Money Swallower

I went back to Parque Kennedy yesterday in search of the falafel joint that was recommended to me by Shalom, my Israeli manager. Success! It is located 3 doors down from Starbucks- the place I'm avoiding because of it's commercialism that has already polluted every corner of every street in the United States. I walked up to the nearly empty restaurant and carefully studied the menu of Middle Eastern food with descriptions in Spanish. I was torn between falafel and shwarma so I solved my dilemma by getting both! The nice waitress offered me a half-order of the falafel appetizer which would give me 3 balls (haha) and recommended the falafel sandwich. While the waitress, owner, and I exchanged words in Spanish about where I am from and I drooled at the mouth over the colorful vegetable salads and sauces I got to choose from. The owner asked me (all in Spanish) if I wanted chicken, lamb, or turkey to which I replied, 'que se gusta?' which means, 'what do you like?' I was told lamb- so lamb it was! I was served my falafel to get started and boy was it yummy! I could taste the spices as I munched down on the freshly-cooked crispy ball of mashed chickpeas dipped in yummy sauces. As I was finishing up my last ball, a neatly-wrapped tortilla/lafa looking sandwich was placed in front of me: Game Time! The marinated red onions along with the lamb meat and israeli salad was a fiesta in my mouth. It was very tasty- but it's no schwarma from Max's, located at 2319 University Blvd Wheaton, MD 20902 (shout out to Momi- the schwarma man at Max's with whom I worked for 3.5 years). You will think you had died and gone to heaven. I wish they delivered to Peru. After lunch, I roamed the streets of Parque Kennedy looking to haggle for some new earrings because I lost one in the Pacific Ocean when I went surfing. Lima is known for having an abundance of inexpensive silver so my search began! I made my way into a handicraft market where I could have spent hours trying on jewelry but I was short on cash and was getting overwhelmed when 326 people approached me trying to sell me their precious goods. I made my way to a corner where I met Sara, a 60-something woman who sold me silver ball earrings for 20 Soles and an alpaca sweater for 60 Soles! Yesterday the exchange rate was about 2.65 Soles for every $1. We chatted completely in Spanish for 20 minutes, telling her all about my job, how long i've been in Peru, and how much longer I'll be here. We concluded our conversation with Sara telling me that when I am tired of bar tending I should become a super model. She asked me to come back and visit- I'll be seeing her soon!! I left the market and saw a casino across the street called Tragamoneda which translates to 'Money Swallower' hahahaha! I stayed away. Casinos are everywhere here- I even saw one named 'Atlantic City.' Apparently if you go to a casino to gamble, you're entitled to free food and alcoholic drinks! My friends go there occasionally when they're short on cash just to get fed- oh the joys of being young and broke! I'm a little bit intimidated to play blackjack in Spanish but i'll be giving it a go one of these days. I haggled my way into a taxi to come back home and prepare for my evening shift at the bar. It was a terrific day!

