April 11, 2016

Lima, Peru (April, 2016)

Our friends, the Kemps arrived to Santiago, Chile from Perth, Australia and after a quick overnight at our house, we were off to Peru, starting in Lima. We redeemed 10,000 British Airways Avios miles per person plus $45.00 in taxes (60,000 Avios plus $270.00 total) for the one way flight to Lima from Santiago. Once we arrived in Lima, we redeemed a one night stay certificate that we got from having the Citi Hilton Reserve Visa Card for a free night at the Hilton Lima Miraflores (the normal cost would have been 50,000 Hilton Hhonors points per night). The hotel is in a nice part of the city and has a rooftop infinity pool that overlooks the ocean and a small part of the city.

Cody, chilling at the rooftop pool at the Hilton Lima Miraflores.

Harvey, Nash, Ady, Zander, and Levi in the hot tub at the top of the Hilton Lima Miraflores.

Wandering around the park in Miraflores, Lima.

We wandered around Miraflores for a while and then decided to go to the Cacao Museum where we were taught about the cacao bean, how it is harvested, and what it is used for, and then we were able to make some chocolate treats of our own. This was nowhere near as cool and authentic as the cacao farm that we went to outside of Guayaquil, Ecuador in September, 2015, but it had many of the same aspects and we were able to learn about how cacao beans are converted into chocolate. We were able to use molds that they provided and make our own chocolate treats filled with all kinds of fillings ranging from almonds to coconut to gummy bears.

The crew, making chocolate creations at the Cacao factory.

Plaza de Armas in Lima.

Sawyer, in the rooftop pool at the Hilton Lima Miraflores.

Levi, Ryder, Nash, and Harvey in the hot tub.

Kids playing in the rooftop pool of the Hilton Lima Miraflores.

Kemp and Whipperman kids in front of one of the cathedrals in Miraflores, Lima.

Filling chocolate treats with coconut, almonds, crisps, gummy bears, hot chilis, and other great stuff at the Cacao factory in Lima.

Nash, Ryder, and Levi making chocolate treats.

The kids in front of the Chocolate Factory.

Kids in front of the Hilton Lima Miraflores.

We got up early the next morning and headed to the center of the city and toured Iglesia San Francisco and the catacombs below the church. The tour was too long and not really our cup of tea, but the catacombs beneath the cathedral were pretty cool to see.

Peruvian version of the Last Supper.

Skulls and bones below the church.

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