Our days and evenings in Lima are full. We taxi to Barranco, an arty resort area south of Mirraflores, to see a stunning collection of Peruvian art dating to the 16th 
century at the Pedro di Osma museum – paintings, sculpture and loads of over-the-top silver – displayed in the family villa.
We savor our choices at Pescados Capitales – a twist on the Spanish for mortal sins (pecados capitales) – eating more meltingly tender octopus and freshest fish. (Have a look at their menu at pescadoscapitales.com)
We enjoy the wood-paneled intimacy of Malabar, home to another of Lima’s famous chefs – 
Pedro Miguel Schiaffino – whose passion is creating dishes using ingredients from the Amazon.
We admire central Lima’s plazas and grand colonial architecture, and we visit Casa Aliaga, across from the presidential palace, built on land given in 1535 to Jerome de Aliaga, a Spanish pig farmer who became Pizarro’s 
treasurer in the newly conquered territory. It is still occupied by his descendants – 78 rooms, 22 bedrooms. Exquisite.
We meet the other 24 members of our ‘expedition’, our expedition leader and our National Geographic photographer. Our bags are checked, our plane tickets in hand.
Next stop Iquitos and the AMAZON!!!
Ex-pig farmer did himself well as Pizarro’s treasurer didn’t he? Who actually built his mansion? Spanish workers or native labor?On to the Amazon. Bob and I are waiting.
Not sure who built the place, but I assume the locals did the heavy lifting. I expect the Spanish grunts were also enlisted. It is incredible, though, that all the building materials and furnishings were imported – not only for his place, of course.