Americana

Today I ventured out to Parque Kennedy- a beautiful outdoor area with shops, restaurants, and lots of opportunities for people-watching to take place. Before I left my hostel, I asked a friend how much I should NOT pay for a taxi so I wouldn't be a victim of gringo tax- something many taxi drivers do with people who are obviously not Peruvian; they'll tack on an extra few soles...so knowing that I shouldn't pay more than 6 soles helped. I was dropped off in front of a store called La Quinta which was recommended by my fellow female bartender and had nearly 30 bins overflowing with inexpensive clothing. I quickly learned that each bin or corner of the store had a designated owner who would give you the clothing to try on- up to 3 items. I took 2 pairs of jeans an a floral shirt as my quest for long pants has been ongoing for the last 3 weeks. I'm beginning to realize that with the seasons changing and getting warmer- I won't need jeans! I didn't even try on the 2nd pair. However- I did fall in love with the shirt I tried on and decided to purchase it for 45 soles- no bargaining here but I was willing to splurge. I was handed a receipt that I needed to take to a counter to pay for my shirt and upon returning with my receipt indicating that my item was paid for, I received my newly purchased shirt! I really surprised myself with the amount of Spanish I was both able to use and then understand- without giving away the fact that I have (mostly) no idea what I'm doing! I walked around for another hour going in and out of colorfully decorated clothing stores and admiring the goods that each vender had to offer. I also bought some underwear and talked my way into customizing the colors in my set! I continued on my journey to find a falafel and schwarma restaurant recommended to me by my Israeli hostel manager, Shalom. I browsed the Parque steering clear of the commercial chains like pizza hut, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks in search of this infamous middle eastern treat. I failed miserably. Upon returning to the hostel  and seeing Shalom and his 14 month old adorable daughter who is always full of smiles, I was informed that the falafel joint is next to Starbucks!! I know I'll be going back to Parque Kennedy- so no worries! I took a brief break to people watch in the park and boy did I see some interesting things! Among these sights included a plethora of stray cats, nuns, 6 Peruvians with Downs Syndrome on a field trip, sandwich and popcorn venders, plenty of couples of all shapes, sizes, colors, and sexual preferences locked at the lips, and of course- tourists. While sipping on my water sans gas, I was approached by 2 men, one significantly older than the other and missing more teeth than he had in his mouth. He exclaimed in Spanish that I was beautiful and proceeded to guess my country of origin. I avoided speaking so as to not give anything away with my obvious accent. After listing 8 countries beginning with Sweden, Germany, and Russia and shaking my head after each guess he finally pinned the nail on the donkey and surprisingly repeated, "Americana?" over and over with much disbelief. I was flattered that I looked so exotic to him! He smiled like a 6th grade boy who just scored a date for his first boy-girl dance and it made my day to make his day. I bargained with a taxi driver who wanted 8 soles to take me back to my hostel and I was turned down after offering 6! I asked the next taxi driver (with confidence) how much to Barranco and he said 5 soles! I guess when I don't look clueless I don't get the tourist tax. I have the day off and I'm looking forward to resting. This upcoming week is going to be fantastic!

So as many of you have read, I was robbed several weeks ago. I am just dandy and it could have been much worse. To sum up that situation, this is what's been going on with me:

My wallet was stolen on September 9, 2011. I was able to cancel my 2 credit cards and debit card before anything was used by my evil robber with the help of my mom (shout out to Franny- love you!) Amex was very helpful and patient with me while Chase was a pain in my ass. They hung up on me twice. My cards arrived in Maryland in due time and my cards (and a purple sweater) were mailed Priority on Saturday, September 17, 2011 (shout out to Stan the Man- thanks!!). In the meantime, I had about 20 Soles to my name ($8). The $20 tip from the Americans helped a lot and I got 3 more Soles in tips- 2 from a Canadian and 1 from an American- which is 3 times as many tips as my bar manager has gotten since he's worked here for the last 2.5 months! I suppose it helps havin 'the ladies'. So I waited 13 days for my new cards to come, borrowed some money from my wonderful Irish bar manager to do some laundry as I was down to my last pair of underwears! Gotsta have clean underwears. My cards FINALLY arrived yesterday and the first thing I did was activate my cards. Amex was easy- set that shit up online. My debit card would be activated once I used it at the atm- something I was somewhat nervous about considering it's a brand new card being used for the first time in an atm in South America. Although I notified the bank of my international travel, knowing my luck, my card would be snatched on the first attempt to withdraw some much-missed dinero. I walked to Metro, the supermercado, nervously gave my plastic buddy to the atm machine and cautiously proceeded. "INVALID PASSWORD" is what I devastatingly read on the screen in front of me. No biggie- I'll use my credit card even though they want to charge me 2.7% on every freaking purchase- ughhh. I get my essentials: bananas, peaches, cubed gouda cheese and a bottle of vanilla yogurt. I stand in line for 10 minutes behind someone who bought enough cilantro for a small army, go to pay, and I am asked for my ID. Of course I didn't bring my ID because I figured I'd be using my debit card to get cash then breaking up my big bills. I even showed the cashier my second card with the same name on it but no bueno- I needed my ID. I left my beloved produce and headed back to the hostel to fetch my passport. I looked and looked and looked for my passport and it was not where I recollected leaving it. After starting to sweat a little I remembered the ONE place I didn't check in my locker at the bottom of a purse! Score! I leave the hostel to walk back to Metro and recalled placing a $50 bill (again, shout out to the best parents in the world) in my bra- the safest place I could think of for such a coveted treasure. I headed for Metro, waited in line for another 15 minutes behind the people with 38474 bags of produce and paid for my shit. So now my Amex card is hunky dory- but I still don't have my freakin pin for my debit card! I communicate this with Franny who loves me so much to call my bank regarding my pin. "We mailed you a separate envelope with the new pin which arrived with the card" customer service tells my mom. No you effing didn't, ho! She was on hold for 15 minutes after asking 11 different ways for permission to set my pin. "We'll mail you a new pin which will arrive in 5 days" nooooooo. I need access to cash. now. This is getting to be such a pain in the ass. Mom drives to the bank branch closest to her to try to set the pin in person and they basically said she was SOL. So now I will wait 5 days for my mom to tell me my pin so I can use the atm. Coulda been a good week...

