Traderer

I did the unthinkable yesterday. Something I have been avoiding for oh so long and I am embarrassed to admit I have committed such an act. Get ready. Ok. Here it goes; I went to Starbucks. Oy vey I am so ashamed. Okay, let me explain myself. South America is known for it's coffee beans. I live in Peru. Ergo, I expected to be surrounded by bundles of deliciously roasted coffee beans brought to me from the rainforest. Contrarily, I have been disappointed by the lack of dark roasted coffee delights. A coffee shop in the district of Barranco (where I currently reside) recently opened called Bisetti which I have frequented lately and enjoyed perfectly concocted cappuccinos decorated with a white heart shaped from the foam resting perfectly atop my white coffee cup of wonderfulness. Last night when Rob and I walked to our favorite coffee shop, we ran into Cynthia and James, the Peruvian and Kiwi (respectively) couple sipping warm beverages doused with caffeine with Cynthia's Peruvian cousins (one of whom is married to an Israeli so of course I listed the 18 words in Hebrew that I know!). Rob and I sat to chat, (well I sat to chat while Rob went to the counter to order our 2 cappuccinos. My biggest mistake was letting Rob order because, well, Rob doesn't really know Spanish other than his small vocabulary he has learned in order to hit on chicks. After 25 minutes and coffee-less, I asked a barista for our drinks and found out that they had closed at 9pm and that we were SOL. Rob then realized what the woman behind the coffee counter had told him that they were closed. Woops! Then, I did the unthinkable, I suggested that we walk 3 doors down to the Starbucks that opened last week. Don't get me wrong, back home I enjoy the occasional way too strong coffee or a chai tea frappucino but because I am residing in South America, a continent well known for its coffee beans, I had decided that I would avoid major chains like KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, TGI FRidays, Chilis, and Starbucks, all of which can be found throughout the capital of Peru; Lima. I happened to be in desperate need of a coffee in order to make it through my work shift, Bisetti was closed, my second choice for a coffee, La Talcochita was closed, and my last choice was Starbucks. I caved. Rob got a cappuccino and I ordered a Toffee Nut Latte. Grande. Oh thank Heaven! My beverage was so delicious. I am so embarrassed to admit that I gave into this American chain. I will do everything I can in my future in South America to use Starbucks as a very last resort in having the necessity for a caffeinated  beverage. Whew! What a relief to get that off my chest.

This one's for you, Mom!

My birthday celebrations continued Thursday when I was invited to Tamir's apartment for the lighting of the Menorah for the 3rd night of Channukah. I didn't want to show up empty handed (something I learned from my parents) so I offered to bring latkes! I don't think Tamir believed me when I told him I could whip up a batch of 'just like mom's' latkes because when i showed up with a foil-covered plate, Tamir was nothing short of ecstatic. I was told that Tamir would be picking me up at the hostel at 6pm but I forgot to keep in mind that he is Jewish AND lives in Peru which means I should have planned for an hour (minimum) late pick up. At 7:30 Tamir called reception to tell me that he was sending his 2 friends to get me. I hate waiting. The small Channukah get-together consisted of Tamir, 2 of his Peruvian male friends one of whom is a Jew, Tamir's BFF Shalom and his wife, and another couple. We lit the menorah, explained the miracle of lights to the non-Jews and ate my potato latkes which were a huge hit! I received several nods of approval that 'this is a girl I could take home to mom!' Munching on latkes was followed by dinner of pollo a la brasa with all the fixins; salad, french fries, 2 kinds of rice, 2 kinds of potato salad (Peruvians LOVE their starches!)and about 8 different kinds of salsas/creams depending on one's mood and their tolerance for spice. After our Channukah fiesta Tamir drove me back to The Point for my birthday party with all of my friends. I arrived to a group of people welcoming me with birthday shots and hugs. After a few minutes, the music was turned down in the bar and one of the receptionists who happens to be from Germany walked in with a home-made german cake in the shape of a heart with candles. I was so stuffed from dinner that I didn't have any room for cake but made sure to have a taste today. After much partying and more birthday shots we headed to my favorite disco, Help so I could dance the night away. I left the disco around 3:30am as I was exhausted and wanted to get back to fit in some games of pool with Rob and Lewis from England. I made it to bed by 7am and slept ALL afternoon today. I woke up and immediately began preparing for my evening of Jewishness. Last week at Help I met a nice Jewish Peruvian man named Dov who invited me to beit chabad for kabalat shabbat and dinner. I accepted his invitation as he is handsome and taller than me! Dov picked me up at 6:30pm (Peruvian time because he told me to be ready at 6!) and we headed to San Isidro to his synagogue which has a Macheetzah (sp?) and an altar in the middle of the sanctuary which I thought signified a Sephardic synagogue but it turns out that's not the case. Right off the bat I was introduced to Dov's mother and her friend so I could sit with them while Dov davened down below with the men. While the sermon was in Spanish, I understood about 70% but what i found most fascinating was that no matter where we are in the world, Jews are Jews and we follow the same prayer book, prayers, and methods to our madness! I'm not sure if this was a date or just Dov being a friendly Jew to an outsider because I didn't expect to meet his parents right away! Dov's mother, Rachel seemed thrilled that I was a nice Jewish girl who Dov brought into the Jewish community and I was happy that she was happy. Dov invited me back to his home for shabbas dinner with his mother and father and I felt welcomed into his home with open arms. I think they were impressed with the amount of knowledge I had regarding prayers, when to stand/sit and that I need to wait until I take a bite of challah after the washing of the hands. Dov sent me home in a taxi which was only about a 20 minute ride because I had to get to work in the bar. The rest of the night was tranquil and I couldn't wait to close so i could come relax in my room. It's officially Christmas Eve but it feels like just another day in the life. I'll probably go to the beach tomorrow! Life is just grand =)

Feliz Cumpleaños

Welp today is my 25th birthday and I feel on top of the world. For the first time in my quarter of a century existence, I am celebrating my day of birth outside of the United States AND without my biological family. Luckily, I have established a Peruvian family in my temporary home and couldn't be happier to celebrate this joyous occasion with people who care about me. My  celebrations began last night during my night shift in the bar with my customers buying me birthday shots. After a group of 4 Irish and 2 Scottish sang happy birthday to their friend whose birthday was yesterday, they reused their #2 candle (they lost the #1 which would have made 21 for their friend) on a muffin and sang to me in the bar at midnight! I didn't feel up for going to the disco as I knew i'd be going out tonight and tomorrow so I stayed behind in the bar with David from England, Sean from Australia and his girlfriend Joss, also from England and played pool. My official birthday party is tomorrow with all of my friends because on Thursdays we go to my favorite disco. My day began when I woke up at 11am slightly hungover from the birthday shots and immediately began rehydrating so as to not spend my special day with a headache. Today is the Summer solstice down here in the southern hemisphere and I have been looking forward to having a warm birthday since the day I bought my place ticket! I grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen, sat in the sun to paint my toenails hot pink, and attempted a Skype chat with the woman who gave me life. Unfortunately my internet connection wasn't very consistent and we weren't able to have a successful and smooth chat. After I gave myself a pedicure I went to lay down for a quick power nap before my special lunch! Tamir, the owner of The Point Hostels planned to take me, Rob (my bar manager) and David, our Director of Marketing out to lunch to celebrate several occasions; the success of our Halloween party, the success of our VIP party (both of which brought in a lot of business courtesy of the bar tenders), my birthday, Channukah (Tamir is an MOT), and David's departure from the company. The boys let me choose since it was my birthday so I picked sushi! Lunch was amazingly delicious and I made sure to repeatedly thank Tamir for his generosity. We got back to the hostel at 4pm; just in time for Rob to open the bar and for me to take another nap! I caught some shut eye for nearly 2.5 hours which i desperately needed after getting very inconsistent sleep the last 3 nights, especially with the landscaping going on outside of my window at 7am this morning (I went to bed at 3:30am..). I'll be celebrating in the bar tonight followed by an official party in my honor tomorrow. I am so fortunate to be with such wonderful people who care about me. I couldn't ask for a nicer group of people to work with and with whom I can surround myself. Thanks everyone =)

It's a small world after all

Now that I am somewhat of an established resident of Barranco, Lima, I can actually recommend things to do, see and eat in this fine city of Peru. When newbies arrive in the bar, I love giving advice especially when it comes to things to eat because I am such a foodie and can appreciate fresh ingredients and the process of building flavors in Peruvian food. When 4 attractive strapping young men ask me where they should go to dinner and what time I get off/if i'd like to join them, I become giddy! I didn't hesitate to rsvp to this wonderful event! Yesterday I was supposed to work in the bar from 8:30pm-1am but Rob was too hungover to make it to his 4pm shift so I said I'd take over. Well the girl who Rob is training to be a bar manager at the hostel location in Mancora in northern Peru showed up in the bar at 6:30 deciding she wanted to work. So I was off the hook at 7! I took Jeff, Andrew, Jeremy and Bobby to Javiers, a delicious restaurant down by the Puente de Suspiros (bridge of sighs) where they trusted me to order dinner for them! This was an overwhelming task for me because there are so many delicious things to try in Peru so I finally narrowed everything down to 5 dishes we would share amongst the 5 of us; Mixto Especial (a variety of cow parts), Causa de Pollo (a delicious cold potato dish with chicken salad), Chicharron de Mariscos (a variety of fried seafood, kind of like tempura), Lomo Saltado (a hearty & carbalicious plate of beef cubes, onions, tomatoes and french fries sauteed and served with rice), and last but not least Cebiche de Pescado- probably Peru's most famous traditional dish of raw fish that has been slightly cured by the citrusy marinade of lime juice, cilantro and chilis served with sweet potatoes and canchitas which are like an inside-out popcorn! The boys got mojitos and pisco sours while I stuck to a frozen lemonade. I was so full from dinner that I didn't have room for picarones- a Peruvian dessert which is kind of like a beer battered onion ring without the onion/donut of dough that is dipped into honey. The boys appreciated my knowledge of Peruvian cuisine so much that they refused to let me contribute any money towards our meal of 215 Soles (about $80)! After dinner I walked the boys down to the beach to have (some of) their first look at the South Pacific ocean. Jeff walked right up to the waves, wobbled on a few rocks, and lost his left flip flop to the ocean! On the walk back up we heard a significant number of chuckles as people were watching Jeff and his incomplete set of shoes. Twas silly.

