Although there are tons of ceramic objects on display, the geometric shapes on this pot and the expressiveness of the face in clay, make this one of the most memorable.

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IF YOU GO: Lima has just a few museums worthwhile, this being one of them.  Don’t miss the Incan Gold Museum or some of the art galleries just off the main plaza.  Being the center of the Spanish world in South America, Lima has an interesting smattering of European and native architecture, art and religion.

It was enough to get us to go to Zacatecas.  The 3,000 indigenous masks on display at Museo Rafael Coronel in Zacatecas are from all over Mexico and represent significant cultural history.  The collection is colorful and outstanding, but most interesting perhaps is the incredible variety of rituals masks. Ranging from the bizarre to the cheerful, this museum really started our own mask collection.  From that point on, we purchased any and all indigenous masks we found interesting as we crossed the globe.  Today we have a strange collection of three dozen masks representing dozens of countries, ethnic groups and civilizations.

Our collection is housed in our little home, but the incredible display in Zacatecas is housed in the restored section of a 16th century convent, convento de San Francisco.  For the $2 entrance fee not only do you get to see the masks, but you also get to walk around the grounds, which are absolutely delightful.  Bring a picnic basket, the museum had the softest, greenest grass I’ve ever seen outside of a golf course!

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IF YOU GO: Zacatecas is a bit off the tourist path, but it’s well worth it.  We had a wonderful time (except for the gas delivery man), and the town has a great mix of culture, history and modern conveniences.  The cathedral is architecturally interesting and there are museums, a silver mine and hiking to keep you busy.  Local nightlife is good, but you shouldn’t forget that it’s at 2500m so the altitude may affect your energy level.  It’s worth the flight or long bus ride from the capital, if only to spend some time relaxing and soaking in modern Mexican culture.  The museum entrance fee was $2 when we went and there are local gift shops in the area that will sell replicas.

Traditionally, the native tribes of South America used gold for religious purposes.  It often adorned ritual objects, like this sacrificial knife, or tumi.  Made of gold, bronze or silver, tumi’s were used to yes, cut the beating hearts out of animals during the annual sun worship.  Today hanging a tumi in your home is a medallion of good luck in Peru.

The Spanish conquistadors may never have found el dorado, but Colombia and Peru host lavish collections of Incan and pre-Incan gold in their museums.  The metalwork is intricate and fascinating considering the tools (or lack there of) available at the time.  We highly recommend checking out the Museo d’oro in Bogota if you get a chance, the items and descriptions are well worth an afternoon.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: There’s something very tantalizing about gold.  Even today it mesmerizes us in the same way it mesmerized the conquistadors. It’s worth it to check out the gold museums in both Lima and Bogota to get a sense of what the explorers saw.  You’ll have a much better understanding of what wet their appetite so to speak.  Traveling exhibits can be found in the US and Europe, so don’t miss the opportunity close to home.   If the conquistadors are more your thing, catch cheap flights to alicante from london and start from the beginning of a conquistadors journey along the Iberian coast.