Spring is in the Air

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring! You're probably thinking, 'but wait, Lauren- tomorrow is September 21, the first day of Autumn. The leaves are going to start changing colors, pumpkin patches will be attended and I've got to take out my sweaters and wool socks!' Well guess what- I live in the southern hemisphere and tomorrow is the first day of Spring!! Things I'm looking forward to: the sun, wearing shorts, 75 degrees Fahrenheit, going to my neighbors across the street- the South Pacific Ocean nbd. I am finally thinking in terms of kilometers (1.6 for every mile) and kilograms (2.2 for every lb) but this whole Celsius thing is a completely different story. I don't find it necessary to memorize an equation that I can't solve without a graphing calculator. I just know that 0 is freezing and 30 is pretty damn hot.

I've decided to describe a few silly scenarios i've encountered over the course of the last few weeks:

A) When I lived with Hugo y Luz and feeling violently nauseous, I was patting my tummy telling Luz 'no me asiento bien' which means I don't feel well. She patted my tummy and stepped back with a flabbergasted look and exclaimed 'ayy gordita!' Apparently after losing 70lbs (31.8kg) I am still fat.

B) I am exceptionally tall for a female in the US and abnormally tall for a human being in Peru where the vast majority of the population is under 5'6. I needed a new pair of jeans as I dropped 3.5kg during my first week. First I bargained for a belt that I paid 10 soles for ($3.84) then proceeded to attempt find long pants. The only problem with this is that long pants don't exist in Peru. I then proceeded to try on Peruvian-length jeans which were no bueno. I was then measured with a tape ruler by the sales women who didn't believe I am 1.77 meters. I deserve some kind of award for being a freak show down here.

C) The people I meet down here are very interesting and have fascinating stories- when I can understand them speak. Nigel, a Scottish 30 something year old speaks with the a an accent so thick that I feel like I need to dilute it with some water. Bless his heart- he simply wants a friend but I cannot understand a damn thing he says. It also took me a while to understand my bar manager, Rob who is from Ireland. The th sound does not exist in their ability to pronounce words so he counts, 'one, two, tree' ,goes true the door, he tought of an idea, and tankfully isn't hungover. And then I giggle at him.

D) Turns out I'm a big heartbreaker. I've been known to make a friend, flirt a little, and then when they show up at my bar piss drunk hoping to get lucky, they're kicked out by our front desk receptionist/security man David and if they're angry enough- break door bells.

E) There's a ping pong table at the hostel. I grew up with a full size ping-pong table in my basement (which I don't publicly share). I love asking someone (usually a male) if he'd like to play. I ask to warm up, hit the ball lightly and high, just like a beginner. I tell them I'm warm after some rallies and then I come at them sneak attack style with my serve and proceed to blow their mind. It's pretty fun- until the guy's wife asks to play the winner and kicks my ass! This particular couple, Jessica and Tyler are from Atlanta and were the first Americans I met who stayed at The Point. They are adorable. They got married 4 months ago and are both heading back to school- Tyler is studying Law and Jessica is getting her MBA so they decided to have a nice adventure for a few weeks before hitting the books. They were asking me about bar tending and tip money and I explained that tipping is not customary and that I do not rely on tips at all for earning money. Shocked by this, Tyler handed me a $20 (yes, American bill) when I got off work. "I seriously cannot accept this" I truthfully told them. Tyler proceeded to tell me he understands my situation and that he and his new wife would be spending quite a lot of time in the bar and that the tip was for putting up with them. Turns out they were such a pleasure to serve and super friendly! I wish they hadn't left so soon.

