Well, we are here in Lima and let me say, wow. I love it.
We live in Miraflores, which is the posh neighborhood and while most people would probably say I'm not seeing the real Lima, which is supposed to be the definition of a third world country, I don't care. At least here, I can go out of the building I'm in and walk around. Not that San Jose wasn't safe, because it was, I just didn't have anything around our hotel. Here though, I have the most amazing place to go and sit:
Kennedy Park aka the cat park. Apparently, at the cat park, people would just abandon their poor kitties. So sad. But people will feed them and the vets will check them out for free. They are sweet and I go and pet them. I wash my hands, I promise.
The grocery store is 2 short blocks away and there's an awesome mall down the street called LarcoMall that is built into the side of the cliffs. Although we live near the ocean, it is never a clear day here. In the winter (remember? we crossed the Equator), there is an ever present fog called la garua. So, it's like Seattle, but it never rains. It's a dusty landscape, but still, a great place to live. Or, at least in Miraflores.
The people are great too, as always. But our biggest surprise: we understand them. Like, really well. They speak just as fast as Costa Ricans...but it's easier. A lot. And this is after all the Costa Ricans warned us we wouldn't understand them. An Argentinian woman we met said that it was probably because Peruvians have less of an accent. It makes you feel pretty good though, hearing such fast Spanish, and knowing exactly what was said.
This weekend, we stayed here in Lima and had an eventful time. Saturday, we went on a food tour, because Peru is quickly becoming a foodie destination. And we aren't ones to argue. The food is incredible! There's so much more to it and the culture revolves around it.
The next day, we went out to the parade, which was interesting. Parades are always a great way to view more culture in a tiny amount of time. So, here's the parade:
We live in Miraflores, which is the posh neighborhood and while most people would probably say I'm not seeing the real Lima, which is supposed to be the definition of a third world country, I don't care. At least here, I can go out of the building I'm in and walk around. Not that San Jose wasn't safe, because it was, I just didn't have anything around our hotel. Here though, I have the most amazing place to go and sit:
Kennedy Park aka the cat park. Apparently, at the cat park, people would just abandon their poor kitties. So sad. But people will feed them and the vets will check them out for free. They are sweet and I go and pet them. I wash my hands, I promise.
The grocery store is 2 short blocks away and there's an awesome mall down the street called LarcoMall that is built into the side of the cliffs. Although we live near the ocean, it is never a clear day here. In the winter (remember? we crossed the Equator), there is an ever present fog called la garua. So, it's like Seattle, but it never rains. It's a dusty landscape, but still, a great place to live. Or, at least in Miraflores.
Parasailing is very popular here
See that fog?
The people are great too, as always. But our biggest surprise: we understand them. Like, really well. They speak just as fast as Costa Ricans...but it's easier. A lot. And this is after all the Costa Ricans warned us we wouldn't understand them. An Argentinian woman we met said that it was probably because Peruvians have less of an accent. It makes you feel pretty good though, hearing such fast Spanish, and knowing exactly what was said.
On the Bridge of Sighs in the Barranco district. The tradition is, when you get here for the first time, you are supposed to hold hands with your love and hold your breath the entire length of the bridge in order to ensure a long and happy life together.
We made it :)
This weekend, we stayed here in Lima and had an eventful time. Saturday, we went on a food tour, because Peru is quickly becoming a foodie destination. And we aren't ones to argue. The food is incredible! There's so much more to it and the culture revolves around it.
First stop, handcrafted coffee. I got the mocha latte and Paul got the cappuccino. Amazing, amazing, amazing.
This shake is made from a local fruit that I can't remember the name of. It was super thick and tasted great. I feel like a broken record, but what else can be said? I haven't any complaints.
More local fruit at the local market
Trying fresh, raw scallops
The orange part is not good.
Did you know Peru is home to over 6,000 different types of potatoes? How do you even remember which ones are best for what? Overwhelming. This is our tour guide, David. He was awesome.
Black corn is supposed to be delicious. We'll try it at some point.
Learning to make ceviche.
Me learning to make Pisco sours
My only regret in this photo is not getting a picture with the guy behind us. He looked and sounded exactly like my Uncle David. Exactly.
Mmmmmm
Our ceviche, plated up.
It was tasty
4 desserts at the ruins
Ate some heart, scallops, potatoes and plantain dip thing
Local ruins, made from adobe bricks with slits in between to allow the wind through and not ruin the building.
Another big presence, food wise, is Chinese food. The mix is called chifa and we like it. It has all the staple Chinese food stamps, but there are some interesting mixes that are incredible. We went to a chifa restaurant, where we were served by a funny old man who saluted us a lot. To his credit, it is the beginning of the Independence Day celebrations.
The next day, we went out to the parade, which was interesting. Parades are always a great way to view more culture in a tiny amount of time. So, here's the parade:
Torreja, tasted like a rice cake
Viva Peru!
I got a little pin
Firefighters get handshakes and thank you's
Cooks get a moment in the sun too
I'm pretty sure this is just ice cream folk
We are pretty sure that the American is Michael Jackson...we were confused too.
Miss Peru Universe
Dance
That evening, the sky lit up with some nice fireworks. It wasn't Boston, but it was certainly nice to watch.
So, here's hats off to a great start in Peru.
Next weekend, it's time for the icon....
