Since my heritage is New Mexican, when I heard about the pyramids at Huaca Pucllana being made of adobe, I listened hard. And yes, it is adobe, but because there is no rain in Lima, some has lasted over 1500 years. And it is not made with straw or any live plants - strictly clay, water, shells, and rocks. It is estimated that many millions of blocks were made to complete the whole structure - over 400 years. That is a lot of construction!
In order to survive in Lima, the original settlers needed to figure out how to eat. They built ditches from water sources in the Andes, and they irrigated numberous crops. Besides potatoes, beans, Lima beans, and corn, they also grew four different colors of cotton. I didn't know cotton even had different colors other than natural dyes! Alpaca and llamas were also prevalent, as well as guinea pigs - I think we get to sample that in a few days.
And finally there is such a dog as the Peruvian hairless dog. They use them for guard dogs, and although they are friendly, if someone strays into their territory, they aren't so nice. All I could think about is the litigation that would occur in the US if we let guard dogs run amongst the visitors. But if someone needs a hypoallergic dog, this one might be the one.
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