Later that night I met Anthony from Fairfax and we chatted about 495 and the Redskins! Anthony is 26 and owns a hostel in Cusco. He's been living in Peru for 2 years and flew home today to spend Christmas with his family. I love how small this world can be.

23 Days!

Today I went to lunch with Juan, a friend of my friend Astrid. I know Astrid from The States- we spent a week together when she was in Peru in October. Astrid has known Juan most of her life and has kept in touch with him as he lives here in Lima. I figure it's always a plus to have an extra connection when in a foreign city. Juan met me at 2:05 at the hostel which is impressive considering I thought he'd be running on Peruvian time which is (minimum) about 45 minutes late. We walked to our destination; Signoro Losorgno (sp?) for lunch in Barranco, only about a 6 min stroll. This was my third time at this restaurant which blows me away with deliciousness each time I go there to eat. My first experience at this restaurant was with my friend Ben which was funny because he had taken his girlfriend there for dinner and then had taken me, just as his friend, but we joked about the fact that the owner (who comes to the tables to say hello to all of his guests) probably thinks that Ben takes all of his ladies there on dates haha! The owner now knows me which is cool and he appreciates that I keep coming back. I told him that if he keeps making such delicious sangrias, he'll continue to see me in his establishment. I can't wait to take Jason there! By the way, only 23 days until jason arrives!! W00t! That one time with Ben, the owner's son played the guitar on stage and handed out free CDs of his music! It was lovely. So today in the restaurant, there was a table of about 25 men in business attire with about 20 bottles of various types of alcohol drinking, eating, laughing, and singing along with the piano man. When the owner came over to welcome us to his restaurant, he explained that in the second half of December, it is customary for people to have celebratory lunches in honor of the upcoming new year. In general, Peruvians take a ciesta every afternoon from about 12-3 to eat lunch, rest, then return to work for another 2 hours. It's a big deal here and can sometimes turn into a party depending on how much wine is consumed with lunch! Juan is taking English classes so he asked that I speak English with him because he doesn't have any native English speakers with whom he can practice. My Spanish is definitely better than his English and I could tell that he was uncomfortable in his head searching for his words. I think he really appreciated my willingness to work with him and be patient. I had frejol de seco for lunch which was deliciously stewed beef with coriander, carrots, and peas, served with rice, beans, and onion relish. Juan had some kind of fish cooked with tomatoes, onions, and rice. Lunch was delicious and Juan even paid for me which I didn't expect at all, but really appreciated.  We walked to the park across from the hostel so Juan could smoke a cigarette and then he was on his way. I thanked him for lunch and said I look forward to the next time we get together.

People often ask me what my plan is for when I get back to the states and I finally have an idea. I recently submitted a work and holiday visa for Australia! I fly back to the states May 4, 2012, we have a family cruise to Alaska in August and then I plan to go to Australia in October for about a year! I plan on working in hospitality over there because the wages are very high in that field. While Australians don't tip in bars and restaurants, minimum wage is $15 with those in higher-end bars making upwards of $23 per hour! Living expenses may be high but my wages will be high so I am not worried. I am told however that produce is very expensive; a kilo of bananas (2.2lbs) is $12! In Lima I buy 5 bananas for .37 from the local man with a fruit stand! I'm leaning towards living in Melbourne which is a much more low-key city and cultural city than high-end Sydney with snazzy bars and clubs. Melbourne also has a much bigger artsy scene with hippies which is right down my alley! Having worked in a hostel where many Aussies stay, I have met a lot of people who are willing to open their homes to me. I know I will make it work. I had even less of a plan when coming to Peru, not really speaking the language so Australia will be a piece of cake.

Woops!

Last night I went to a park with 3 Brasilians, a French, and a Portuguese (oh my!) to watch the ocean from the cliffs and drink a few beers. While we sat in the grass and shared travel stories in both English and Spanish, the French shared a project with us that he has been working on. The idea behind it was that he would video tape someone telling a story, completely made up on the spot, for as long as the sharer wants, leaving a transition for the next creative person to tack on something spectacular. Well the only issue was that each person had a different native language so we couldn't be 100% sure as to what the previous story teller was saying. I was second in line and was given a brief synopsis; 'It's World War II and all of the world's resources had been exhausted so the human race had to move to the moon. There was a conflict between the capitalists and anti-capitalists.' How the hell was I supposed to follow an opening like that!?! I was given permission (and encouragement) to be completely creative so I ran with it! The red light indicating that recording was taking place came on and my continuation of the story went something like this; 'One day on the moon, the capitalists and anti capitalists saw out of the corner of their eyes a spacecraft! As the object moved closer and closer to the moon, the inhabitants of the moon felt tremendous fear towards the unknown flying object. The spacecraft hovered over a small crater and began descending. Suddenly a blue light escaped from the craft shining it's light onto the moon's surface. A door opened and something began descending from the ship.' I'm pretty sure I took a very different spin on the story that was intended, but then again, I was told I could be completely creative! I felt that my transition was perfect because the next person in line could be creative and describe the aliens! I love setting people up for awesomeness.

On another note, Phil the new Australian bartender left us on Sunday morning. He bar tended with us for just over 1 week even though he told us he'd stay through New Years. He decided to leave and join up with his lady friend in Argentina to give himself the opportunity to travel with someone he really cares about and wants to spend a lot of time with. While he was really nice and lots of fun, he wasn't the best barman. He never washed a glass and would leave me a pile of about 27 dirty cocktail glasses for me to wash when I started my shift the next afternoon. While chatting with customers is lovely, he would continue to talk to a hot chick a ignore a guy trying to get a cold beer. He never restocked beers in the fridge, refilled the ice, wiped down the bar or made a drink with more than 3 ingredients. Phil abused the whole 'free drink' rule and would collect cash for a drink but never rang it through the computer so one night we had 50 Soles too much in the drawer so his accuracy with money sucked. Other than all of that, we loved Phil! So now Team Awesome is down to it's 2 senior members; Rob and me, bffs! The pool twosome can continue to reign on! 

I met the co-owner of The Point in Arequipa which was where I was supposed to take that managerial position except I didn't know at the time that he was the owner (woops!). We were talking about american sports followed by a discussion too inappropriate to discuss here, and I was cursing a lot. I even lost a bet and had to buy him a beer. About 2 hours later I found out he was the owner- slightly awkward for me but I confronted him about my non professionalism which he brushed off like it was no big deal! Marcus turned out to be a really cool guy, contrary to what I had heard about him. We even chatted last night as he was the only person in the bar on a quiet Sunday keeping me company. Marcus is from Florida, went to Florida state, has been married to a Peruvian woman for 5 years and is going to DC to visit his sister and new nephew on December 21! I told him about Las Canteras in Adams Morgan, a delicious Peruvian restaurant! I can't wait for his feedback.

I had the day off on Friday, the first weekend night shift I had had off since I started working at The Point! I decided to spend the evening with 2 of my friends; Eric and Henrik. Eric is American and teaches English. He's from Houston and Henrik is from Denmark but lives in Peru making a living as a (very successful) professional poker player. We had plans to get together around 2:30 after Eric's last class however Henrik's plan to meet up with Eric and me at the hostel was interrupted by a phone call from his father. A friend of Henrik's father was being held in Peruvian jail for attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country so Henrik had to ride to the Danish embassy to talk to his peeps. Eric and I decided to go along for the ride in hopes of seeing something really cool! However Henrik made us wait outside. Understandable but lame. Our taxi ride consisted of Henrik taking a nap in the front seat and Eric and I making Danish jokes mostly about pastries and eating snacks. We had a pleasant evening watching the sunset, walking around the beach and discussing the meaning of life, love and religion; basically an ideal evening with intelligent friends who challenge societal norms. Life is good.

Team Awesome

The Point Hostel offers several different kind of rooms for accommodation. We offer rooms with 9 beds down to rooms with only 2 and prices range from 27 Soles up to 50 (2.65 Soles for every $1). I have been living in an 8 person dorm for nearly 3 months as the cheapest accommodation is provided for staff living at The Point. Except for Di, the supervisor in reception who has been working at The Point for over 2 years. She manages to fill her room last so she can keep her room quiet with very few intruders. Rob and I compare horror stories of living in high occupancy rooms like the conversations we overhear, the same stories about missing buses, visiting Machu Picchu, and backpacker romances. Guests often times have absolutely no respect for people staying in their room and give us funny looks when we crawl out of bed at 2pm after working a long night keeping our guests happy at the bar. Rob and I hit a final straw when there were 4 Aussies sleeping in my room who would stomp around, turn on the lights, and speak at full volume at 4am when they returned from a night of heavy partying. Rob decided it was time to ask Tamir, the owner if we could please move into a staff room for professionalism rather than sleeping with the customers (in their rooms, not actually with them)! We got approval from the stingy Israeli hostel owner and we patiently awaited for the deaprture of the 2 Englishmen from Team Awesome, the name of a 4 bed dorm; 2 singles and 1 bunk bed. Move in day finally arrived on Wednesday and I lugged my luggage the 80 meters to my new, semi-private room with the 2 other bartenders. Peace at last! No more messes, noisy passer-bys or misplaced belongings spread amongst my things. So speaking of 2 other bartenders; one is Rob, my Irish BFF and the other is Phil- a tall, dark and handsome Australian who plans on staying with us through New Years. He is super funny, nice, and chivalrous. I could not have asked for a better buddy to serve the thirsty backpackers who frequent our bar on a nightly basis.

