Zwiedzacz.
WE GOT UP LATE. USUALLY WORKS THIS WAY AFTER A FAIRLY LONG FLIGHT WITH A 7 HOUR TIME DIFFERENCE.
OUR HOTEL ACCOMMODATION DOESN’T AMAZE, BUT ALSO ISN’T BAD. DECENT SIZE. HOWEVER THE LACK OF THE WARDROBE, SHELVES AND TOWEL HOOKS IN THE BATHROOM IS DISTURBING. WE WOULD PREFER ALSO AN AIR-CONDITIONING, RATHER THAN THE WINDMILL – BUT THAT’S A NOT IMPORTANT DETAIL. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY HAVE SIMILAR TYPES OF PLUGS AND SOCKETS WE USE IN POLAND, AND THE MAIN ENTRANCE DOORS ARE PRACTICALLY CLOSED ALL THE TIME. ALL THIS FOR ABOUT € 24 PER NIGHT.
WE LEFT THE HOTEL. RIGHT AFTER TURNING INTO THE WIDER STREET WE ARE HITTING THE WOMAN SELLING SOME SANDWICHES IN PLASTIC BAGS, AND SOMETHING WHAT FROM A DISTANCE LOOKED LIKE THE TEA. QUESTIONING ABOUT, WHAT IS THE FILLING OF STUFFED BREAD ROLLS, DIDN’T WORK AT ALL. THE ONLY THING WE FOUND WAS THE PRESENCE OF CHEESE. OUR ITALIAN IN THIS CASE DID NOT HELP …
SOMETHING BLACKY STUCK OUT OF ROLLS, TOO. THAT WAS WHAT SO WHET OUR APPETITE. AS WE ARE EXPLORERS-RESEARCHERS WE INVESTED ALL 4 PEN (US $ 1,23) IN A FIRST LOCAL BREAKFAST, CONSISTING OF 2 SANDWICHES AND ONE DRINK. THIS DRINK – NOT AT ALL THE TEA, LOOKS JUST LIKE A RUNNY, “KISSELISH” LIQUID IS CALLED QUINUA – FORTUNATELY WE BOUGHT ONLY ONE. YUCK. THE BLACKY STAFF HAS TURNED OUT TO BE SLIGHTLY GREASY BLACK PUDDING. WOMBAT DEFEAT HER ROLL SOMEHOW. I HAVE GIVEN UP …
HAVING REACHED THE BEAUTIFUL PLAZA SAN MARTIN, WE TURNED TOWARDS THE PASSAGE TO THE PLAZA MAJOR. TO THE LEFT BEFORE ENTERING, IT IS A JIRÓN OCOÑA STREET, FULL OF EXCHANGE OFFICES. HERE YOU WILL FIND PERHAPS THE BEST RATES FOR BUCKS AND EURO. COMPARE TO AIRPORT, THEY PAY MINIMUM 10 PEN MORE FOR EACH US$ 100 CHANGED.
THE PASSAGE IS OBVIOUSLY QUITE CROWDED AND FULL OF BETTER FOOD PLACES. IN ONE OF THEM I BOUGHT COFFEE AND A ROLL WITH SOME LOCAL STUFF. PROBABLY ON THE BASIS OF THE CHICKEN. THE FAIRLY GOOD SECOND BREKKIE @ 4.5 PEN.
WE REACHED THE PLAZA MAYOR WITH THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT BUILDINGS OF THE CITY: THE CATHEDRAL, WITH THE FORMER SEAT OF THE ARCHBISHOP AND PRESIDENTIAL PALACE. THERE WAS A LOT OF POLICE HERE IN COMBAT GEAR. WE EVEN NOTICED AN ARMOURED CAR WITH A WATER CANNON.
WE WENT TO THE ARCHBISHOP’S PALACE – TODAY THE MUSEUM, AND OF COURSE TO THE CATHEDRAL. BOTH DEFINITELY WORTH SEEING. IN THE PALACE THERE IS EVEN AN POLONICUM – THE OLD GRAPHICS DEPICTING SAINT STANISLAUS KOSTKA. THE COLLECTIVE TICKET COSTS 30 PEN/pp. THERE ARE NO BENEFITS FOR PENSIONERS. SIGHTSEEING TIME APPROX. 120 min.
AT THE EXIT FROM THE SQUARE – BETWEEN THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE AND THE CHURCH BUILDINGS, MOVING TOWARDS THE TRAIN STATION – WE WERE ABLE TO BUY, FROM A TRADITIONALLY DRESSED PERUVIAN FEMALE HAWKER, A BAG OF COCA LEAVES. THEY ARE COMMONLY USED HERE AS LOCAL ANTIDOTES FOR THE SYMPTOMS ACCOMPANYING RADICAL CHANGES OF THE SEA LEVEL ALTITUDE. YOU CAN CHEW IT – SO DO THE LOCALS, OR DRINK IN THE FORM OF TEA, FOR EXAMPLE.
WE WENT FURTHER REACHING THE LOCAL RAILWAY STATION (DESAMPARADOS STATION), AND EXAMINED THE COMMEMORATING BOARD OF OUR NEXT, MUCH MORE USEFUL FELLOW COUNTRYMAN – ERNEST MALINOWSKI.
CONVENT OF ST. FRANCISCAN WAS NEXT TARGET. UNFORTUNATELY, HERE SOMETHING WAS BEING PREPARED AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO ENTER. MAKING A BIG CIRCLE AROUND THE OLD TOWN WE ENCOUNTER THE NEXT STREET OF CURRENCY EXCHANGES. PRICES HERE ARE LOWER THAN THOSE SEEN BEFORE.
BY THE WAY, WE ARE ALSO HAPPENED UPON TWO VERY WELL LOOKING RESTAURANTS, SELLING THE LOCAL SPECIALITY – CEVICHE.
AS WE RAMBLED FURTHER, WE ENTERED THE NATIONAL PANTHEON. ADMISSION 1 PEN. TIME NEEDED – ABOUT 20 min. IT’S INTERESTING WHEN OUR „CHOSEN” (I MEAN POLITICIANS) COME UP WITH THIS IDEA. MAYBE OUR STAR – MR. WASZCZYKOWSKI SHOULD THINK ABOUT IT?
SINCE EVERYTHING WHAT IS TO WATCH INSIDE THE BUILDINGS, IS CLOSED AROUND 5 PM, WE HAD A FREE EVENING. WE DECIDED TO APPROACH THE LARGE DISCOUNT, 200 m FROM THE HOTEL TO MAKE SMALL SHOPPING. MAINLY SPARKLING MINERAL WATER AND POSSIBLY SOMETHING FOR BREAKFAST. REFRESHED, WE MOVED TO ONE OF THE TWO, SEEN A FEW HOURS EARLIER RESTAURANT FOR DINNER.
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THE FIRST WE CAME ACROSS, WAS EL PUERTO NORTEÑO RESTAURANT. WE ORDERED 3 DIFFERENT DISHES – ALL CEVICHE. AS FIRST THE SHELLS OF TYPE OF SAINT JACQUES WERE GIVEN, JUST ABOUT 1/3 SMALLER IN SIZE THEN ORIGINAL ONES. THEY CALL IT ENTREE. WE – MAIN DISH. YUM-YUM. THEN WE GOT DELICIOUS, HUGE DISHES – ONE FISH AND PRAWNS, THE OTHER – FISH AND OCTOPUS. TO IMPROVE DIGESTION, BEER. COST – 102 PEN. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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