So today we spent trapsing around Lima. We got to bed early last night and got up reasonably early to get into the zone. We worked out (with the help of the hostel reception) that there's a new bus system in Lima. It's like a bus way that goes through the major neighbourhoods and uses a go-card like system.

So we rock up at the station, 5 minutes after the ticket seller finished.... okay, we'll work out the machines.... turns out you can't buy a single ticket - you have to have a card. So after talking with the security guard we give a random man our money, he puts the extra credit on his card and swipes us in. Thank you! Apparently, it's 1.50 soles (roughly 75c) whereever you want to go on the buses. It's just like a train, it stops at each stop regardless of people hitting buttons or hailing it down - and all banana buses!

So we got downtown and found Jr. de la Union, the main pedestrian mall - it's the centre of the city and ends up in the Plaza Mayor. It was a really pretty walk, cleaner than we expected and with heaps of people around. A nice mix of latin american fashion shops and trinkets sellers and communication stores.

We got up to the plaza and it is awesome! One whole side of the plaza is the President's house - although apparently the current guy opts to live at his own place rather than the palace and therefore isn't there too often. Another side is the cathedral and the archbishop's residence - both have been turned into museums.

We were searching for the Spanish Inquisition Museum - it took a while to find it but we eventually did and it was great! The english tours were full so we just looked around by ourselves. All the signs are in Spanish and Jane did her best to translate them all for us - we understood most of the information there. It was an interesting exhibit - it's in the actual building that the inquisition was based in Peru - so it's good history. They have (and you can go through part of) the basement torture spaces - which was pretty confronting to think that 150 years ago there were people there being water boarded, hung up by their wrists and whipped etc etc. Basically it seemed like whatever sort of torture it took to make them confess.

We read (hoping that we understand fully!) that the accused had no opporunity to know who accused them, that they were obliged to fight the charge (with a lawyer) but if the tribunal found them guilty they had to confess. If they confessed freely they may have had economic charges or jail time. If they didn't confess, they were tortured until they confessed. Seems pointless to demand someone fight a charge with a lawyer and then decide they are guilty and torture them till they confess. They had to confess again a few days later without torture, so that the inquisitors knew they "weren't just saying so to make the pain stop". Yeaaaaahhhhh. Anyway, people were charged with being heretics, jewish, prostitutes, witches etc.

Then we went back to the beautiful plaza to have our lunch - but it was shut. There was riot police at each entrance. So we went to the church steps and stopped there to eat (homemade wraps). Right as we were eating our wraps a school group arrived. They were soooo interested in talking to us. One of the girls was trying to convince her classmates that we were her aunt and uncle. One was telling me how she wants to be lady gaga when she grows up - all her friends call her Lady. They were in grade 5 in primary school and apparently don't learn any english, but a few of the boys tried out the phrases they knew. Some where too shy to talk but just sat around staring at us. Their teacher told them off a few times for harrassing us.

Then, Jane pulled out the camera to take a photo of them with Karl. They FLOCKED around him!!! We were talking to about 5 of them, but when i pulled out the camera about 15 of them tried to get into the photo - this is the best shot we got! Then their teacher called them away and we ate the rest of our lunch.

After lunch we went to the museum in the archbishops house and the cathedral, which were both good - lots of religious art and statues etc. All the signs were in Spanish and Jane's brain was getting very tired! Also rather difficult to translate artistic periods and styles!!

We made it back by bus and had a lazy evening - went and got a hamburger from a local joint and tried a Peruvian dessert that was yummy! Surprisa Limonesa - A not-very-sweet caramel covered with merange - pretty good.

Tomorrow we're off to Pisco on the bus - our first adventure into rather unchartered terrain! We will let you know how it goes :)