On a separate note, The Point is looking for a bar manager for their locations in both Arequipa and Mancora. Rob approached me earlier in the week shortly after I had awakened from my much needed beauty sleep to tell me that Tamir wanted to speak with me regarding the managerial position in Arequipa. I was nothing short of shocked and flattered and instantly became anxious. I met Tamir in his office Tuesday afternoon and was greeted with a smile (per usual as smiles are contagious). I sat down in the comfy brown leather chair opposite of Tamir in his office and was all ears. I listened to Tamir tell me that Arequipa was lacking a bar manager with professionalism and someone who takes initiative in showing the guests a good time. The bar manager would have to order supplies, stock, arrange events in the bar, and hire bar tenders. I inquired about having to pay for transportation as it's a 1 hour flight vs an 18 hour bus ride. Although Tamir would pay for whichever method was cheaper, I offered to pay the difference for a flight in case a bus was the lesser expensive of the two- i'm all about negotiations! I would have a (small) salary and make a commission on alcohol sales. I accepted the position without much hesitation, returned to the hostel and began informing my close friends that I would be leaving this coming Tuesday. Soon after saying the shocking words out loud, I broke into tears, realizing i'd be leaving the place I have called home for 3 months and the people I have come to call my family. I walked over to Señora Tina, one of the lovely women who keeps our hostel clean giving it the reputation it has for being the cleanest hostel in Lima and informed her that I would be going. I started crying again! Then Tina broke down into tears and simply broke my heart. We carefully wiped the tears from each other's wet cheeks and proceeded to hug. I started to realize that I would dreadfully miss The Point and my family so much it would make my heart melt. Maybe I was jumping into this decision too quickly without thinking about it enough and i hadn't even told Robbie yet who was nowhere to be found. I then began to realize that I had made a huge mistake and that I didn't really want to leave Lima. It's really important to me to celebrate my birthday and New Years with my family in Lima. Within 24 hours I set a meeting with Tamir to inform him of my change of heart and boy was I nervous. Two days later when Tamir could finally make room for me in his busy schedule, I sat back down in that wonderfully comfortable chair in his office and proceeded to tell him of my change of heart. Tamir's response was so terrific and understanding, I could not have asked for a better situation. Tamir is still looking for new bar managers and even told Rob that if I make one teeny mistake to fire me so that I can go to Arequipa! Tamir loves me, my smile, and the way I talk to EVERYONE who comes into the bar. Who can blame him?

Lastly, I have conjunctivitis- could have been a good day

=)

Blast from the Past

Today I went into Larcomar with my friend Asia Power (yes, that's her real name) from Australia. Asia has been back and forth to The Point twice which is very common for backpackers, especially the ones leaving from the Lima airport, only 30 minutes from the hostel. We went into this uppity area for bikini waxes which only cost 25 Soles (about $9.50) and tip is not customary. After our pampering we walked over to Vivanda, the gourmet super market to buy some goodies and to find some gluten-free bread for Asia who has an allergy. I bought some Gouda, wheat crackers, and fruit bars made without preservatives and Asia bought cheese and gluten-free bread, crackers, and wafers; success! We then ventured over to La Lucha, a sandwich shop to buy 2 frozen drinks as it was rather humid outside and I was getting shvitzy. I got a refreshingly delicious passion fruit smoothie and Asia got strawberry- they really hit the spot! We bussed back to the general vicinity of the hostel and Asia pointed to a small boutique she had spotted a few days prior and asked if we could check it out. Little did Asia know, the boutique she wanted to visit is Floam, the store of the woman, Jennifer who I met when I first arrived in Lima and had some technical difficulties at the supermarket. Jennifer and I were supposed to get together so I could help her learn English but she's been preoccupied planning her Fall clothing line. Asia studied fashion in college and spent a while chatting it up with Jennifer in her store about materials, workshops, inspiration, and sewing. Asia ended up buying a really eclectic necklace and is going to return to Floam on Friday to chat it up more about textiles. I'm glad we went into the store to see Jennifer because it reminded her to get in touch with me for some English lessons! Maybe to thank me she'll custom-make (of course i'll pay) me a shirt that isn't the equivalent of a size 6 in the U.S.

We returned to the hostel around 3:45pm which couldn't have been more on point as it turns out I was scheduled to work at 4pm, not 8:30pm- oops! I had been sitting in the bar for no more than 15 minutes when 2 cute (but short) Swiss guys came in and said 'guess who we met today!?' I searched my memory of random friends I make on a daily basis and nervously asked who. They said Roberto! Such a blast from the past! Roberto was the short Peruvian with curly hair who took me surfing and ripped me off by 100 Soles. How precious. He recognized the orange wristbands that the hostel-stayers are required to wear at all times, except for staff who stay more semi-permanently. The Swiss boys claimed that they wanted to go long boarding but Roberto only had short boards. Small world!

Lastly, I received some sad news on Monday; Bruno, my loving guinea pig passed away in the loving home of the Carnageys, good friends of mine. Bruno was a wonderful (and my first) pet and he will be missed a lot. I'm sure he's in guinea pig heaven chowing down on carrots and lettuce. Love you little man!

Miss America

When the bar is busy, it can sometimes take a few tries to get my attention especially when I am making 2 screwdrivers, serving 4 shots of tequila, getting limes for the shots, and changing a 50. I've been called by my name, señorita, 'hey you' and have been whistled at. The other night I was summoned by a name so original and wonderful that I couldn't do anything but stop and giggle. The bar was nearly empty except for 2 youngins playing pool and another 2 sitting at the bar drinking beers. I was watching the pool-players, as I always do, trying to learn new tricks. Sidenote: I beat Rob for the first time ever last week!! Lauren: 1 Rob 187. While focusing on this particular pair play pool, I was distracted by the trick moves they were continuously pulling out of their sleeves and failed to notice the Canadian and the Swiss backpackers attempting to summon me for a cold beverage. I finally responded when I heard the Swiss shout, 'Miss America!' How unique and attention-grabbing! I was flattered to say the least. 

Last Thursday I went to Miraflores to Vivanda, a gourmet, higher-end market with as many different kinds of cheese as varieties of potatoes in Peru. I was in heaven being surrounded by the abundance of fresh ingredients, and pleased with the free samples scattered throughout the store. This supermarket has a booth where they sell concert tickets. Some of the artists performing in Lima in the next few months are Britney Spears, Elton John, and Pearl Jam who was here on Friday. I walked up to the kiosk in the ritzy supermarket, bought my ticket for 150 Soles and a 5 Sole convenience charge and proceeded to browse around Miraflores for a coffee. On my way to a coffee shop a young Peruvian gentleman asked me if I was American and proceeded to ask me questions about why I was in Peru. He asked if he could accompany me to get a cup of coffee and because I was alone and always looking to make a new friend, I said sure! After my strong coffee in a Cuban café with my new friend Yosi, he asked if I had time to go to a park before I was scheduled to work. I think with my level of friendliness (the same level I give everyone) Yosi decided he was going to try to make a move! He took me to Parque de Amores and bought me a red rose. Oy vey. I was very clear with Yosi that I needed to be back at the hostel on time for work and I was pleased that he respected my urgency. I maintained some distance which only made Yosi want to hold my hand. Oy vey x2. I need to learn to be more forward with people but I hate hurting people's feelings and or disappointing them. We grabbed a bus back to the hostel and Yosi paid my way. He walked me to the door, went in for a kiss and I went in quickly for a kiss goodbye on the cheek and said chao and quickly escaped behind the gate that locks the outsiders out from the hostel! The next day I woke up, went to the beach for a bit, returned around 6pm to find a gift waiting for me in the bar: 1/2 dozen red roses accented with baby's breath. Oy vey x3. This was too much for knowing this boy for less than 24 hours. Yosi then proceeded to show up to the hostel and call twice over the course of 2 days. I was officially getting overwhelmed. The final time he stopped by the hostel to see me, I was in gym shorts and a tshirt with no bra on so I had reception tell him I was still sleeping! He left his phone number on Saturday for me to call him but I was preoccupied with preparing for Creamfields; a South American tour of DJs who specialize in electronic music which was the ticket I purchased before meeting Yosi. Creamfields began at 6pm on Saturday and went until 10am on Sunday. I made sure I had the day off 2 weeks in advance. I rode to Creamfields in a cab with 5 attractive Aussies. Ay carumba! David Guetta, a famous DJ headlined the show and I danced for the full 2 hours of his performance. We left the festival at 6am, got back to the hostel around 7am and I finally made it to bed around 8am. I slept until 6pm, worked at 8:30 on Sunday and served the same 4 people beers all night, downloaded and watched the first episode of The Wire, and discussed the events of the show with Rob who's the one who convinced me to start watching this epic show. It takes place in Baltimore City, only about 45 minutes from where I grew up so I feel somewhat connected to the crack whores and corrupt police and lawyers that this show is based around haha! I get giggly every time I see a Maryland flag or a sign on a door that says 'Baltimore Police.' 

Yesterday I called Yosi to get together for coffee so I could let him down easily. He's a nice guy, I am just not interested in having anyone in my life right now who is more than a friend, especially someone who overwhelms me as much as Yosi does. I met him by the McDonalds in Miraflores. I was on time (of course) and he was 20 minutes late. I hate waiting for people- I must get that from Stanley! We walked to Café Café where I got a cappuccino, Yosi got a beer, and we shared cebiche. Yosi let me have the third piece of sweet potato (which always accompanies cebiche) and we split what I thought was a slice of red bell pepper only to find out it was actually a chili when my mouth started burning, stinging, and tingling all at the same time! Yosi then announced that he had a gift for me...uh oh. He was frustrated with not being able to get in touch with me at the hostel so he gave me something I had avoided since I arrived in Lima 80 days ago; a cell phone. His sister got a new phone and Yosi asked her for it so he could give it to me! It's nothing fancy but it makes phone calls! I decided to accept his gift and we walked to a department store to buy me a SIM card for 15 Soles so I could have a new phone number. The way phones work down here is I can buy credit to give me minutes on my phone. I don't have a contract with anyone and the minutes I buy don't expire. The minimum amount of minutes I can buy is 6 and I'm not sure what the maximum is. To be honest- I never planned on getting a phone, but free is always good. But now I have a dilemma; when I tell Yosi (gently) to leave me alone, do I have to give the phone back? Technically it was a gift and I feel like he would tell me I can keep it, but I would still feel guilty. I sure am in a pickle! I wonder if there's a 'dear Abby' down here. 

