Thinking of driving in Lima? DON'T

Lima is one of South Americas largest and most visited cities. It is also the largest desert city behind Cairo, Egypt. But it is a city of contrasts. This morning I began my exploration of Lima with a 45 minute Uber to The Plaza de Armas and the 16th-century cathedral in the heart of old Lima Centro Square. But the drive there was a little interesting, especially when the driver locked my door when we were approached by a street vendor! (The city has a huge crime rate). If you are thinking of driving here don't. The traffic is incredible, drivers toot the horns non stop, lanes mean nothing, no one indicates, about every km there is a crash and the drivers stop to argue about whose fault it is! Trucks and taxi's just think they own the dusty, potholed roads (biggest vehicle wins!) and the worst bit is where single lanes become three lanes as drivers race to overtake. It is the craziest driving I have ever seen.

But when you arrive in the preserved main square the beauty of Lima reveals itself. So far I had only seen poverty and mess, so it was good to finally find something attractive. I arrived in time to see the changing of the guard at Government Palace - which featured the Monty Python silly walk. I also visited the nearby Convento de San Francisco. This place has an ossuary where the skulls and bones of an estimated 70,000 people are decoratively arranged. There were also neat grate holes in the main chapel floor full of bones and skulls which just looked like they had been thrown down the stairs!

It was quite easy to spend 4-5 hours just wandering around the central part of Lima, but it is so crowded - Not with tourists but with locals going about their daily business! It was then time for the mad road trip back to my hotel.