Went bowling with Aaron and Violeta in a mall-complex built into the side of the cliff overlooking the ocean called Larco Mar. It’s at the end of a street called Larco Mar and seems to have been designed for tourists. More well-to-do Peruvians and tourists frequent the bowling alley, as it is a bit pricey for the average person…$8 or more per person– about the same as the States, I think, but I don’t really go bowling that much. Although, I think I should start! Gotta work on my game, but I wasn’t that bad, if I do say so myself.
The Larco Mar shopping complex was cool, although I hate to admit that about a mall. It is partly open-air, and it was neat to wander over to the rail and see the waves crash a hundred meters below (don’t quote me on that, I’m terrible at judging distance). Interesting to see stores like Radioshack, KFC/Pizzahut, Timberland, and f’n Starbucks here. It makes me think of the disparity in societal development in the world. People may not have access to all the essential services they need, but they sure as hell can have their McDonald’s, thanks to capitalism. I guess Lima is a major city and all, and I have to elaborate on these thoughts to make more sense, I know, but picture a woman begging with her child in her arms in the middle of a busy intersection, with Starbucks in the background. It’s just weird. Again, I know this deserves more analysis, and I realize the irony of me, the vacationing American, saying this.
So much more to write about, but I must get out there to keep the experiences rolling. Everyone should travel as much as they can in their lives.
September 30th, 2007
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Well, Aaron was right. Actually, I never doubted him…I got sick. He said that after 5 days in Peru most people get sick from the new food in their system. And man, did I get it bad. Let´s just say that crackers, water, gatorade, bread, and bland noodle soup were my best friends for nearly 7 days. Couldn´t wander too far from home, so I made a website with the help of Andrew in DC from my sick bed. (Hope you like it.)
This illness really tested my desire to be here. I thought, this suck so bad…oh if only I could be back at my office desk–obviously, I was delirious from the malnurishment. At times, I wanted my mommy. And the few times I did venture out, I wanted to start working in the toilet and bathroom improvement industry. But in the end (no pun intended) it worked itself out. I am still dying for ceviche, which I haven´t had again yet, since my first day, and I´ll probably wait a little while longer before eating more.
So, mighty travelers or potential ones, get used to fun stuff like massive stomach cramps and sprints to ¨los servicios¨ (more polite than asknig for ¨el baño¨ in a public place). It´s all part of the fun of exploring.
September 26th, 2007
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A snapshot of this day…
3 pm
Starving in Barranco (another part of Lima), so I´m eating at La Canta Rana, The Singing Frog–a popuñar tourist spot, made famous by Bridget Bardot, who married some Peruvian. What I really want is ceviche, but I was told it´s not so great here…better to be safe than sorry with raw fish. A nice guy whop sells stuff on the street insisted on walking me here when I asked for directions. I told him I was Sarah from Canada…felt bad, but also better to be safe than sorry. About to try my first Pisco Sour, the national drink of Peru. First sip…ah, me gusta.
All the dogs where sweaters in Lima. Why is that? Also, why is it that when there is a poster or advertisement of a child that is supposed to be cute the child is slightly cross eyed? As if that peculiarity is much cuter? When that kid grows up he´ll be cross-eyed screwed! I´m going to hell.
…Sometimes I wish I still smoked cigarettes–they are sometimes your best friend. Single tear. Ah well! On to a museum!
September 19th, 2007
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Strange dreams have been happening here in Lima…must be the adjustment to food and experiences. Here’s a random one…
I was home in Connecticut, outside, and, suddenly, arrows came out of nowhere and started falling on my family and our party guests. We were being attacked on all sides by hundreds of arrows flying from the surrounding trees. Turns out they were being shot by bears and bear-like people. I managed to escape into the woods, but not before a little bear family tried to seduce me. I somehow got out of there and made it back to save my family.
September 18th, 2007
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I went downtown in a taxt for $3 to tour El Centro, the historical center of Lima. First stop was the Iglesia de San Francisco (also a monastery). It´s 300-400 years old and has mighty pillars sunk deep into the ground that have helped it survive several earthquakes and tremors throughout the years. Not as long ago, they discovered the catacombs underneath, which has many levels going down into the earth filled with the bones of 30,000 people who were burried there. Now just the monks are buried there. Gross story–last time they buried one was a year or so ago, and the casket exploded due to natural spontaneous combustion of a sealed up decaying corpse–smelled horribly for at least a week.
Femurs, and tibias, and skulls, oh my! ´Twas pretty creepy and stuffy under that big ol´church. I thought to myself, what if an earthquake happened right now? Aaron said it would probably be the safest place to be, though, since it has survived all these years. The church itself is beautiflul and has a library with books that are hundreds of years old–no pictures inside, unfortunately.
Then I walked around the rest of El Centro. Through the Plaza de Armas–all barrios have their own main squares or plazas here. Past the Presidential Palace and the Old Post Office building. Over to a bridge overlooking the trickling and miserable looking River Rimac. Down the main pedestrian walking only and shopping drag to Plaza San Martin, the Argentinian who liberated Peru from the Spaniards. Past other churches and historical sites to Chinatown. Check out the photos!