Bruno

Welcome to Jamrock

Last Wednesday I went to the Damien Marley concert in Lima with about 4000 other reggae fans. I went with Omar, the hairy Venezuelan who was just as eager as me to see the son of such a famous musician and to listen to his well-known jams, his most famous being 'Welcome to Jamrock.' We hadn't purchased tickets ahead of time as the cheapest tickets were 110 Soles and we hoped to find one on the street, having it checked by staff first to ensure it's legitimacy. We arrived at the hotel where Damien was scheduled to perform around 7:45 and shortly after arriving I ran into Kristofer, one of the dreadlocked-hippies I spent 6.5 hours with just the day before bonding over jewelry, music, and Peruvian culture! Kristofer brought his handicrafts with him in an across the shoulder handmade bag hoping to sell rasta-colored hand made bracelets to the fans waiting patiently in line to enter the hotel where the concert was taking place. We kindly asked Kristofer to inquire about the prices of tickets on the streets because a scalper would easily and gladly mark up his price if he's asked by a gringa or a Venezuelan for tickets. It's interesting that no matter where I was with Omar; the taxi, buying a sandwich or asking a question, the local Peruvian could pick up on Omar's accent and immediately tell that he is 'not from around here.' The scalpers were asking for 125 Soles for each ticket so we decided to wait until the concert was supposed to start at 8pm for the prices to go down. We didn't even know who the opening act was so we didn't mind getting in by 9. Well just like Jewish time, there is such a thing called Peruvian time. If a Peruvian is throwing a party and wants it to start at 10pm. He'll tell his friends to come at 8pm so his party starts when he wants it to. So essentially, the music didn't start until 9:30pm. We bought tickets for 110 Soles each (about $41) and entered the banquet hall at 10:30. Omar and I took turns buying beers from the staff walking around with trays of cold beer and danced our butts off to the rasta music coming from the stage of dreadlocks (Damien's are down to the back of his shins)and waving Jamaican flags. As I watched over the audience towards the stage, I could see puffs of smoke lifting from the crowd every 2 seconds or so. Overall the concert was terrific, I knew most of the songs, and Damien even performed a song originally written by his father, Bob Marley. I am thrilled that I went!

Quick update on Blondie: He came into the bar the other night wasted with his friends. He walked right up to me, gave me a kiss hello on the cheek (the customary greeting with someone in Peru) and was super friendly and chatty the whole night. Obviously he was loosey goosey and super friendly as a result of the alcohol, but it was a nice change.

Lastly, the Dutch owner of the kitchen, Mark is always grumpy. He is usually in a bad mood and it's rare to catch a smile on his face. I, on the other hand am the complete opposite. I am known as the 'chica fantastica' here because when people ask me how I am, I respond with fantastic. Why not fantastic? Life is too short to be anything other than a positive adjective! Mark got a little tipsy a few nights ago and the effects of the truth serum kicked in. Mark told me that when I first began working here over 2 months ago, he thought I was too happy and friendly and that he thought he would get sick of me after two weeks. He then proceeded to tell me that he couldn't find one thing about me that he didn't like- but that that bothers him! It's such a shame to be so negative but I suppose I'll take the back-handed compliment.

Today is my day off. I was planning on checking out a yoga studio about 8 blocks away because their hours of operation are only 4-8pm but Peru is playing Ecuador in futbol today so places are going to be shut down. This makes things difficult for me as I work during the only open hours of this studio! I'm sure I'll figure it out! Anywho- the futbol match is starting so I better go cheer on my team! Adios!

Ouch.

Yesterday morning I was feeling a bit hungover so I decided to take a walk down to the beach at 11am to sit in the cool breeze under the partly sunny sky and sip cold water. I left the hostel and walked the 4 minutes to the Puente de Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs) to walk down restaurant way through the swamp of people advertising the tasty Peruvian dishes offered at the restaurant in which they're promoting. I was eating a banana so I replied 'no gracias, tengo mi desayuno.' As I walked down the steep cobble stone walkway towards the ocean I stopped in front of a young man with a blanket spread out on the ground which hosted nearly 50 different handmade artisan crafts! I curiously looked at the jewelry and bracelets and inquired about the origin of some of the stones. Eventually I sat down next to Augustine- the Argentinian 24 year old with dreadlocks down to the middle of his back who travels around South America selling his work. Augustine knows about 7 phrases in English mostly related to selling his precious stones crafted into necklaces using wire to create a handmade pendant so we obviously spoke entirely in Spanish. within an hour I was chatting it up using Peruvian slang with 4 of Augustine's other hippie friends with trinkets and jewelry just as beautiful and made with their brilliant hands. Six hours later the sun was setting, I never made it to the sand, and I had spent the afternoon learning new words in Spanish which I frustratingly had to explain using charades, sounds and lots of patience! I bought 4 pieces of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind necklaces. I definitely think Augustine gave me a little price break but I still spent 120 Soles (about $44) for such precious stones that I absolutely fell in love with I had to jump on the opportunity to purchase something with such a fantastic story that I'll remember for the rest of my life. You can't put a price on memories, life experience and new friends. The other day I had purchased a necklace for my sister at a market and when I showed a fellow American, Will from Chicago, he kindly asked me to assist him in buying jewelry for his twin sister and mom. Duh! Not only can I shop but I can bargain! About an hour before sunset (5pm) I saw Will and Ashley- a male backpacker from England, coming down the cobblestone. What a perfect opportunity for Augustine to get more business! I am always open to supporting a local business, especially one of a friend. Will bought 3 necklaces; one for himself and 2 with precious stones which I think the ladies in his life will love! As the sun set in the west over the South Pacific, I watched the full moon rise higher and higher in the sky and Augustine put a dreadlock in my hair. Yes mom, a dreadlock! It's a small, non-messy looking  bundle of hair underneath my mop of a head and I think it's quite tasteful and I love it! It even has a metal flower wrapped around the bottom that Augustine crafted! I walked back to the hostel to meet Rob to go get some soup and a coffee for dinner. That doesn't sound like a nutritious dinner but this soup quite hearty and delicious. At dinner I noticed that the skin on my back where I was exposed from my racerback tank top was feeling warm. I turned around and asked Rob to check it out and I was sunburned! Like so incredibly sunburned. Ouch. It turns out when I sat with Augustine on the steps by the beach, my back was under the sun which was blocked by clouds. I didn't think twice and now I'm paying for it. Luckily it hurts a lot less than it should considering what I look like but I have 2 blonde Austrians staying in my room who travel with aloe and offered to let me have some.

Let me preface my night last night with the fact that I am going to a concert tonight. I am seeing Damien Marley, one of Bob's many sons. Last night after work I went to OM with the crew from the hostel, a higher end nightclub with a great DJ and expensive drinks. While I was dancing the night away with my friends and a beer in my hand, Liam from the hostel (a half Jamaican, half Irish cutie with the longest eyelashes I have seen in a while) approached me to tell me that Damien Marley was at the club! He was sitting in VIP with some of his friends. This all made sense because I saw 2 large Rasta men with long dreadlocks on the dance floor just 30 minutes prior. I walked over to VIP and proceeded to head in to go chat it up with the famous musician until my entrance was denied by the large Peruvian bouncer who I wasn't going to argue with. I returned to my group of friends informing one of them, Danny Soto, who happens to be a local musician in Lima, telling him about Damien Marley's presence. Well Danny knows the owner of the nightclub who told the bouncer to let Danny in to VIP who got a picture with Damien! I'm thinking with Danny's connections, theres a medium possibility that I could get very close to Damien tonight when I travel with Danny and his posse to the concert. This afternoon I am going back to the beach to take a look at a tapestry made by one of the artisans's friends from the jungle. Were meeting at 3pm. Gonna be a great day with lots of sun screen!

Blondie

The owner of The Point Hostel, where I work owns 5 chains within Peru. We have locations in Lima, Puno, Mancora, Cusco, and Arequipa. The multi multimillionaire owner is Tamir, an Israeli who opened up The Point, Lima 9 years ago and is clearly a successful business man. Tamir is pretty well known in this area as he brings in a lot of business so when someone comes into the bar and says they know Tamir, we obviously have to be extra nice to them. About 2 weeks ago a blonde man from Germany who has been living in Peru for 7 years came into the bar with some of his friends whom I gladly served with a smile- just as I do with everyone else I serve. I know these specific details about Blondie (I really don't even care to know his real name) because Rob warned me about his tendencies to be a particularly difficult customer. At 1:15am Blondie had come into the bar requesting a beer when the bar had closed at 1am and a 'last call' was announced at 12:45. I kindly responded that the bar was closed and I had locked all of our refrigerators. I was then criticized for being rude and Blondie demanded that I get him a beer. I consulted with Rob who said that if Blondie had exact change (Rob had already cashed out), I could serve him a beer. I delivered the message to Blondie who rolled his eyes, muttered some words in Spanish and proceeded to fish into his pockets for some coins. I walked over to the fridge, unlocked the padlock on my first try (which is amazing considering there are 20 something unlabeled keys on our set of bar keys) and grabbed a cold one. Blondie handed me 10 Soles for his 7 Soles beer. I took a deep breath and calmly told him that I did not have any change. Blondie then scolded me, telling me I was a terrible bartender for not having change and attempted to walk away without paying for his beer. All this time I kept a smile on my face but I was a tad bit heated. Blondie went to fetch some Soles from his amigos in the garden and returned with exact change. This all happened 2 weeks ago and things were fine until Blondie decided to come into the bar Friday night. I smelled trouble as soon as he entered my territory. Right off the bat he ordered 2 beers, 2 extra glasses and 3 shots. No problem, clean cut. Let me preface this situation by explaining that guests staying at the hostel have the option of paying in cash right away or putting their drinks on their tab which they pay when they check out. Because Blondie is not a paying guest, he is required to cash out right away. We do not accept credit cards or begin tabs for outsiders. Fifteen minutes after Blondie's initial drink order, he came back  to order another shot. I gladly poured him his baby Guinness which is a shot glass filled 5/6 with Kahlua and topped off with Baileys so that it resembles a Guinness. I politely asked for 6 Soles so that I could complete the transaction. Blondie then said to me in Spanish that it's a pain in the ass to have to pay for a drink every time he wants something and told me to start a tab for him. I smiled back, took a deep breath, and explained that I needed him to pay right away. Blondie proceeded to tell me that he used to work in this bar, everything is ok, and that I should just start a tab for him. I was unimpressed. I then explained that I need to collect his cash right away because I may forget what he ordered and how much he owes me considering all the other people I am serving. Blondie then said that he would remember. Yea right! Again, I said no. Blondie then said 'stop effing around and start me an effing tab.' I took a step back, breathed again, wiped the smile off my face and said I didn't appreciate being spoken to that way and that I wasn't going to start him an effing tab. I looked him straight in the eye and told him that no one else has ever had an issue with our policy and that he was being the most difficult person I have ever had to serve. Ever. Suddenly Blondie's mood changed and he stood straight up, apologized for being difficult and admitted that not many people have the courage to stand up to him. It was as if he was impressed that I had the balls to not take his attitude. After admitting how obnoxious he was, I told him I'd start him a tab  and that I'd have my eye on him. He took my hand, kissed it like I was a princess and said he'd be outside in the garden with his friends and that he was sorry for cursing at me. Blondie came back in about 20 minutes later to get some drinks from Rob and at 1:05am when I went to use the bathroom, I noticed Blondie was still outside with his friends. I let them know that we were making a last call and asked if I could get them anything else to drink. Blondie thanked me, turned down my offer and asked me to fetch his tab of 20.50 Soles. Blondie gave me 25 Soles and told me to keep the change. Apparently when people stand up to him, he gains huge amounts of respect and becomes their bff. I don't exactly like Blondie's method but at least I didn't break down and cry like the 2 female bartenders at The Point before I arrived. I felt somewhat accomplished for not letting him get to me!

