Around the World with DFP
We awake this morning at beautiful Waikiki Beach in Oahu, Hawaii. Taking in the sea breezes, we gather our things and head off to the statue of King Kamehameha the Great, the 11th landmark token of our virtual trip around the world. Here we learn that our next destination is to be:
12. Lima, Peru (1998)
Our voyage takes us to the Pacific coast of South America and the city of Lima, capital of Peru. Don’t worry about finding a flight this time. Let’s just charter a plane and all fly there together! After all, this is just a virtual trip, and cost is no matter. So “mahalo”, Oahu! Thanks, and we hope to return some day.
Founded as the “City of Kings” by the Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro, in 1535; Lima, Peru is the fifth most populous city in all of South America. It is one of the financial and cargo hubs of the continent. The city is actually located in a coastal desert, but the proximity of the ocean has an overall cooling effect. La Plaza de Armas of Lima is not only a popular meeting spot; it is the historic center of Lima and a place where colonial architecture dominates. Let’s stroll around the plaza.
You will notice that many of the buildings here, such as the Archbishop’s Palace, feature exquisitely carved wooden balconies. Many of these balconies have sponsors or donors, who pay for the maintenance and help to preserve this colonial aspect of the city. Of course, all of these balconies started out as various pieces of plain wood. Try your hand at sorting through these wooden pieces and win a “silver medal” in two tries or less by clicking on the photo below:
Destroyed several times by earthquakes, the Cathedral of Lima is a testament to the persistence of both the early Spanish colonists and subsequent generations of Peruvians to keep this center of worship alive. Fashioned largely in the Baroque style; the Cathedral has intricately carved wooden choirs and cedar altars, priceless religious statues, and historical paintings. To take a 360-degree tour of the Cathedral, click on the photo below.
The authenticated remains of Francisco Pizarro are interred in the Lima Cathedral. There is a special chapel inside dedicated to the conquistador. His tomb is here surrounded by beautiful mosaic work, much of it trimmed with gold leaf paint. There is also a mural above the tomb that depicts Pizarro’s arrival in Peru. A nearby tourist takes a photo with a flash (a no-no in these old cathedrals), and the mural-at second glance-seems to have changed. Can you spot the five differences between these two versions?
 
Peru has a rich history which dates back far before the Spanish conquest and even the Inca empire. The best place to soak in all this history is at the Museo de la Nacion in Lima. Here you can view beadwork, necklaces, royal clothing going back to the Moche era. Models of excavations throughout the country are represented; and artifacts from the Incan and Spanish colonial times are plentiful. Let’s take a walk around the museum by clicking on its photo (bottom left). There’s also a challenge to be found here: unscramble various words (below right) relating to the museum to uncover the key phrase!
 
Let’s head off now to Miraflores, a suburb of Lima located along the ocean. Miraflores represents the affluent side of Lima, and is a hotspot for its most upscale shopping, entertainment, and residential areas. The Parque del Amor (Love Park) is situated here, but first we need to find it. Our challenge is to navigate through Miraflores and come out by the park. Enter the maze at the top right and exit at bottom left.
The Parque del Amor is aptly named. It was opened on Valentine’s Day in 1993 and is a popular trysting place for couples. Offering a terrific ocean view, with paragliders and surfers sometimes in the background; the entrance to the park is marked by the sculpture “El Beso”, depicting a couple in a horizontal embrace. Click on the photo below for a quick glance around the park. This photo also serves as the 12th landmark token of our virtual trip around the world. To collect the token photo, go to the Links tab and find it in one of the featured links (or links within those links).
If you're still full of energy and up for some more travel, let's enter "The Race" and compete against other teams in a race around Peru to gather and solve clues and win the grand prize! All fictional, but great fun.
If not, let's stop for some dinner and entertainment! So let’s hop into one of the many “penas peruanas” in Miraflores. These are clubs and dining establishments that feature traditional and folkloric Peruvian music, often with customer participation. Enjoy!
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1. Flight from Tokyo to Honolulu with the shortest travel time: Korean Airlines Flights 2/53 via Seoul, Korea>12 hours, 5 minutes total travel time
2. Nuuanu Pali Word Search
3. Parade of canoes photo differences:
4. Waimea Bay Surfing: Were you able to end any surfing run with positive points?
5. Token Location: Hawaii Travel Guide>Downtown Honolulu>King Kamehameha the Great Statue
6. Waikiki Jigsaw Puzzle: Did you complete this to get your room at the Sheraton?
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Before we can fly back home and complete our virtual trip around the world, there is one final challenge remaining. Each stop of our trip required us to collect a landmark token by finding and identifying a specific photo in the links provided. If you were successful at this, you should have collected 12 landmark tokens. These are all shown below, but in random order! Your challenge is to sort these landmark token photos in sequential order of our visits to the places they represent. If you get it wrong, there is a one day travel penalty! Good Luck, and see you back home!
Final answers to appear May 25th
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