Well, this week, I began Pilate classes. It is my first time taking a formal Pilates class. Despite it being in Spanish. I am really enjoying them. I really don’t understand a whole lot…inhale and exhale is about the extent of it. The instructor is very good and I can pretty much follow what she is demonstrating. I have signed up for a month of classes, three times a week. Just after two classes, I have found stomach muscles that I didn’t know I had!
Wednesday, Pam, Mary and I went to the Museo d’Oro (Gold Museum). It was quite the collection of not only gold items from early Peruvian civilizations but also, an amazing collection of weapons. My favorite part, though, were the hundreds of Chilean and Peruvian stir-ups! My gosh, what a collection.
Here in Lima, they have an amazing system of buses/vans called combis. It is what most people use to get around the city since there is no subway system. I have always wanted to get on a combi, but could never quite figure out the system. So, this past Thursday, my maid took Mary, Pam and I on a combi to the center of Lima. What an adventure! What would cost about $4.00 in a taxi only cost 30 cents! We arrived safely, enjoyed a wonderful lunch overlooking the Plaza de Armas and toured the Cathedral. The Cathedral was built in the late 16th century. The front is made of cement but the interior is all wood. It is an amazing structure. The body of Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conqueror of Peru, is buried in a beautiful chapel in this Cathedral. The chapel is decorated in Italian mosaic. It was just beautiful. There are 10 other side chapels in this church that were just as incredible. I didn’t have my camera with me, but the next trip downtown, I will be certain to take it. The choir stall is another amazing feature in this church. It is all hand carved and is connected with a “tongue and groove” system. It took the artisan, Pedro Noguera, 28 years to complete. I believe in one of my tours that it was explained that this cathedral sits higher because the Spanish built on top of an Inca place of worship…just another way to exert their authority and religious beliefs over the indigenous people. Anyway, the day was a fun adventure and I hope to explore more of Lima via the combis!
Friday, March 7th, I had lunch with one of my teachers from my Spanish school and met her mother. It was a wonderful afternoon and I do hope to be able to visit with Susan’s mom, Kika, more. The only problem is she lives in the center of Lima and I live in Miraflores…but, that isn’t such a big problem any longer since I know what combi to take to get to the center! Kika doesn’t speak English, so it would be great practice for my Spanish.
The other night, David and I were walking through the park and we saw an owl flying around. It was real close as it was gliding close to the cliffs that the park is situated on. Then, yesterday, I looked out the window and saw the dolphins swimming around in the ocean.
All for now….