Today we are in Peru and have just returned from a sightseeing tour of Lima. Just a shame Machu Pichu is so far away but that entailed a few flights and rather a lot of £££!

We are docked in Callao which is an extremely poor and rundown port town. It was about a half hour drive to Lima and a very warm day.

We stopped at the Plaza Mayor Square to see the Cathedral and Government Palace. The cathedral contains some very ornate religious art. The original building was erected in 1555 and reconstructed after the 1746 earthquake. We then had a short walk to the 16c Santo Domingo convent which contains the remains of three Peruvian saints, San Martin de Porres, Santo Domingo and San Marcos.

We continued on to the Parque del Amor in Miraflores. Very similar to Park Guell in Barcelona. As usual the unpredictable South American weather prevented us from what should have been lovely views over the Pacific Ocean. More fog!

Before returning to the ship we went to the Casa Garcia Alvarado, a house going back to Peru’s old colonial days, where we were greeted by Ana Maria Alvarado with pisco sours and canapés.