Ta Ta for now.

P.S. I typed this whole entry while 'working' 

The last few nights have been filled with bar and club hopping, lots of dancing, and music too loud for any kind of chatting whatsoever. My schedule lately has consisted of working at 4pm until 8:30pm then socializing with backpackers in the bar until 1:30am when we leave for the disco. I have been making it to bed between 5am and 8am- then sleeping until 2pm. Then Repeat. This cycle is slowly getting old as my body has been craving more and more sleep during the day. I'm definitely taking it easy tonight.

Thursday night we went to El Dragon- a jam-packed bar with lots of loud music. I danced in a corner with my friends until I asked a fellow hostel-stayer to walk me home- something definitely not safe enough for a young woman to be doing alone. Luckily we were only about 4 blocks away. Friday night was Help- the biggest club I have ever been to in my entire life. I accompanied Rodrigo and Diego, my new handsome & tall Peruvians to this enormous facility which had nearly 600 dancing 20 something year olds. As the three of us entered the club without any cover, we made our way through a VERY crowded audience which was swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the live band playing reggae and rock covers- some in english and some in spanish. I thought we would piss off the drunken music lovers from pushing our way through the crowd- but it turns out as long as your with 2 big dudes, and you're an attractive female, no one will cop and attitude! After some confusion as to why we were headed through the congested dancers, we made our way to the stage!! Next thing I know, Rodrigo is shaking hands with the band manager. COOL! After our quick hello, we made our way to the bar with the other hostel-stayers for a little booty shakin time. The energy of everyone in this warehouse-looking club was unbelievable. I'm sure there were less than 10 sober people- and one of the many non-sober people was a lovely hippie girl walking around asking to paint hearts, stars and war lines on our faces. She was sweet- so I let her. Amongst the 24 bars strategically placed around Help were small time vendors selling chachkees like woven bracelets, earrings, and colorful jewelry. I would have loved to buy something(s) but my wallet was stolen last week (not a big deal, don't flip out, my parents are aware, my cards have been cancelled and I only lost the equivalent of $75 dollars. I learned my lesson and everything is ok. My bar manager let me borrow some cash to do some laundry and otherwise I have everything I need. Whew. ok. on to the next topic). I left the club at 4:30am, which is when bars close in Lima (unlike 2am last call in Washington DC..lame) and returned to the hostel where my bar manager and fellow bunkmates were playing pool. So I watched and played mother hen for the drunkards who needed some water from behind the bar. I feel privileged being the bartender. I sometimes feel like I have a responsibility to my customers- especially the ones who started drinking at 5:30pm- OY.

Other than the frequent party scene, I went to Metro, the supermercado to try a few different prepared foods of Peruvian dishes. I saw something hearty with potatoes and peas and decided to give it a whirl. After chewing something of a strange consistency, I decided to ask my Chilean friend, Jose exactly what I was eating. It turns out that Cau Cau is cow stomach. The sauce was yummy but I decided not to eat anymore. I think I'll be ok if I never eat that again. Ever.

Because last night was CRAZY and many travelers departed for a new city, the bar is very quiet tonight. I have a feeling I'll be playing gangster rap and attempting to beat my bar manager in pool- something I am slowly mastering with his assistance. Rob lived in Malaysia for 3 years and basically became a professional pool player nbd. Welp- off I go to not lose at pool! Wish me luck.

