According to Simplyyellowpages, the capital of Peru, Lima, is located on the Pacific coast. During the Conquest, it was a military center that belonged to the Spaniards. Now it is a huge city, the climate of which is not very favorable for living, however, this does not prevent the locals from living in a dry and hot place where millions of cars create smog every day, thanks to which it has received the reputation of “the city where the sun does not shine.” However, it will be interesting for tourists to see the city center, which is now a historical site, and the UNESCO World Organization has declared it a World Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Tourists who visit Lima can see the interesting and unusual district of Miraflores theaters, in which, in addition to theaters, there are many restaurants. Nightlife lovers should visit the bohemian Barranco quarter. The best place for shopping in Lima are huge “Indian markets” (Merchado Indio, Pueblo Libre, etc.). More picturesque places are outside the city. 80 km from the capital is the plateau of Marcahuasi, located at an altitude of almost 4,000 meters. In this place you can see an incredible number of sculptures and various rock paintings, the origin of which cannot be established to this day. Pachacamac is located 30 km south of Lima, located on a rocky cliff – this was the main religious place in the pre-Indian period, worship of the “Creator of the Earth” took place here. Those who are interested in ancient history should definitely visit the city of Cusco, which is considered the oldest city in Peru. This city was once the capital of the Inca Empire. According to legend, it was founded in 1200. Although it was the capital of a mighty empire hundreds of years ago, even today life is in full swing here, despite the fact that the city is located at an altitude of 3,500 meters. The whole city was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage, which is not surprising, because here everything from stone roads to the foundations of houses was carved by the Incas from the stones of the local rock. The streets here are very narrow and straight. For defense, several centuries ago, special stone watercourses were built here, which permeate the entire city. Cusco can definitely be called the archaeological capital of South America. In the northwest of Cusco, at an altitude of 3,500 meters, there is a complex of buildings called Sacsayhuaman. During the time of the Incas, this place was a religious and military center. This incredible fortress was built by the Incas from blocks of stone, which are fitted to each other in such a way that that there are practically no gaps between them. The walls have a zigzag shape, and the building has stood for several centuries without the slightest maintenance in excellent condition. The center of this monument is the Throne of the Inca, surrounded by 21 bastions with towers, each of which could shelter the building from a thousand soldiers. 112 km northwest of Cusco is the most famous and most mysterious monument of the Inca civilization – Machu Picchu (“old mountain”). The ancient sacred city of the Incas, around the true purpose of which there are still disputes, covers an area of about 33 thousand hectares on a flat mountain plateau located at an altitude of 2700 m above sea level in the Urubamba Valley. The excavations carried out in Machu Picchu revealed to the world the famous Gate of the Sun “Intihuatana” and an observatory, carved into the rock or built from carefully fitted giant blocks of palaces, temples (including the famous Temple of the Three Windows and the “Sacred Square”) and more than two hundred other buildings, defensive walls, stairs, drains and pools, thousands of terraces carved into the rocks for cultivation of crops, the Palace of the Moon at the foot of the neighboring Mount Huayna -Picchu (“young mountain”), as well as numerous burials and objects of the pre-Inca period One of the main pearls of Peru is the Nazca desert, which is located in the southern part of the country. This desert is a huge (500 sq. km) stone plateau, which is indented with huge drawings, visible only from a height. The drawings can reach a size of 40 km and are made in one line, which is carved on a rocky surface. Scientists believe that these drawings were created in 350 – 700 BC. but it is not yet known for what purpose this was done.
National cuisine of Peru
Despite the great influence of European nations, Peruvian cuisine remains national and unique in its own way. Culinary traditions were adopted from the Indians who once lived here, the gifts that the Peruvian land brings are used in cooking. Common to all peru is a huge amount of pepper, garlic and potatoes. Corn and other vegetables. Which are present in most national dishes. The most popular dish is “saltado”, which is a kind of vegetable stew with a lot of seasonings. Fans of exotic and spicy dishes should try the spicy soup “soupa a la creola”. The composition of this soup includes beef meat, noodles, eggs and, of course, hot peppers. In the Amazon Valley, as well as on the Pacific coast, a variety of seafood is used in abundance.
