, I am always interested in witnessing the differences in the manner of living between myself and the region that I am visiting.
Building in the Barranco District of Lima, Peru
I took this picture because it caught my attention. Whenever I see utility poles and powerlines it makes me think of people who are against erecting windmills for clean, renewable energy because ‘they are ugly’ and I always think ‘and this isn’t?’
Barranco Neighborhood in Lima, Peru
The Barranco neighborhood is considered to be a middle class area in Lima. It is going through a revitalization process, encouraged by the government.
Barranco Neighborhood in Lima, Peru
Many of the buildings are in the process of being renovated. Local tourism agencies refer to Barranco as the “Bohemian District”.
The Bridge of Sighs in Lima, Peru
Barranco is most known for two things, Puente de los Suspiros ~ the Bridge of Sighs (seen above) ~ and their street murals. According to local folklore the first time you cross the Bridge of Sighs you make a wish and hold your breath while you cross. If you make it all the way across, your wish will come true. My sister and I had to pick up our pace at the end to make it all the way across.
Walkway in the Barranco District of Lima, Peru
The revitalization of the district is due mostly to local artists and designers. As part of an initiative to increase tourism, the government encourages the creation of ‘street art’, and it is plentiful. This walkway had one side filled with art and the other with plaques of quotes from poets and songwriters.
Barranco Neighborhood in Lima, Peru
These plaques say, “A withered rose is a rose,” and ‘…in the sands and black fields as the pain of night sounds, behind the hills!”
Street Art in the Barranco Neighborhood of Lima, Peru
Of all the murals we saw, this one was one of my favorites.
Street Art in the Barranco Neighborhood of Lima, Peru
You will find the murals on buildings, underpasses and retaining walls.
Street Art in the Barranco Neighborhood of Lima, Peru
It would have been neat to see a work in progress, but no such luck.
Street Art in the Barranco Neighborhood of Lima, Peru
I found myself wondering about the backstory that inspired this mural.
After our tour of the neighborhood we went to a mall that was carved into the side of a cliff. From above, you would never know it was there. What I found most interesting about the mall was that it was full of American brand name stores and the prices were three times as high as what I would pay in America. I thought it would have been the opposite.
When it was close to the time of our flight, our Kuoda guide and driver brought us back to the airport. I would like to say that the flight home was uneventful, but I became horrifically sick (I believe it was from a shake that I ordered and stopped drinking because it didn’t taste right at a restaurant in the mall).
All in all, minus the probable food poisoning from the shake, it was an incredible trip. Peru is an amazing country, with a tremendous diversity of things to see and do. I highly recommend exploring this country. Although, there is one thing I would tweak about our trip (staying on our own at Machu Picchu to wander and explore until it closed or exhaustion made us leave) I was very happy with the services that Kuoda provided. We never had to worry about transportation, taking care of our belongings, language barriers at hotels and admission tickets, we were free to relax throughout our entire trip and immerse ourselves in the experience.
Our travel plans have been on hold since 2020, when travel opens up, our next planned trip is to Kauai. As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life. Also, wishing the world a speedy return to health and normalcy!
My Favorites From Our Peru Trip
Hiking Through the Amazon Rainforest to Oxbow Lake
Hiking to the Summit of Huayna Picchu
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Street Art in the Barranco District in Lima, Peru
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