Travel/Tourism

Gracias a la Vida: Peru Thirty Years On

Lima's Central Railway station, behind the Government Palace
Once Lima’s Central Railway station, behind the Government Palace, this building was restored and opened a decade ago to the public as the Casa de la Literatura. All photographs by the author.

By Natascha Scott-Stokes ©

Part One: Rediscovering Downtown Lima

“Obviously you’re going to go, whatever I say,” said Jim Bartle, the author of a well-known trekking guide to the Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash.

But that was thirty years ago.  It was 1989, at the height of the guerrilla war being waged in Peru by the Sendero Luminoso, the Shining Path, and of course he was sceptical about a 27-year-old woman trying to mount a solo expedition from the headwaters of the Marañon River to the Atlantic off Brazil. But I did, and Random House published my book, An Amazon and a Donkey, in 1991. It was the culmination of a dream I carried with me for many years and a hugely important milestone in my life, and the 30th anniversary of that event seemed like an appropriate moment to return to the Peruvian Andes, for the first time.

The beautiful interior of the Casa de la Literatura.
The beautiful interior of the Casa de la Literatura.

My preparations this time involved digging out old copies of The Lima Times and reading my own book, and I was very quickly appalled at my youthful bravado. Victims of terrorism amounted to 2,085 people that year, according to then Senator Enrique Bernales, which meant an average of nine deaths per day between the months of January and August in 1989. What was I thinking? The answer is in my book:

“I was so busy planning, I rarely had time to consider the consequences of what I was setting out to do, and if I ever did, I quickly shoved disconcerting thoughts to the back of my mind.”

The prospect of giving up on my dream and living with regret for the rest of my life was quite simply unacceptable – something Jim recognized.

Lima’s Plaza Mayor at night.
Lima’s Plaza Mayor at night.

I returned on 15th May 2019, excited to honor the past and see the changes, which began with paying a small fortune for a taxi to my downtown hotel in Lima, but I was fine with that. At 57, I didn’t want an adventure this time; just to enjoy myself in peace. The 19th century Grand Hotel on the 8-lane Avenida Abancay did not exactly fulfil that intention, but at least the incessant whistles, honks and engine blasts of a thousand cars outside was matched by an almost complete absence of tourists in the cavernous interior, where long empty corridors led to sunless rooms and even darker bathrooms.

Lima’s Grand Hotel has seen better days.
Lima’s Grand Hotel has seen better days.

My choice of accommodation was based on being within walking distance of Lima’s terrific Plaza Mayor, with its lovely central fountain and palm trees surrounded by some of the grandest colonial-style buildings the city has to offer. Pedestrianized Jirón Ucayali led me there in an easy ten-minute walk and it felt extraordinary to be walking around without fear. Thirty years ago, running the gauntlet of Lima’s downtown was an extremely nerve-wracking experience, where anything could happen, from a bomb exploding to packs of child-robbers known as piranhas, capable of stripping unsuspecting tourists of all they had in minutes.

Police presence at the Plaza Mayor is a bit overwhelming.
Police presence at the Plaza Mayor is a bit overwhelming.

The overwhelming police and military presence, alongside ‘tourist advisors’ and municipal inspectors, who hurry on any shady-looking characters, and even poor campesina mothers trying to sell trinkets, amounts to an absurd overkill, but it is very nice to be able to walk the streets, even after dark, and not be besieged by danger.

Pre-Inca sculptures at the Jaime del Castillo Collection on Jirón Ancash, Lima.
Pre-Inca sculptures at the Jaime del Castillo Collection on Jirón Ancash, Lima.
Patio of the lovely Centro Cultural Inca Garcilasco, Jirón Ucayali 391.
Patio of the lovely Centro Cultural Inca Garcilasco, Jirón Ucayali 391.

The numerous restored historic mansions of downtown Lima are beautiful to behold and an impressive number are now home to free or very affordable museums of outstanding quality, such as the Museo Central (Tues-Sat, 9am-5pm; Wed 9am-7pm; free), sponsored by the Central Reserve Bank of Peru. The archaeological exhibits in the former basement bank vaults are exquisite, and I was also delighted to see an artwork inspired by the cosmovision of the Bora people of the Peruvian Amazon, with whom I stayed in the jungle all those years ago.

Just off the Plaza Mayor, on Jirón Ancash, I came face to face with the glorious Casa de la Literatura Peruana (Tues-Sun, 10am-7pm; free), which I really enjoyed for its beautiful Art Deco glass dome over the central courtyard, and for the peaceful outdoor patio where anyone can sit and read or write, for as long as they wish. The ‘Many Voices’ installation is also impressive, where you can hear some of the 47 languages spoken in Peru’s Amazon region.

Walking along pedestrianized Ancash, which is entirely given over to tourism, I came across the splendid former home of the Bodega y Quadra y Mollinedo family (Tues-Sun, 10am-6pm; 4 Soles), with an impeccable archaeological exhibit of the building’s original colonial foundations. The ancient adobe arches and stone pavements form a striking contrast with the gleaming cedar wood of the newly restored mansion above. Just a few steps further, I was even more astonished by the free exhibit of outstanding examples of Pre-Incan pottery and art work, complete with excellent bi-lingual text panels in English and Spanish, which was once the personal collection of Jaime del Castillo (donated to the city of Lima in 2018).

The vault opening at the Museo Banco Central at Jr. Lampa 474
The vault opening at the Museo Banco Central at Jr. Lampa 474

Obviously Lima Cathedral and the Archbishop’s Palace (Daily, 30 Soles combined ticket) on the Plaza Mayor is the most famous historical monument to visit in Lima, but I was even more enchanted by the glittering side chapels of the Basilica de San Francisco (Daily, 10-noon & 4-8pm), just a block away, especially the chapel in honour of Jude the Apostle, Patron Saint of Lost Causes. More people seemed to crowd there than anywhere else!

Beautiful patio of the Casa Riva Agüero Museum of Popular Art & Traditions on Jr Camaná 549
Beautiful patio of the Casa Riva Agüero Museum of Popular Art & Traditions on Jr Camaná 549
Cloister gardens of the San Francisco Convent in Lima.
Cloister gardens of the San Francisco Convent in Lima.

Meanwhile, the convent and catacombs (15 Soles) contain a magnificent array of colonial architecture and gruesome displays of human bones, which sent me reeling for the reviving sugar rush of Lima’s wonderful churros. Talking of food, everyone knows Peru’s cuisine is fabulous, but so are the prices in the best establishments, so I contented myself with affordable roast chicken in the historic Rimac district, across the river behind the Presidential Palace, where locals and tourists alike can enjoy a three-course lunch menu for less than US$5. Next time, though, I will bring a special food budget, just to savour the culinary treasures of the more salubrious Barranco and Miraflores neighborhoods.

All in all, I can honestly say downtown Lima was a pleasant surprise, and though I hated the traffic and pollution, and especially the pea-soup sky, I will not be letting another thirty years pass before my next visit.

Natascha Scott-Stokes
Escritora

The author of travel and biography books, Natascha Scott-Stokes (www.quintaescondida.com) established herself as a pioneering traveller in 1989, when she became the first woman to travel the length of the Amazon River alone, from its headwaters in the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic off Brazil. She has been based in Chile since 2006, homeland of the artist Violeta Parra, who composed the song ‘Gracias a la Vida’, made famous by Joan Baez and Mercedes Sosa.

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