Today I went shopping for some essentials in Parque Kennedy. I went into Ripley, a major department store where I figured I'd see the best variety of options. Whilst browsing, I heard on the loud speaker Ceelo Green's song 'Forget You' except it was the unedited version. It made me think of my mom because she loves tat song! I was surprised to hear that playing in a department store. After the department store I went to grab a taxi on the way home since the public bus I needed doesn't run on Sundays. I passed a woman holding a teeny puppy so I walked up to her to pet it and to ask her questions about this little creature. It turns out it was only 4 weeks old (I always thought puppies needed to be at least 8 weeks before they left their mothers so this somewhat concerned me)! As I pet the precious puppy the man behind the newspaper stand where the woman with the animal was standing asked me where I was from. After I told him, he smiled and asked if I wanted to buy the puppy for 50 Soles. I laughed back and bargained for 40 Soles. Turns out he was actually serious and really wanted me to buy the puppy for 50 Soles! I wish!! I really thought it belonged to that woman. I can't have a puppy at the hostel. That would have been nice.

Feliz Halloween

On Halloween day I had no idea what I costume I was going to wear. Rob (my bar manager and now good friend/partner in crime) and I knew we wanted go in together on some kind of team costume but were having a difficult time deciding as the stone age costumes in storage in the back of our bar were designed for people half our size (Rob and I are the same height and nearly the same weight) and we weren't sure if we could pull off the whole toga costume thing as a Greek god and goddess because the bed sheets were a bit skimpy. At 7:15pm when we realized that we could make due with the twin-size sheets from the hostel, I ran to a store with ribbon and fabric that I noticed a week ago when I was sending out some postcards with crossed fingers hoping that they sold some kind of rope that I could fashion into a tie for my Greek goddess look. Success! I bought gold rope to tie around our waists- 3 meters for 12 Soles. I power walked back to the hostel so I could then run to the park across the street to tear some vines from a tree so that Rob and I could complete our look with a fashionable crown of leaves. We finished putting our costumes together in a jiffy and I strolled into the bar at 8:30 to begin setting up plastic shot glasses in which to hand out free shots of strawberry daiquiri I had prepared earlier in the kitchen- we called them 'blood shots'. To sum things up: Halloween in the bar was absolutely insane. Because everyone planned on a big night out and brought their hundreds and fifties for big spending, we had some technical difficulties with having enough change which caused a little bit of stress and frustration in the beginning but eventually there was nothing we could do about it. It also didn't help that the owner of the hostel feels he can do whatever he wants and likes to stand behind the bar flirting with girls and was in our way, demanding shots from us when we were clearly serving the other 7482 people getting drunk in our bar. To top things off, after a disgusting cleaning session of collecting the hundreds of empty beer bottles and cocktail glasses until nearly 3am, 7 of us (including the 2 main bar staff) headed to Toro Bar for the after party with the rest of the hostel. We arrived at the disco at 3:20am only to be denied entrance by an obese Peruvian bouncer with an obvious power trip claiming that they don't let anyone in after 3am like he was a broken record. When Jimmy, the 6 ft 6 English man told the bouncer that we were with Tamir, the owner of The Point Hostels, Mr. Bouncer's mind changed and he passed the buck to another obese bouncer to go fetch Tamir. Well Tamir was more than slightly intoxicated and couldn't manage making his way to the door to let us in. We were officially SOL and headed to a different bar. Wahios bar was starting to slowly empty as we headed in for a few beers. At this point we were 5 people determined to carry on with the Halloween celebrations. We talked and laughed for about an hour and half until we decided to head to Walters- a bar/restaurant open 24 hours. We sat down in this busy restaurant where al the drunkards were ordering made-to-order sandwiches. We were back to 7 people in our group which then turned into 8 when Javier, the 1.95 meter  Peruvian man who didn't speak a word of English could have passed for a professional basketball player but really was a bouncer at a disco sat down with us. He chatted with Alexander who was sitting across from me. What's funny is that Alexander is English, married to an Irish woman, lives in Italy and had a complex and detailed conversation speaking in Italian with Javier who was responding in Spanish. They completely made it work! By 7am at Walters I realized I needed to work at 8am! You're probably thinking, 'but wait, Lauren, you work in a bar. Why would it open at 8am?' To answer your question, I was approached one week ago by the owner of the restaurant establishment in our hostel inquiring whether I would be interested/available to cover some shifts in the restaurant as the chef. Well he obviously had never met me before so of course I said yes! Freddy is one of the chef's in the restaurant. He's Peruvian, my height, down to earth, a really good chef, has years of bartending experience, and super nice. Except he got a bartending job with Costa Cruise Line and starts work 2 weeks before Christmas so he wasn't able to give the restaurant owner much notice. He started training on October 31st and wasn't even able to attend our Halloween bash in the bar! To come back full circle: It was 7am at Walters and because I was covering a shift in the kitchen I had to start working at 8am until 3pm- oy vey. I knew I was not going to go to sleep and as a result started making myself mugs of instant coffee to keep myself from feeling too sleepy. Rob even pointed out that with the big party the night before, barely anyone would be up to ask me to cook them breakfast. Boy was he wrong. On top of setting up and replenishing the free breakfast for guests which consisted of bread rolls, jam, butter, hot water, mugs, spoons, coffee, tea, sugar, and milk, I had a really busy morning and even got a bit overwhelmed with having to multitask- something that rarely happens to me in the kitchen! At one point I had an order for eggs and bacon, a banana smoothie, a cheese omelette, another banana smoothie, a pot of rice for staff lunch, and the pot of chicken stew complete with carrots, onions, potatoes, and chicken which I thickened with flour all going at the same time. Oh and I only had 3 burners- one of which had my stew and the other my rice. I impressively got everything finished in a timely manner. Then I had a pile of dishes to wash. 3pm finally rolled around and the chef who was scheduled to work after me had not arrived yet. I was miserably exhausted at this point and just wanted to lay down in my bed. Zuazette (Zu for short) finally showed up at 3:26pm. I couldn't be mad at her because she is just so adorable. I took a shower and crawled into bed. But I couldn't sleep. I kept Rob company in the bar as he was all by himself because no one was ready to drink after such a crazy party the night before. We played a few games of pool and decided to try the whole sleeping thing again. I finally got some shut eye from 6pm to midnight. Slept again from a 1am to 8am, went to the bathroom and slept some more until noon. I was not fully refreshed but felt significantly better than how I felt in the kitchen for 7.5 hours. Today Rob and I went to lay on the beach for a bit before his shift at 4pm. After an early evening shower, my friend Eric and his friend Ashley (who's a boy) came to ask me if I wanted to go for a ride in Ashley's new-to-him car! I didn't even hesitate and answered with an excited 'yup!' On Sunday Ashley bought a 1969 Peugeot so we went for a ride. It was pretty awesome. I'm working at 8:30 tonight and working the kitchen tomorrow 8am-3pm. Wish me luck!

Wait, You're Jewish?

Yesterday was one of the most beautiful days I have experienced thus far in Lima. The sun was out with a slight breeze which made for a perfect combination of toasty rays bouncing off of my skin and cool wind to ensure that I didn't sweat. I was hesitant to venture out with Rob in search of some sweat Halloween costumes because my stomach had been feeling off since Thursday night. I found that if I was laying down or stayed very still that I felt fine. But once any movement began, my stomach was in miserable knots. With Halloween around a very short corner, I needed to find a costume- also an issue I had a lot of worry about considering I am larger than the average Peruvian man and that all the children's costumes I saw in markets were actually for women. While Rob and I waited for the Metropolitana bus, we noticed the platform was swaying which we first attributed to the heavy traffic only to find out later that it was a 6.9 earthquake! We exited the bus at Estacion Central in order to find Polvo Azules- a blue building where Zu the chef told us we could find Halloween costumes. After roaming around I asked a few people about Halloween supplies and I got the same answer after each inquiry; no Halloween costumes at Polvo Azules, go to Gamarra. Well Gamarra was where Rob and I were initially going to go but we were referred to Polvo Azules! We decided to call it day as my stomach was in borderline intolerable pain so we left costume-less. Rob and I made our way back to the bus station to head back home. We were chatting when a really attractive Peruvian man approached us and asked us for directions. I jokingly asked him how he knew we spoke English and not Russian or German which is very common in touristy Lima. He simply said he heard us talking haha! Tuns out this hunk is from Peru but lived in the US for 12 years between Ft. Lauderdale, New York and Boston and needed the same bus as us. We said we'd show him his stop and proceeded to give him a hard time about the fact that us gringos knew the bus system better than a native Peruvian. When a seat opened up on the busy bus Rob went to go sit down and I got the opportunity to chat one on one with this muscle man. Turns out this beautiful man's mother is Israeli and his father is Peruvian! He then lifted his necklace from under his t-shirt which had a chamsa pendant hanging from a gold chain! I swooned so hard until he mentioned his Canadian girlfriend- ugh. We talked about synagogues in Lima and he even spoke to me in Hebrew! I couldn't believe I was talking to a Peruvian Jew! After speaking with a fellow member of the tribe I feel more inspired to go see Rabbi Guillermo Bronstein who leads a conservative congregation in Miraflores. My new handsome, Jewish friend got off the bus at his designated bus platform and Rob and I went to get burritos at The Burrito bar where our Marketing manager, David referred us. David mentioned that if we bring wristbands from the hostel we could get a free lemonade and we all know how I feel about free things! The owner of the Burrito Bar, Stu made us 2 delicious burritos comparable to Chipotle back in the states which were filling, delicious, and a real deal. I'll definitely be recommending this joint to fellow backpackers looking for a yummy meal. Upon arriving back at the hostel, Rob and I went for a nap in the park under the sun's rays overlooking the Pacific Ocean. After about an hour of relaxing we went home and I found out that several other staff members had the exact same stomach issues as me. What's our common denominator, you may ask? Staff food! Something was bad in our lunch from Thursday that made everyone but Rob sick. According to Rob, he has the stomach of a billy goat haha! I was scheduled to work from 8:30pm-1am but only made it until midnight when Rob finally said I could go to bed. I was feeling absolutely miserable. I had an early night and only woke up twice as a result of sharp pains in my stomach. It's now 2 days later and my stomach is still way off. Luckily I have some meds and I'm drinking a lot of water but this needs to pass through me asap. Saturdays are usually pretty busy and the hostel is also more crowded than usual. Rob simply can't work alone so I need to do what I can to get my act together. I'll go to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist what I can do make my stomach not so painful. It's funny how after being here for 2 months I've been unaffected by the produce which everyone says will inevitably make me sick and I'm ill from some questionable meat. It could always be worse!

