Another lost civilisation

Set out for a stroll this morning and came across the ancient site of Huaca Pucllana which is an adobe pyramid from about 500 years CE. It is a pre-Inca ruin and was built by a civilisation called Lima Culture. They were into irrigation, which is interesting as it never rains in Lima, so they utilised the rivers coming off the mountains to grow crops. One of the crops they grew was cotton! and it's believed they were the first to grow naturally occurring brown cotton. After about 300 years they were wiped out by another group called the Wari Culture who turned the site from an administration centre into a sacred burial site for nobility. The first tomb was only found in 2008. There must have been a billion bricks used in its construction. Eventually the Wari were wiped out by the Inca's in the 1400's, who of course were wiped out by the Spanish in the 1600's. It was pretty interesting to find this pyramid on the middle of the city, and is was great value to at only 7.5soles aged discount for a 1 hour guided tour.

I then continued my walk to the Mercado Central, which is a collection of stalls offering fresh produce and other Peruvian goods. I had no idea what most of the fruit on display was! I then wandered back to my hotel through the Kennedy Park, which is also known as cat park. The story goes that they had a rat infestation in the 1980's and the cats were bought in the control the rats and never left. The locals now feed and look after them! Early start tomorrow as I leave for Ecuador.