Lima, Peru: The 'City of Kings' reigns again

(ANDINA). Lima or ‘The City of Kings’, once a place to leave as quickly as possible, reigns again showing off its many colonial and pre-conquistador glories, according to an article in UK online newspaper The Telegraph.
“Lima must have one of the most fabulous sunsets in the world. It helps, of course, that the city faces due west across the Pacific, so the setting sun can flood into the beaches and pick out the last surfers elegantly essaying a few lines,” the report says.

Up above on the cliffs, paragliders spiral past the smoked-black windows of the nearby hotels, many of which have infinity pools on their rooftops.

It all seems very Californian. The crowds promenading along the seafront eating ice cream and taking in the spectacle have a prosperous feel.

The article also highlights Lima's boom in recent years. "Even the taxi drivers no longer have anything to complain about," it states.

Peru, like neighboring nations Chile and Brazil, has largely missed out on the worldwide recession, helped by strong mineral exports and a surprisingly conservative banking system.

The report also recounts how the Shining Path years – when the country was terrorised by Maoist revolutionaries – seem to be a distant memory.