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.