Lima

Today was our half day city tour. There were only three of us with a driver and tour guide. We went to the center and spent a lot of time at the Franciscan Monastery.  It was simply magnificent! Our tour guide took us to the library ( think a small version of Harry Potter). So beautiful and full of books (25,000) that are left on the shelves as they are very old and will disintegrate if touched. Underneath the church are catacombs. Really neat. The building itself is really beautiful and everything is so wonderful to look at that they don't allow photos. You have to buy postcards ( which Caro did). A jaw dropping location.

Tomorrow we will go back to places that looked interesting today but we couldn't go in.

We did our usual walking of the streets and then, following the suggestion of last nights waiter in Mango's restaurant we went to Panchita's for supper. We were running out of time for me to try guinea pig so come hell or high water I was going to have it. I think if we had realized that Panchita's is such a high end restaurant we might have thought twice but DAMMIT I want guinea pig! Sooooooo, for $35 I got a "muy sabroso" delicacy that I estimate had no more than 200 grams of meat ( and this is the complete guinea pig minus the head and tail but gutted and then deep fried).I told the waiter (nicely,of course) that it would have been better if the animal had stayed someones pet! He laughed but insisted they consider it "muy sabroso". They should have coated it in "eleven herbs and spices". Think about when  you buy a "bucket" at KFC and get stuck with the back bone piece. That amount of meat is what was on each of the four quarters  I got.. but HEY  I ate guinea pig!!

Like a fool I decided to have a second small glass of wine without checking the price.DIOS MIO!   $15 a glass.

Our most expensive meal by far on this trip and one that I wish I hadn't pushed so hard to get ( buyers remorse ha ha).As a side note that meal cost more than a Peruvian earning minimum wage makes in about a week and a half.  We tip lots here. There is nothing like travelling in a poor country to remind you that we really are lucky to be Canadian.

Caro enjoyed her meal of three types of meat. I needed some "feel good" food after that debacle so I had an ice cream cone on the main avenue near our hotel.  More people watching and sitting in the park before calling it a night.. I am still hungry!