We Be Jammin

My life is awesome. I love meeting new people and conversing in a language that is foreign to me. It can sometimes be difficult for my brain to process in large doses- but it's really the best way to learn. Last Thursday I went to Metro which is the supermercado here in Lima. As I was checking out with my 2 items I was asked if I needed a receipt- but I didn't understand at the time and the line was getting longer. A young woman next to me knew some English and was able to help a sista out. We exchanged information and it turns out that she is a clothing designer and has her own store! We got to talking and this young woman, Jennifer (Yen-ee-fer) is in the process of learning English and I, Spanish so I was invited to see her store, check out her clothes and chat for a bit! When I woke up this morning I decided to venture out to find Floam, Jennifer's store to see if she was working. I left my hostel and was greeted by the effortlessly beautiful South Pacific ocean and the bright sun which managed to make an appearance for about 30 minutes- the first time in 5 days! I casually walked to San Martin- a busy and popular street with stores, restaurants, and a museum about Lima's electricity (?). I was in no rush but definitely wanted to know where I was going. Turns out I turned the wrong way on San Martin and walked 7 blocks in the wrong direction- but I'm ok with the scenic route. I saw some men in uniforms and conveniently stopped at a police station to ask for directions. I walked another 2 blocks and came across 2 good-looking men in their mid twenties- one playing a guitar and the other a saxophone! No hat for money or begging- just jammin on a park bench- nbd. After a 5 min listening session (and clapping after each song) I walked 3 more blocks and found Floam- a dainty store with some of the most beautifully hand-crafted works of wearable art I've seen for less than $100 for a t-shirt. I probably won't be filling my wardrobe with the delicate pieces of art- but will definitely invest in something beautiful to support the cause of my new friend/student! Unfortunately I didn't coordinate with Jennifer about stopping by and simply showed up hoping she'd be there. She wasn't- but again, I liked the scenic walk. I spoke with Jennifer's mom, Silvana who also knows a teeny bit of English. We practiced chatting for about an hour. I browsed the store and fell more and more in love with the next piece of clothing I touched with my 'not clean enough' hands. After practicing my Spanish I departed for the hostel to eat my free lunch- who said there aren't free lunches!?! Right now I'm hanging out on my patio, talking to travelers who want to buy Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets. I got an offer for 650 soles for a VIP ticket. A) I would never pay that much ($250) but at the same time, seeing the RHCP would be life changing. I'll save it for November 9th when Damian Marley comes to Lima!!!! whaaa

Surfin (U)SA

The Beach Boys sure knew what they were talking about. Surfing is awesome! I took a cab with 2 friends on Thursday to a spot on the beach about 10 minutes away. We were greeted by Roberto, the 5 ft 5 in Peruvian man with flowing locks of curls and a smile from ear to ear. "I'm here to teach you to surfing" he says with so much enthusiasm I couldn't help but be giddy! For 150 soles (which turns out was twice as much as I should have paid) got me 2 hours of personal surfing lessons with Carlos- the non English-speaking 42 year old man who is missing one of his front 2 teeth. The water was 18 degrees celsius and I wore a wet suit which kept me warm and booties to protect me from the smooth stones perfect for skipping and the sharp needles of the sea urchins scattered along the shallow waters of the shore. I'd bet 100 soles that you're wondering if I stood up the board! Hell yea I did! The first time I caught I a wave I stood up. Then the next 11 times I could barely get crotched to stand. The adrenaline, view of the grass-covered cliffs looking to the east towards the land, and taste of the sea water of the South Pacific was something I will never forget for the rest of my life. Luckily I wasn't really sore the next day, just pretty exhausted considering I have a far lot less upper body strength than I thought I had..

Friday night I worked at the bar- which is fun considering I get to sit back and drink a beer or 2 on the job and eat pineapple jello shots. Serving my 'customers' aka friends is so fantastic. When my shifted ended at 1am I got changed and departed The Point around 1:30am (just the beginning of evening adventures in Peru) with my mixed posse of backpackers, hostel staff, and local youngins' to go to Circulo, a small bar just 6 blocks away with which the owner of the hostel has a partnership. BTW- the owner is Tamir- an Israeli...hollerrrrr. I think I won over some brownie points reciting the 8 Hebrew words I know. Circulo was small and crowded with a Peruvian rap/reggaeton band performing high-energy songs. After about an hour there, our group of 10ish people hopped over to a disco with bumpin music. I danced the night away with my traveling friends. While I was the designated drink-watcher during a dance break, I even met 3 (hot) Americans who have been country hopping for the last 6 months...we enjoyed a little dance! I will not disclose what time I went to bed Friday night/Saturday morning. Twas a pleasant evening with terrific friends. 