Punta Hermosa

Saturday Rob and I went to Central Lima's Chinatown to purchase supplies for our upcoming Halloween party which surprisingly seems to be a pretty big deal in Peru. We departed the hostel around 1:45pm and grabbed 2 empanadas on the way to the bus stop. While we sat in a nearby park in the sun to snack on our flaky treat we witnessed a small wedding party leaving a church and then a completely separate wedding reception taking place in the park! Now that the weather is gradually getting warmer as the sun makes a longer appearance each day, more and more people are spending time outside. Rob doesn't speak Spanish (although I started teaching him a word of the day about 2 weeks ago and his vocabulary is rapidly expanding) except for your few staple words so I was the designated Spanish speaker as usual. We got off the bus at the wrong stop and had to walk for about 45 minutes in the busy and overwhelming streets of Central Lima until I managed to find our way (with the help of the many police and security men whom I stopped to ask) to some stores with Halloween supplies. We purchased hanging paper chains in the shapes of pumpkins and skeletons, a hanging cardboard skeleton and witch, and enough cotton spiderweb for a small army. I was told that The Point already has a lot of Halloween supplies so we didn't have a large shopping list. While roaming around Chinatown after our errands in search of an alarm clock and new cocktail glasses for the bar which seem to dwindle every week as a result of drunken travelers dropping their beverages on the bar floor, we spotted a man with a baby goat! I asked if I could take a picture of the goat and instead of saying 'si', the goat-holder straight up handed me his goat! I immediately recieved arm kisses and even a little chew which I didn't mind considering this precious baby goat was probably for sale to be raised for juicy meat. Rob even asked for a turn with the adorable mammal. After the equivalent of 3 miles of walking in smelly, crowded streets for 4 hours, Rob and I stopped for pollo a la brasa at a local joint with a line at the register- a sure sign that the food is delicious! Half way through our meal, the lights went out and we had to eat in the dark. We then proceeded to carry our 24 bar glasses (packaged in a plastic bag, mind you) and Halloween decorations onto an overly crowded bus hoping that none of the glasses would break. We were successful! We also managed to stop at Metro- the local grocery store to purchase strawberry jello for our Saturday night jello shots and eggs to make pisco sours because of Shane and James; the 2 English guys with accents so thick that I can't understand what they say. Shane and James had me make more pisco sours in one night than I had made in the 6 weeks I have been bartending. Because most people drink beer here, I don't get many opportunities to make cocktails other than G&Ts, screwdrivers and rum & cokes so I like mastering a drink- especially one that's the official alcoholic drink of Peru! The night wound down with one of the English guys accidentally breaking a beer bottle followed by these 2 handsome boys falling over a bar stool. After 45 minutes complaining about how sloppy these guys were, Rob kindly asked them to go to bed. They surprisingly didn't argue. For some reason I'm not surprised that they don't remember much of the night. They sleep in my room and asked me for some pain meds for their headaches yesterday morning. Most people can handle their liquor a little bit better. I decided to go to the disco Saturday night as I hadn't been out in over a week. I tend to be pretty tired after work ends at 1am and have been working on my pool skills with my bar manager, Rob. He tells me i'm getting really good and will beat him day. His words of affirmation make my day on a regular basis as he learned how to play pool in Malaysia with professionals so he's pretty fucking good. We went to Toro Bar in Barranco which was a huge club with a 90's cover band performing but the club was pretty empty. I wasn't enjoying myself because I can only get excited to hear 'Don't Stop Believin' by Journey so many times before i'm sick of it. I left Toro Bar with 2 Australians to walk back to the hostel around 3am. I went to my room to get my computer and sat in the garden to listen to music and start my journaling. I was approached by a French guy who had stumbled back from a bar and we proceeded to try to communicate. Welp he doesn't speak a lick of English and knows basic conversational Spanish. We sat in the garden for an hour communicating the best we could using lots of charades. Mr. France (I never got his name) had come from a reggae show and we spent our time showing each other music videos on youtube. It's amazing how music can bring people together without many words.

Yesterday was absolutely glorious. My new friend Asia Power (yes, that's her real name) read about a beach about an hour south of Barranco called Playa Asia and was on a mission to go there and take silly pictures with the signs. Welp it turns out that it would have been a 100 Sole cab ride and that the area is way expensive so we were referred to Punta Hermosa, a beautiful beach only about 30 minutes away. The first cab who stopped for our group of 11 people wasn't willing to drive to Punta Hermosa so I proceeded to find a cab who wanted to make some money off of some gringos. This next cab driver wanted 150 Soles for a 30 minute cab drive which is complete bullshit. I looked him straight in the eye and said 'Yo vivo aca. Yo soy gringa pero no soy stupida.' Often times taxi drivers attempt to take advantage of tourists who don't know any better. Luckily I always ask reception how much I should pay for a taxi so I'm not ripped off. I managed to get the same cab driver to take 4 of us in his car for 50 Soles. Schwing! The beach was beautiful, but we could easily tell that it was a beach used quite a lot by many people as there were small bits of trash in the sand. The waves were a gorgeous blue color and the crashing of the waves with the few scattered brave people willing to face the cold waters was a pleasant sight. I was determined to sit in the sun and eat cebiche while I watched the surfers and I succeeded. Seven of us went to a local restaurant for lunch. While it was a lovely afternoon, we missed some prime time in the sun. I didn't mind so much because while I lathered up with my SPF 30 to block the UVs but to get a little toasty, there weren't any spots for shade. I managed to catch some rays from 4-5 while the sun started to head towards the horizon. We took a crowded bus for 45 minutes back to Barranco which only cost us 4 Soles per person. We must have looked silly being 11 people clearly out of place on a teeny bus for 30 people. I came back to the hostel and wound down for a while as I didn't have to work until 9:30pm. I worked an hour early for another bartender a few nights back so she offered to work an extra hour for me. This favor couldn't have come at a better time because I was really tired from going to the beach. At the beginning of my shift I noticed that a really attractive man was looking for the triangle for pool which we store on top of a giant light that hangs over the pool table. I decided to walk over with a smile and show him where we keep our supplies. Eric in advertising from New York flirtatiously challenged me to a game and I proceeded to kick his ass. It was grand and Rob was so proud of his student. After the bar closed I joined a doubles game in pool and again, kicked ass. I think I have found a new pastime.

Inka Kola

Yesterday I rode on the Metropolotina public transportation bus with 5 Aussies (Ben, Marshall, Asia, Brad and Phil) and one Swedish girl, Jakova into Central Lima to go to the Catacomb Museum. This method of public transportation is similar to the concept of the metro rail in Washington DC in that you can load money onto a plastic card and swipe it against a machine that deducts the fare from your account. It costs 1.5 Soles each way, no matter how many stops you make. If you miss your stop, you can also get off and then back on going the opposite direction for no extra charge. Which happened to me twice after my adventures with Astrid in Central Lima 2 weeks ago. We stepped off the bus and proceeded to walk about 10 blocks in the direction of the museum but decided to stop for lunch before heading into the museum built underneath of a cathedral which was initially used for burying catholics in unmarked tombs. My six travel buddies for the day chose to grab sandwiches from Bembos; the Peruvian version of Mcdonalds, just with juicer-looking hamburgers that look closer to the pictures that advertise them than Mickey-Ds. Their sandwiches came with skinny french fries, or chips as the Aussies call them and Inka Kola on tap- Peru's national soda that tastes like bubble gum. It's neon yellow and in my opinion, absolutely disgusting. I went the less unhealthy route and bought myself pollo a la brasa which is Peru's traditional rotisserie chicken and boy is it succulent no matter where you get it. My lunch came with steamy french fries and a delicious salad. We sat in the nearby Plaza and ate our lunch under the mostly cloudy sky and talked about our worldly travels, where we're from, and where we want to go with each of us giving advice to the next regarding their future destinations. After lunch we strolled on over to the museum which is behind a gated plaza where hundreds of pigeons reside and wait for tourists to throw them a snack. Asia and I decided to go for a run through the crowds of birds to get a reaction and encourage some flight by these rats of the sky. It was fun until I slipped and bumped my knee by breaking my fall. It all happened in slow motion and I bet it resembled someone sliding into 2nd base. I'm fine, mom- just a little bruised.

The seven of us entered the museum at 7 Soles per person and were led to the English-speaking guide who went from having two tourists following her to 14, including the 5 other tourists who came along just 2 minutes after us (hahaha that was a lot of numbers in one sentence). Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any pictures so I made sure to soak it all up and asked plenty of questions. Our group made our way into the catacombs of the cathedral where archeologists had excavated thousands of bodies worth of skeleton bones! It was perfectly appropriate considering Halloween is just around the corner! After the Catacomb Museum, we made our way to the Museo de Congreso y Inquicision. Unfortunately, they didn't offer any English-speaking tour guides and because Spanish-speakers speak at a million words a minute, I could only catch about 60% of what was being said since I can't ask them to repeat their shpeil. The tour was lovely, especially the part where I saw a mother and her three year old child sitting on a step, in the museum, with the three year old's hands grasping the mother's right breast as she suckled on her nipple for milk in plain view of the other tourists. After the tour and the free show, we walked through Chinatown looking at and smelling all the questionable street food. After our browse, we changed our direction and walked about 16 blocks to see the famous water fountain show in downtown Lima. After paying 4 Soles to enter the park, we casually strolled around the glorious water fountains decorated with neon lights and took glamour shots in front of the aquatic architecture. The show began at promptly 7pm and lasted for approximately 35 minutes! The water shot up into the air from the fountains to the beat of familiar classical music tunes. The finale took off with a laser light show that shined through the misty water wall including a ballerina, Irish dancer, and traditional Peruvian dance. The show ended with the Peruvian laser flag and a loud applause. This destination is considered romantic as we were surrounded by mushy couples. When the show ended, we walked around a bit more looking at the other water fountains when I eventually realized that I had to work in 30 minutes! Marshall ever-so-kindly offered to ride back in a taxi with me instead of the 45 minutes bus ride followed by the 10 minute walk to the hostel as he was the biggest person in our group, tired of walking, and willing to split the 10 Soles fare with me. Thank goodness for Marshall because otherwise it would have been too dangerous for me to ride back by myself at 8pm. At work last night, we decided to play beer pong for the first time since i've been here which was a huge mistake. It was a mistake because I kick ass and take names playing beer pong so naturally, I dominated and all the boys swooned. What can I say? I'm a heartbreaker.

