The Archbishop’s Palace There is another baroque building sharing the city block on which the Cathedral of Lima sits. It is the Archbishop’s Palace Lima, and it serves as the administrative headquarters of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima. Two ornate cedar wood balcony enclosures stick off the front of the building; they are its …
Cathedral of Lima The Cathedral of Lima’s proper name is the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. Located adjacent to the Plaza de Armas Lima. I’ve already written about the chapel that contained the remains of Francisco Pizarro, but that is just one small corner of a very large and beautiful church. Today …
The Heart of Lima The Cathedral of Lima is a commanding presence in the capital city’s Plaza de Armas. It is grand and imposing, taking up most of a city block. There are seven chapels on each side of the Cathedral. As you enter, the first chapel on the right draws your attention almost immediately. …
Is Flying with a Budget Airline a Good Idea? I am always on the lookout for an air travel bargain, and since virtually EVERYWHERE is on my bucket list, I tend to not hesitate when a great fare pops up. So in late February when I learned that Spirit was having an huge sale for …
Cusco Cathedral was our first stop for sightseeing on our first full day in Cusco. We walked down to the city’s Plaza de Armas and saw this big cathedral dominating the center of town. And as if it weren’t big enough, it incorporates two smaller churches on either side of it. To the left is the …
There are two train companies serving Machu Picchu. Inca Rail, whose trains run primarily from Ollantaytambo, and Peru Rail, whose trains run from either Ollantaytambo or Cusco/Poroy. We weren’t going to Ollantaytambo, so that left me primarily looking at options with Peru Rail. Peru Rail has three different train services: The Hiram Bingham, the Vistadome, …
Last month, I was lucky enough to cross a destination off of my bucket list: Machu Picchu. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my experience at Machu Picchu was very different from what most tourists will experience after me. You see, a new set of strict rules will be in effect starting July 1, 2017. …
Our Machu Picchu trip was not something that we had planned to do in advance. In fact, it wasn’t on our radar at all, other than us saying, “I think it would be cool to see Machu Picchu someday.” But when Spirit Airlines was offering a huge discount on Tuesday & Wednesday fares during the …
I think I am going to have to route my next major trip in such a way that I have a lengthy layover in the Singapore airport. Why? Because the Changi Airport in Singapore has added amenities for travelers who are visiting Singapore, or waiting to catch a flight, and those amenities are outstanding. Here are …
On our first full day in Cusco, Peru, we went to the Plaza de Armas and decided to tour the Cathedral of Lima. We had no sooner stepped out into the sunshine than we were approached by a young man who wanted us to take a bus tour. We declined, but he continued to talk to …