Saturday was by far the best experience to date i've had in Lima. I went to Mistura, a food-based festival that samples many of the best chefs (the non commercial ones- no Rachael Ray here) in the country, even world. I even met a chef from Washington, DC!! My 5 senses have never been so stimulated. My ticket which I had to buy from a scalper was 25 soles, only about 10 more than face value (the exchange on Saturday, so you get an idea was 2.71 soles for $1). I then exchanged my soles for tickets which were either worth 12 or 6 points. I could buy 1 plate of food for 12 soles or a 1/2 portion for 6, allowing me to try a more diverse number of dishes. The 4 Chilean kids I went with are all professional chefs! They know their way around, have VIP entrance tickets, and 2 of the guys even wore their chef jackets, representing the prestigious restaurants where they work. I was showed where to find the most delicious cebiche, tastiest pisco sours, and whole roasted ducks with the heads still attached. Along with the nearly 100 different places to exchange tickets for tasty treats were tent-covered markets with rows and rows of more foods and products I have never heard of or seen than ones I was familiar with. This is where the 5 senses of stimulation came into play: the colors of festive gear were present as well as a plethora of people cruising the tables for a free taste, a picture, or a question regarding the strange items in front of our curious and somewhat blown-away facial expressions. I closely listened to spoken spanish all around me and even picked up on various dialects and vocabulary which vary from Spanish-speaking country to Spanish-speaking country. I tasted (boy did I taste) cheese from various farm animals scented with herbs and spices, fruits I've never seen before, so ugly on the outside but incredibly scrumptious on the inside. I tasted it all at least once, and sometimes even twice. Everything here is so natural and not very far removed from their origin. Nothing is processed or frozen and was possibly alive just shortly before consumed. I also touched it all: I closely inspected about 75 varieties of potatoes, cracked open a passion fruit, and held about 100 toothpicks of free samples over the course of my 5 hours at this festival. Mistura is a 10 day festival that's been around for just 5 years with a long track of fun-filled festivals in the years to come- no doubt. My Chilean friends made sure I didn't miss a beat or a sight or a free sample. We returned to The Point around 8pm as I was scheduled to work 8:30-1am. I was too pooped to go out to the disco after work so I listened to Chilean rap with my new group of gnarly dudes. 

Life is GOOD =)

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago?

She's here at The Point- I made her a White Russian last night behind the bar where I currently work...as a bartender...in Lima, Peru. Crazy right? I haven't made anything super fancy yet and backpackers don't quite order martinis but I have a feeling that my arms will gradually get stronger as I pop the caps off of what seems to be an endless supply of Cuzqueña beer- a delicious Peruvian treat popular at The Pointless bar.

The people I am meeting are nothing short of fascinating. Each person's story is so unique and beautiful and I fiend for their life details in hopes of gaining as much knowledge as possible of what's 'out there'. For example: Lyn is a 32 year old Swiss woman who studied and practiced law, lived in Costa Rica for 2.5 years, and has a journey ahead of her just shy of 1 year, seeing the world. She shared stories of some insane cases she's worked on. Konstantine is a young German man who beams with enthusiasm for life and quizzes me with Spanish vocabulary. He ended up snagging my bunk bed which actually worked out PERFECTLY because I didn't have to climb up on top! He's also one of 2 people taller than me here! Stephen works in Finance in London, has a thick French accent, and is taking a 3 month holiday in Peru. He's already extended his flight twice in hopes of soaking up more memorable adventures before returning to his demanding job. And then there are the group of Australian surfers: Joe, Luke, and James- all of whom have blonde hair and the most beautiful aqua-blue eyes I have seen in my life. I needed a map- I was lost, lost in their eyes (oy).

And on that note- I am going with Sitska and Stephen for a 1 hour surfing lesson a 30 minute cab ride down the coast of the ocean. Mom, I know you're freaking out at the thought of me surfing, especially considering the back surgery I had just 8 months ago- but don't worry! It's beginner level, very slow, and this will be a great opportunity for me to feel some muscles that I haven't felt in a very long time!

Life is GOOD =)

Una Cerveza por favor

As of 5pm this evening I will no longer be a jobless traveler! You're reading the blog of the newest bartender at The Point Hostel in Barranco, Lima (http://www.thepointhostels.com)!

