Lima (Callao), Peru

            Sunday, 17 Dec 2023 – Our ship was scheduled to dock, overnight, at Lima (Callao), Peru at 11:00 AM.  El Callao is the chief seaport of Peru and is located 9.3 miles from Lima.  A large naval base, a military high school, a national university, and a naval hospital are located in Callao. 

Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru, with a population of more than 9 million making it the third-largest city in the Americas, behind São Paulo and Mexico City.  Lima is home to one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the New World.  The National University of San Marcos, founded on 12 May 1551, during the Spanish colonial empire, is the first officially established and the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas.

We had booked an excursion for the port, Modern Lima & the Osma Museum.  We enjoyed our usual breakfast in the Terrace Café.  Then we went to the Marina Lounge at 12:45 PM to begin our excursion.  Our tour guide was Saldana and our driver was Julio.  Our driver took us from the city center into the scenic districts of San Isidro, Miraflores and Barranco, while Saldana narrated.  Our first stop was the Olivar de San Isidro, a vast park nestled in an olive grove; the café-lined squares and modern apartment high-rises of fashionable Miraflores; and the artsy belle époque charm of Barranco.

Our next stop was the Pedro de Osma Museum and Gallery, housing the lifetime collection of a connoisseur of Peruvian viceregal art.  The museum is situated within a magnificent 1906 belle époque residence, that is a work of art on its own.  The artwork spans from the 5th to 18th century and captures a vivid sense of both Peruvian cultural identity and regal Spanish heritage.  There were numerous depictions of Madonna and Child.  During the tour, we met Don & Pippa from the UK.  Pippa took a couple of photos of us sitting on a bench and e-mailed them to us.

We were back in our cabin by 4:45 PM.  Before our usual dinner in the Terrace Café, we went to the Horizons and danced to the 4 Corners Band for 30 minutes.

Monday, 18 Dec 2023 – Still docked at Callao, we went to our usual breakfast.  There weren’t very many passengers there.  This was the last day of our Miami to Lima cruise and the start of our Lima to Buenos Airies Cruse.  It appeared that very few passengers were booked for both segments.  When we booked this cruise segment, we were responding to an offer that included monetary cruise credits, four ship excursions, and beer/wine with lunch and dinner.   Usually, passengers have only a choice of one of the three.  This offer was not available when we booked the first segment, which was booked about three months later.

After breakfast, Sally didn’t feel up to swimming, so she napped while Jesse went swimming alone.  There were no other passengers in the pool.  While in the pool and hot tub, several “new” passengers stopped to chat.  He did see Don and Pippa from yesterday’s excursion, who told him that they had e-mailed the photos to us.  Sally was awake when Jesse returned to the cabin and wanted to swim, so Jesse returned to the pool with her.  Sally swam about 20 laps.   During our swim, one man joined us, Gavin from the UK, previously from Scotland.  He had just joined the cruise in Callao.

Before dinner, we danced to the 4 Corners Band for 30 minutes.  We weren’t sure when the complimentary wine would start, so we did not order any the first day.