24-Day Machu Picchu Explorer

Lima is on the Pacific coast and was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro of Spain. It was considered the most important Spanish city in the Americas. Today the downtown area is a bustle of activity, the streets crowded with vendors and peasants who have moved in from the countryside. Lima has many treasures in its historical buildings and museums, especially the Gold Museum.

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the U.S., ranking second only to that of New York in size. The city, which attracts thousands of tourists yearly, is noted for its parks; for many and varied museums; for its enormous Music Center and Convention Center; for the fossil-rich La Brea Tar Pits; for its ethnic communities; for its climate and beaches; and for its educational institutions, including the Univ. of Southern California and the Univ. of California at Los Angeles. The 1932 and 1984 summer Olympics were held in the city.

Santiago, city (1992 pop. 4,233,060), central Chile, capital of Chile and of Santiago prov., on the Mapocho R. Chile’s largest city, housing a third of the country’s population, it is the commercial and political heart of the republic and a manufacturing center with iron and steel foundries. The city is modern in appearance, but its ground plan is colonial. Since its founding in 1541, Santiago has survived floods, earthquakes, and an attack by the Mapuche people. In the early 1970s it was the scene of mass political demonstrations.