And here´s my mental picture of part of Inglesia de San Francisco…
Short doors, tiled ornate walls and floors of ceramic and wood, guilded framed paintings, intricate wooden tiled ceilings, crystal chandeliers but worn and fake looking, fancy woodwork details and beams, all with a layer of chipped/cracked oldness.
September 17th, 2007
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This is a granadilla, pronounced “gran-a-dee-ya.” You just eat the yummy little seeds and their surrounding mush inside, after you break open the hard skin. Reminds me of a pomegranate. My new favorite fruit, and it’s a very good source of fiber. Click on it to enlarge.
September 17th, 2007
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Lima has neighborhood subdivisions, like DC and NYC. Aaron and Violeta live in Miraflores, for example. El Centro is the downtown part of Lima and has a lot of historical significance, being the center of Lima during the Pizarro days. The structures in El Centro are grand, and the city tries to keep them up, as well as the grounds–many of them seem to be undergoing restoration work. The Plaza Mayor (most barrios, or neighborhoods, have a major plaza or open square park) has a fountain in the middle, with pretty lanscaped flower and grass sections. Surrounging this plaza you can find buildings like the Palacio de Gobierno or The Presidential Palace (Lima’s White House), the Cathedral (de Lima?), the old post office building, and fancy-looking municipal buildings. Not far from that plaza are the Iglesia de San Francisco (church, monastery, and the site of catacombs), Jiron de la Union (an avenue with 5 blocks blocked off for pedestrian walking and shopping), and other churches and colonial-period structures like the Iglesia de La Merced, San Pedro, and Torre Tagle Palace. San Martin Plaza is also close by.
There was a ton of people out and about–natives, tourists, native-tourists (from other provinces)–all walking around, window shopping, people watching. We saw a procession of soldiers, marching band and all, in front of the palace doing their ceremony to lower the flag for the night. Some Peruvians don’t care to go to El Centro, because it is dirty and more dangerous, in theory. Poverty is rife down here, and jobs aren’t always easy to come by, so people try their best to make money in some way. When we were stopped at a light in a taxi, there for 30 seconds or less, I saw three teenagers step into the crosswalk in from of us and start to juggle. They juggled for ten seconds or so and spent the remaining ten seconds or so walking past the waiting cars, trying to sell their blinking balls.
September 16th, 2007
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I’ve seen so much in and learned so much about Lima already. The food is awesome. Apparently it is the food capital of South America–perfect for me. It’s mainly seafood and hearty side dishes like rice with spices and mixed diced veggies and that kind of thing. I’ve eaten everything from a 4-star meal for $25 to a comfort food lunch from a little street cafe for $2.5. Ceviche is the thing down here: fresh raw fish flashed in lime juice and spices as a quick cure. Even the smallest hole in the wall places will have fresh food, and when they run out of food for the day, it just gets crossed off the menu, which can happen after only an hour. With all this seafood and fresh produce, I may even lose a few pounds.
September 16th, 2007
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Went to lunch with Aaron today, which usually occurs in the 1-2 pm range and often lasts more than an hour. We went to a little neighborhood cafe, Smuti’s, to eat “menu.” Menu, pronounced “may-noo” is the eatery’s selection of food on the menu that day. It usually consists of 2 courses (a cold and a hot) and a beverage, which costs 5-7 soles ($2-3). It is more or less comfort food and is plentiful, as lunch is usually the largest meal of the day. I had papas de huancaina (boiled potatoes smothered with a creamy, lightly spiced, yellow sauce served cold), arroz con pollo (rice with chicken served hot), and limonada (lime-not lemon-ade). Key limes (the small limes) are everywhere down here. Lemons just aren’t common, which is fine, because these limes are tastier than the average lime you get in the states. All fruits are great here, actually. Looking forward to trying more of everything.
September 15th, 2007
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I made it to Peru just fine. Arrived safe and sound on Thursday, September 13, 2007, night to the welcoming arms of Aaron and Violeta. Aaron is a friend of mine from DC who has lived here for 4 years, and this trip would not be possible without him. He has been telling me to get my ass down here for years to try to really live in a developing country. He and his wife live in a nice part of Lima called Miraflores. I have my own bedroom and bathroom, and, at least for the first couple weeks, I am not roughing it at all. I am so thankful, as I don’t think this transition would be as smooth for me if it wasn’t for them. Some highlights so far are that I’ve eaten Jessica-style in a swanky restaurant and taken a quick tour of downtown. Aaron also showed me a good market for shopping for movies, clothes, shoes, and just about anything you need for real cheap. Can’t go swanky all the time with the dining, but it was good just to get a feel of the high-end places, before I have to worry about budgeting a bit more. I feel very lucky to have this opportunity right now. I think it should be mandatory in the States that everyone has to live in another country with a different language for a year after high school. It should work like a military draft. Now that’s radical (although, old news for Europeans, minus the draft part).
Bienvenides a Peru!
September 15th, 2007
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