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.