Peru - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 724

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pickpockets). A little further east, an
ornate Chinese gateway ushers visitors
into Lima's Barrio Chino . This
pedestrianized section of the street is,
rather graphically, commonly referred to
as Calle Capón (Castration Street) after
some of the practices the Chinese used
to fatten up their animals. As you'd
expect, this is where many of Lima's best
(from cheap to super swanky) Chinese
restaurants are, crammed into a few
bustling streets. There's also an indoor
mall selling Asian goods, and don't forget
to look down at the modest walk of fame
paying tribute to many Limeños who
could afford to pay for a tile.

5-8pm; free), birthplace of the saint.
Directly behind the church, a small
garden (9am-1pm & 3-6pm) offers a
pleasant escape from the chaos of Lima
and many Peruvians come here to drop
cards with their wishes down the well.
A few blocks south on Tacna, at the
junction with Huancavelica, is the Iglesia
de Las Nazarenas (daily 6am-noon &
4-8.30pm; free), small and outwardly
undistinguished but with an interesting
history. After the 1655 earthquake,
a mural of the crucifixion, painted by
an Angolan slave on the wall of his hut,
was apparently the only object left
standing in the district. Its survival was
deemed a miracle - the cause of popular
processions ever since - and it was on this
site that the church was founded. The
widespread and popular processions for
the Lord of Miracles , to save Lima from
another earthquake, take place every
autumn (Oct 6, 7, 18, 19, 28 & Nov 1).

Jirón Ucayali
Walking back towards Plaza Mayor, you'll
find that Jr. Ucayali has a few interesting
buildings. The Iglesia San Pedro , on the
corner with Jirón Azángaro (Mon-Sat
9.30-11.30am & 5-6pm; free), was built
by the Jesuits in 1636 and the plain
exterior is completely at odds with its
richly decorated interior, a world of gold
leaf, ornate tiles and impressive altars.
A short walk west on the corner with
Jr. Lampa is the excellent Museo Banco
Central de Reserva del Perú (Mon, Tues,
Thurs, Fri 10am-5pm, Wed 10am-7pm,
Sat & Sun 10am-1pm; free; W bcrp
.gob.pe), whose permanent collection
includes textiles, ceramics and a
security-heavy room full of gold and
precious artefacts, as well as a short
history of Peruvian painting with good
information in English.

Jirón de la Unión
The stretch between Plaza Mayor and
Plaza San Martín is now the main
shopping street, with everything from
designer brands to thrift stores. Nestled
among the modern shops is perhaps the
most noted of all religious buildings in
Lima, the Iglesia de La Merced , on the
corner with Jirón Miro Quesada (daily
8am-12.30pm & 4-8.30pm; free). Built
on the site where the first Latin Mass in
Lima was celebrated, the original church
was demolished in 1628 to make way
for the present building. Much of its
beautiful colonial facade is not original,
but look out for the cross of Padre Urraca ,
whose silver staff is smothered by
hundreds of kisses every hour and witness
to the fervent prayers of a constantly
shifting congregation.

Santa Rosa de Lima and
Las Nazarenas
Heading west down Jr. Lima from the
Plaza Mayor you'll pass the Iglesia y
Convento Santo Domingo on the corner
with Camaná (Mon-Sat 8am-1pm &
2-6pm; monastery S5, church free).
It's here that you can see the skull and
other remains of the first saint canonized
in the Americas, Santa Rosa de Lima,
along with those of another Peruvian
saint, Martín de Porres.
If you continue on to Avenida Tacna,
you'll come to the terracotta Santuario de
Santa Rosa de Lima (daily 7am-noon &

Plaza San Martín and around
Plaza San Martín is virtually always busy,
with traffic tooting its way around the
square and buskers, mime artists and
soapbox políticos attracting small circles
of interested faces. It has been (and
continues to be) the site of most of
Lima's political rallies. Of note is the
huge Gran Hotel Bolívar , not for its rooms