I woke up today and chatted with the Aussies on the patio while they shared their fresh pineapple with me. I then took a shower and headed to Mercado Surco with my Irish bar manager who's really my friend; Rob. We went on a mission to find supplies for our pirate party tonight; a surprise party for Salvador, one of the Peruvians who works in reception. It's going to be grand! We're making pineapple jello shots and decorating with eye patches and pirate hats- ARGHHH. After buying supplies, Rob and I went to the park across the street to take naps in the sun. We ended up chatting the whole time and bonded quite a lot. I'm technically not scheduled to work tonight but being behind the bar is so much fun so i'll end up hanging out with Rob and flirting with the cute traveler boys.

Dear Boris and Bruno- I am sorry

It's official- I have eaten guinea pig. I tried this tasty treat Saturday night (Oct 8) before I was scheduled to work at the bar at 8:30pm. It resembles dark meat chicken and was actually quite good. It came out of the kitchen with its limbs spread across the plate and the head still attached. I was a lot less disturbed than I thought I would have been. A fellow American, Johnny and I ventured out to a restaurant with rooftop seating looking over the Pacific Ocean in search of cuy, the delicacy in Peru also known as guinea pig- I was simply interested in trying a bite to check it off of my bucket list. While Johnny ordered the guinea pig which came with 2 free pisco sours (Peru's national alcoholic beverage) for each of us, I chose to order something less adventurous but possibly  more delicious- a juicy chicken filet perfectly seasoned with a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers as well as boiled potatoes. Delish! Johnny and I walked back to the hostel so I could prepare for our scheduled Madhatter party- a fiesta we were promoting at the hostel where if an attendee wore some kind of wacky hat (easy for them as we were passing them out as people entered the bar), we handed them a free jello shot to get the party started! Our themed parties on Saturday nights are attended by backpackers who have recently arrived, and those who are seasoned in our bar, celebrating life in as many ways as possible. The night shift wrapped up with my bar manager and 3 fellow partiers dancing on the bar followed by the preparation to head to the disco. I chose to stay behind and played pool with my bar manager until 5am. We bonded and it was quite lovely as he is teaching me all the pointers he can to help me improve my pool game. On Sunday I prepared for Astrid's arrival as we were scheduled to leave at 3am Monday morning for a 2 day adventure in Paracas, Ica, and Nasca. We managed to get in a 2 hour nap before our 4 hour bus ride to Paracas which was full and uneventful. We arrived just in time for our 8am tour of the Ballestas Islands to see seals and penguins in their natural habitats. Astrid and I boarded a speedboat which sat about 30 people and we rode the waves from Paracas to the islands- an absolutely beautiful ride in the wind surrounded by breathtaking scenery. We arrived at our first location where we spotted penguins on a cliff who were barely phased by the human presence evident throughout each day of their natural lives. During each boat ride from island to island, we'd spot more penguins, hundreds of thousands of pelicans, and eventually, SEALS! The first set of blubbery mammals we approached were cuddling ever so gently, baking in the warm sun, and pleased to pose for pictures by not moving at all. It was precious. Among the seals, we spotted star fish stuck to the side of cliff from which we were only about 2 meters, crabs, and more SEALS! At one point, I was no more than 2 meters from a giant seal and his mates. This experience was simply life changing and significantly less depressing than going to a zoo where animals are kept in captivity and unable to roam freely. After Paracas, Astrid and I boarded a bus to head to Ica where we were scheduled to go sandboarding at 4pm. The ride was short as Astrid and I were running low on sleep and managed to get in some shut-eye so before we knew it, we were at our bus station. I managed to find someone with my name on a sign indicating that he was our designated taxi driver to get to the hostel where we had a reservation. Our hostel was breath-takingly gorgeous: Hostel Huacachinero had a swimming pool located below a giant sand dune, a snazzy restaurant, ping pong tables, a modern bar, and accommodations for at least 100 people. We decided to relax by the pool to catch some rays in paradise. After I sat down on my beach chair, I noticed a beautiful green bird out of the corner of my eye. It turns out that Pepe the parrot is a tropical bird (sadly with his wings clipped) who lives at the hostel and roams the open area where the pool is. A waitress walked passed Pepe and handed him a piece of bread to munch on which gave us the grande idea to eat some lunch. We both had fresh salad greens with sesame chicken and I even managed to share some lettuce with Pepe. Well Pepe apparently got too comfortable at our lunch table, waddled over to my salad plate, and stole a piece of my broccoli!! I was pissed at first- but then realized I couldn't stay angry with such a beautiful creature so I got over it quickly. At 4m, Astrid and I reported to the front desk with one other couple to head out in sand buggies for our sandboarding adventure and boy was it a thrill! Our excursion began like a roller coaster ride with our sandbuggie driver and 4 passengers as we twisted and turned up and down the sand dunes. The level of adrenaline was something I hadn't felt in a long time. We stopped at a lookout to take pictures and to breathe deeply over the fantastic view over the sand dunes decorated with unique lines carved in by the wind and to walk across the smooth sand beneath our toes. After the view we headed over to our first location to begin the sandboarding process! We had the choice between heading down on our stomach or standing with our ankles strapped onto the board just like a snowboard. I gave both methods a try though I found standing up to be very difficult. At the end of our adventure I had enough sand down my pants for the Ocean City boardwalk. I found sand in crevices I didn't even know existed- cute. We returned to Hotel Huacachinero completely exhausted and famished. After showering with the intent to remove as much sand from our bodies as possible with the low-pressure shower head, we walked to a restaurant that was recommended to us by the good-looking Peruvian receptionist, Luigi working the night shift. We were assured that the town was quiet and safe enough to walk around after dark. Although the evening was chilly and windy, I found it quite soothing against my slightly sunburned skin. Dinner was yummy, filling, and a perfect way to cap off a fun-filled, memory-making, sunny day in gorgeous Peru. Our day on Tuesday began with breakfast at 7:30am so that we could check out and promptly leave in a taxi at 8am so head to Nasca, Peru to fly over the Nasca Lines. Google it. They're pretty rad. During our a 2.5 hour wait to board our plane, we browsed some touristy markets with Nasca and Peruvian-themed chachkees where I proceeded to knock over an entire stand of silver pendants and decided it was only appropriate that I buy something from this poor woman who witnessed me almost completely destroy her 1x1 meter cubicle of jam-packed goodies. Astrid and I people watched, ate some popcorn, I got a massage from a small Peruvian man with padded chairs set up, we people watched some more, and sat in the sun so that I could further develop my flip flop tan. After our long wait we boarded our plane and flew over some breathtaking views of Nasca including a whale, hummingbird, spider, hands, astronaut, bird, parrot, and triangles, all of which have been etched into the desert sand. I managed to sleep for about 2 hours on our 6 hour bus ride and crashed immediately upon arriving back at the hostel in Lima.

Famosa

As my work shift was ending yesterday I was approached by Melissa from reception who had a young woman with her. My gut instinct was 'what did I do?' as the conversation looked somewhat intense. I couldn't have been more incorrect in my assumption because this young woman wanted to ask me if she could interview me. Again, my initial thought was 'cool, i'll be in a newspaper, quoted in english.' I couldn't have been more incorrect. The young woman explained to me that she was here with a camera crew and were looking to interview a gringa inquiring about what I think regarding Peruvian men. Oh geez! Welp I am not fluent in Spanish. Turns out it doesn't matter. So my bar manager Rob gave me an encouraging push to go for it- so I said okay! Melissa asked that I wear a shirt from The Point for publicity so I went to change and the nerves started kicking in! My thoughts were as follows: 'What the hell am I getting myself into? What if my Spanish is so terrible and no one can understand my answers? What if I am too truthful and I offend the Peruvian male population? What if I make a complete fool of myself?' I concluded that I only live once and to just go for it! I joined the young woman and her staff outside on our patio where 10 guests from the hostel were gathered to watch. I minimally briefed and the magic began! This was more or less our comical transcript, in Spanish of course!
"What do you think of Peruvian men?"
L"Peruvian men are handsome and they have nice, tan skin and they know what they want and what I want"
"Peruvian men know what they want and what you want?"
L"Peruvian men think they know what I want but not always."
"What is it that they think you want?"
L"They think that I want lots of kisses, but I don't!"
"You don't like kisses?"
L"Sometimes"
"What part of their body do you like?"
L"Their eyes!"
"What about their eyes?"
L"The color, and i also like their shoulders! They're strong, like yours" (I said to the man interviewing me- he was clearly not Peruvian as he had blonde hair and blue eyes)
"Have you have food prepared in a kitchen by a Peruvian man?"
L"It doesn't matter to me, I like all Peruvian food"
"Do you think Peruvian men can cook?"
L"Yes, I have a Peruvian friend who can cook very well- Hi Freddy!" (haha I love giving shout-outs!)
"Do you think Peruvian men have big feet?"
L"No, they're normal"
"Do you think Peruvians have good butts?"
L"Si, especially when they dance!"
"Do you dance with Peruvians?"
L"Sometimes"
"Will you dance a little bit with me?" (then we proceeded to dance together!)
Then I was asked to do a little dance by myself! hahahahaa

That concluded my interview and it will air on Lima Limon with Gringo Karl next Thursday at 12pm and 4pm. Unfortunately I don't think anyone in the states will be able to watch it unless you youtube it, but luckily a guest at the hostel, Fabio (who by the way had never heard of THE Fabio, gasp!) recorded the entire thing on his digital camera so he let me put it on my computer.  I have video evidence of this silly interview. Oy vey. So after my interview and autograph signing I tried to take a brief snooze before Astrid's arrival and our departure for the disco. I failed miserably. I was just too hyped from becoming famous that I decided to have a coffee instead. Astrid got here around 10 and we spent the evening chatting with my friends, drinking cocktails, and challenging various handsome boys in foosball. At 1:30am Edwin, our disco-gatherer told us to get ready to go to the club and Astrid and I being the gorgeous, friendly women we are were offered a ride from Diego, the professional futbol player, Rodrigo the jaw-droppingly handsome musician, Jimmy the Argentinian, and Alonso- Rodrigo's cousin, in their macho sporty cars. On our way we were pulled over by the police. My heart dropped and all I could hear was Franny telling me not to get locked up abroad. I had been drinking, the driver had not, but I was still concerned that I was in trouble. While Rodrigo stepped out of the car to talk to the police, Alonso explained to me that Peruvian police are very corrupt and often times will threaten to arrest someone unless a bribe is offered. How unfortunate! So now I'm thinking i'll have to empty my pockets of the 30 soles spread amongst the various compartments in my jeans. Rodrigo and Diego worked their magic and we drove off just fine and continued on our way to the club. The disco that we go to on Thursdays is called Help and it holds just under 1000 people. The live band and countless drunkards dancing freely sure is a sight and rather entertaining. Astrid and I danced the night away, hopped in a cab at 3am with 2 other hostel-stayers and caught some shut eye.