I left Luz y Hugo's house at 10am, taking a scenic 35 minute ride to The Point which is located about 300 meters from the South Pacific Ocean. I am living my dream, bunking with people from all over the world, and making new friends left and right. The hostel manager is Israeli, the bar manager is Irish, the cook is Dutch, and the travelers are EVERYTHING. After I settled into my new home, I went for a walk hoping to find some authentic lomo saltodo (google it). Mission accomplished! I wandered along the ocean which sits at the bottom of an enormous cliff and wandered into a restaurant that had a long line- a clue that everything is delicious! For 7 soles I got a bowl of Peruvian wonton soup and a huge plate of lomo saltado, only eating about 1/3 of it! Afterwards I haggled with a street cart woman buying 4 peaches for about $1. It's amazing how far removed from everything we are in the united states. We expect our produce to be big and clean when in reality, it's often small and slightly dirty- straight from the earth. Before I left the states, I had peaches the size of a softball- aka peaches on steroids. They were mealy and mostly tasteless. My peaches are half the size of a tennis ball and the most delicious peaches I have had in my entire life. period. Turns out size doesn't matter...when it comes to fruit. I saw produce of shapes, sizes and patterns never before seen with my green-blue eyes but don't quite have the knowledge of the Spanish language to ask what everything is. With my passion of food and cooking I'll probably end up buying 1 of everything, cutting it open, and tasting it all!

My room has 4 sets of bunk beds and I share a bathroom with up to 25 people at time. Luckily, because everyone has a different schedule for sightseeing and traveling, bathroom sharing doesn't really become and issue. With working at The Point, I get free room and half of board, endless friends with recommendations on hot spots to visit, bars with the best drinks, and advice for the freshest ceviche. Life is GOOD.

WWJD

I found Jesus! He's on a 7 foot cross, wearing a wig that looks EXACTLY like my hair, and even has his crown of thorns with painted blood on his feet. Sorry for the vivid description of JC- but it's all in the name of religion, no? Jesus is located in the Catholic church where Tia Luz goes to pray to the person whom she believes is the son of god.

Mom & Dad- don't worry; i'm not converting. I did however attend church on Sunday with Tia Luz- the great aunt of my friend Astrid. Not only was this my first experience in a church, it was all in Spanish, quite fascinating, and consisted of some uncanny resemblances to a Shabbat service in a synagogue.

Tia Luz & Tio Hugo live in Pueblo Libre, a town within Lima that translates to 'Poor Town'. It's noisy, busy, and not the cleanest city I've been in. Luz y Hugo are an older couple (70 & 90 respectively) and do not speak a lick of English. They have a lovely home that's decorated with every possible trinket they've acquired for the last 40 years. The artwork and wall hangings are plentiful and vast. Hugo y Luz have been ever so generous in offering me my own room in their home for a reasonable price that has an attached bathroom with a sink and toilet.

My first few days have been spent becoming acquainted with my temporary new home and it's been slightly frustrating considering the language barrier, but also rewarding when I can successfully communicate with the non-English speakers who now completely surround me. I've been waking up around 7:30am every morning, not by choice, but by the noisy honking of the cars in the street below. I'm told that this ongoing music box of traffic is here to stay and that there is no avoiding it. After I wake up, I join Hugo in la cocina (the kitchen) for breakfast which consists of various breads and toast. Hugo drinks warm milk and I drink Manzanillo- delicious tea which soothes my nauseas stomach on a daily basis. Hugo worked as a pediatrician for 40 something years and now spends his days reading, reading, and reading more. According to Luz, he doesn't sleep. at all. Luz works as teacher for 12 year olds- or at least that's what I picked up from her speedy talking. She leaves at 7am M-F. After breakfast, Hugo and I have been playing chess and checkers. He ALWAYS wins. It must be the 90 years of practice. He's even taught me a few things!

At nighttime I've been watching Hugo y Luz play Canasta and I am slowly learning the rules. It's amazing learning a brand new game in another language and I think I'm getting the hang of it- sort of. Granted, the first few days have been difficult, but I am getting more an more used to being in Lima. As I type, I am waiting for the owner of ThePointHostel to come in to interview me for a position in their bar. This job would be my dream come true for my stay in Peru. Wish me luck!!

Hasta Luego