Yesterday I made my way back to Pueblo Libre to see Astrid and to visit Hugo y Luz- Astrid's great aunt & uncle. Apparently they were upset that I hadn't called them which is completely valid as I said I would keep in touch. Well to me, keeping in touch means calling when I get back to the states, but to people who don't have as long to live, it means call in a week. Oops. 'Why didn't you call us' was the first thing Hugo said to me! I stayed for lunch which we started off with a salad of lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes and tuna with aji paprika olive oil drizzled on top. Salad was followed by pineapple chicken accompanied by rice. There's nothing like home cookin! Ingredients here are so fresh and not very far removed from their origin. I love it here! Astrid and I left Hugo y Luz's house where Astrid's mother and 2 uncles are staying as well during their visit to Lima. We strolled around Pueblo Libre catching up and browsing the local markets that have the same touristy chatchkees as the next. We winded down the evening with a Peruvian dessert of which I forget the name but it resembles a warm rice pudding which usually has raisons (although this particular establishment had run out) and sprinkled with cinnamon (Jane is cringing right now- shout out to Jane who hates cinnamon with a passion! Love you boo). It was a perfect way to wrap up my afternoon. I trekked back to Barranco and took it easy for the night as I had the day off. I watched a wonderful and moving documentary which was recommended to me by 2 different friends. This life-changing film is entitled 'Earthlings' and I recommend that each and every one of you look into it. Keep in mind it's slightly visually disturbing. That's all I have to say about that (in a Forest Gump accent).

I ventured out to Central Lima today for the first time which is actually quite sad (that fact it took me this long, not the actual area). Because I didn't have access to money for so long as I was robbed at a festival when I first arrived, I wasn't able to explore as much as I wanted to. Luckily Astrid wanted to go explore the touristy stuff downtown so we put together a plan, chatted with the lovely local Peruvian girls in their early twenties who work in reception at my hostel, about how to take the bus, where to eat, and how much a taxi should cost if we choose to not take the public bus. We're on a budget so the public bus it was- which was 1.5 Soles. Astrid and I stood on the crowded bus holding on the the handles that dangled against my forehead which is located in an entirely different atmosphere than the average Peruvian, and rode the 45 minutes to central Lima. We were greeted by a giant statue of which we didn't hesitate to take pictures and then proceeded to walk in the wrong direction to the non Plaza de Mayor for about 10 blocks- but its okay- we took the scenic route! After finding our way to the correct tourist-infested Plaza, we found a location for lunch as it was almost 2pm and neither of us had consumed anything other than coffee for the day! We sat at the first outdoor cafe we could find and ordered ourselves a starter of fried yucca with a delicious Peruvian style tartar sauce to start out with followed by causa de pollo for Astrid (read my last blog with a description on causa) and Palta Rellena for me (an avocado half with a scoop of chicken salad in the middle), both traditional Peruvian dishes. We sipped on cappuccinos and chatted for 2 hours. It was fantastically lovely. When we finished up lunch around 4, Astrid and I roamed the streets of Central Lima taking pictures of the wonderfully designed structures that we could tell had a lot of planning involved in the architecture and execution. We probably should have kept in mind that many buildings that are open for tourism close at 5pm because as we approached a museum, a disappointed crowd was leaving the front door as they had been turned down for entry because of the time. Oops. We went to the one place we knew wouldn't turn us down; church! We entered the cathedral in the Plaza de Armas and scooted past the other tourists waiting in line to take a peek at one of the many dedicated shrines of various saints, Jesus, and Mary decorated with flowers, gold, and crucifixes. As the sun was setting, I knew I needed to get on my way back to Barranco before it got dark. Astrid walked me to the bus station and she caught a cab to head back to Pueblo Libre. I was slightly concerned about finding my way back but knew with the head on my shoulders I've had for some time now that I would be able to figure it out! Welp I missed my stop by 6 stations because I misunderstood the name of the bus station. Luckily, the bus system is similar to the metro in DC in that if you miss a stop, you can get off and hop on the next vehicle heading in the opposite direction for no extra fee. I still got off at the wrong stop because apparently there are 2 Metros in Barranco (Metro is coincidentally the name of the big chain grocery store near where I live and I use it as a landmark on a day to day basis. I found a security man, asked if I could walk to which he replied no as it was too dangerous. Luckily he told me not to pay more than 3 Soles for a cab for where I needed to go and I was dropped off at my front door! I spent the remainder of the evening winding down from all the tiring walking all day and sat back with 2 groovy Aussies to watch another mind-blowing documentary. Go watch Zeitgeist 1. Then Zeitgeist 2. Then 3. They're pretty controversial and I'm pretty sure you will never be the same.

Aloha

I decided to go back to Parque Kennedy the other day (again) to get some cheap supplies and walk around the cat park. The weather is getting nicer as the sun appears for more and more time each day and gently toasts my easily-burned skin. I treated myself to a lovely dinner at Cafe de la Paz, a quaint cafe with outdoor seating that looks directly on to a grassy field with colorful flower patches, cemented paths leading to street carts with tasty treats varying from sweets to sandwiches to popcorn and a central market containing 20 tables overflowing with ethnic handicrafts. My dinner consisted of my waiters personal favorite menu item; the juiciest, most tender steak I have every had in my life, sitting on a bed of tasty sauces and potatoes au gratin accompanying my first piece of red protein in a very long time. While I ate, I sipped on a refreshing mango daiquiri! After my slow and relaxing meal I browsed the crafty tables and bought a multi-colored beaded bracelet- a style popular in Lima so of course I had to have one now that I live here. It cost me 3 Soles- just over 1 American dollar! I made my way over the the more commercial handicraft building to say hello to my new friend Sara who smiled from ear to ear when I walked into her corner of chachkees. We chatted for a bit and she asked where I was headed so I told her I wanted to treat myself to a traditional Peruvian street cart dessert. She walked over to her neighbor store, asked the young woman to watch her things, and we walked out into the busy streets of Parque Kennedy in search of a tasty snack! We casually engaged in light conversation and browsed around for about 30 minutes. Sara and I eventually stopped at a cart amongst a busy crowd and bought something so interesting that I don't know if I can effectively explain what it was. I held in my hand an enormous circular crispy dessert, much thinner and lighter than a cookie that was drizzled in a sweet, orange glaze that stuck to my lips with every bite. Sara and I walked and talked and ate. It was precious. I escorted my adorable friend back to her corner store and said farewell, promising her that I would return within a few days.

Yesterday (Saturday) I went to Parque Kennedy (by now I could be a tour guide of this area that I will probably get sick of within a few weeks) with my South African/English friend, Tasch (short for Natascha) who is so pleasant to spend time with. We went to a cafe directly next to Cafe de la Paz across from where I went for dinner a few days before, in search of some delicious cebiche. Success!! Between the 2 of us we ordered cebiche mixto, causa de pollo, and quinoa rissotto with alpaca- yes, I ate alpaca! Cebiche mixto is traditional Peruvian cebiche with many different kinds of seafood which is marinated in lime juice, cilantro, and chiles until the fish is no longer transparent. It's technically raw seafood- but a similar concept to lox (for my Jewish peeps reading this) in that it's not completely raw but not cooked either. I am not super keen on the texture of all the different kinds of seafood that I didn't grow up eating- but I am trying everything once. Causa is a cold dish of yellow mashed potato patties layered with various fillings. Our dish was filled with tender shredded chicken, mayonnaise, and avocado. It was delicious, stuck to our ribs, and was decorated beautifully with green peas and topped with a hardboiled egg drizzled with a yellow sauce- YUM. Now on to the alpaca which I know you're dying to read about. Let's just say that I am glad I tried it but don't think i'll be ordering it anytime soon. The quinoa risotto was so light, creamy, and tasty. Alpaca is lean and tender and tastes exactly like a farm. Tasch and I spent 2 hours exchanging life stories and people watching on the patio with the sun beating on our arms and walked around Parque Kennedy as Tasch had never been to markets on the weekend when they're filled with tons of people selling wonderful goodies. I also made sure to stop by and see Sara who was (of course) thrilled to see me! Sara has a much larger store in Pueblo Libre, where I stayed with Hugo y Luz when I first arrived in Lima so I will be sure to go meet her son who runs her other store.

Last night the hostel threw a party that was Hawaiian themed so my bar manager and I bought a plethora of lais - the flower necklaces commonly put around people's neck in asking if they want to get 'laid' hahaha! We also bought 2 large pineapples for $3 from a street cart and soaked them in rum to serve to the backpackers choosing to party with us on a Saturday night. The bar was crowded with friendly people looking for a good time with great people. By 1am, Edwin (the same man who comes Tuesday through Saturday to fetch everyone to go to the club) took all the drunkards to Toro Bar for some dancing and I stayed behind with my fellow bar staff and 1 chef and played 6 games of pool until the sun came up. Sundays are usually a lot more laid back as people are recovering from the weekend and getting ready for the week-day adventures exploring what Lima has to offer. I work from 8:30pm-1am tonight and will then go to see Hugo y Luz tomorrow because Astrid is in town with her mom! Astrid and her family set me up with Hugo y Luz who are their family members. I will spend time in Pueblo Libre during my much-deserved day off.