I just hit the two week mark, and although that really isn't all that much time I feel as if I have been here a couple months. I usually get that feeling when I travel, and I'm not technically traveling out of Lima but I'm still experiencing a great variety of new things. Let's do a brief recap of the past week so everyone can get a feel for how I'm spending my time.
Thursday afternoon, a group of farmers and ranchers from Pachamac (I don't know where it is, apologies to the cartography enthusiasts) came to the GEA office to give a presentation of the organic/natural/sustainable products they are cultivating in the region. Apparently, a TV show was at the office to film the people with their produce and animals. This was an occasion when the language barrier definitely confused me. I can understand why there would be a TV segment about the Pachamac farmers and ranchers, but I really don't get why the backyard of the office was the chosen venue to discuss potato varieties and llama husbandry. Sometimes it's better not to ask questions and just pet the llama. Words to live by, those.
Twice this week my coworkers decided they wanted the menu at La Clínica Maison de Santé. To clarify, this place is a hospital. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but it seems a bit off to want to have lunch at the hospital cafe when there are numerous other options nearby. Besides being surrounded by doctors, patients' families, and the occasional ambulance, it was quite a normal lunch. And who is going to complain about 6 soles (~$2.15) for chicken soup, pork tenderloin with rice and lentils, and a fruit cocktail? Not this guy.
Friday night, Kike and Juan (the French guys that run the Casona), Jessica (an American who went to UCLA and is here for two weeks), and some of Kike and Juan's Lima friends (some French folks, a couple Limans, and one Belgium), and I went out to a really small bar....hold on one second.
"Unchained Melody" by the Isley Brothers is on right now. I gotta sing along. Back in a minute.
I think we can all agree that "Ghost" wouldn't be "Ghost" without that song. Anyways, we went to this bar where a group of about 10 guys were playing some variety of Latin music. Two trumpets, two saxophones, a trombone, a bass, a guitar, a drummer, and a guy dancing around who didn't really seem to be playing anything. The venue was fun because the band didn't have a true stage; instead, a space was cleared for them on the first floor. Because only 25 people or so could watch and dance downstairs, the rest of us were on the second level balcony. I'll post some pictures on Flickr, but it was neat to be able to watch the band from above. The less enjoyable aspect was the humid and smoke-filled air. Lima does not have any laws against smoking in bars, some restaurants, wig shops, etc. so it's been a smoky couple of weeks. I don't mind cigarette smoke that much except for the way it infiltrates your clothes. The non-smoking laws and larger size cups of coffee are several things that I definitely miss in the states.
Saturday night, before going out again, I went to Astrid y Gaston. It is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Peru, and certainly one of the most upscale in Lima. The creator is Gaston Acurio, a celebrity chef who tries to raise the level of Peruvian cuisine and help it gain international attention. This is his flagship, and once I read that it has a 12 course tasting menu, I knew I had to go. The courses spanned all sorts of traditional Peruvian specialties (guinea pig, seafood, causa (potato puree thing), interesting root vegetables, lomo saltado, anticuchos) and the atmosphere, service, presentation, and taste was right up there with the best I've bad. Another bonus is that the cost is about 1/3 what you would expect in the US. I have also discovered that I enjoy Pisco, the national liquor of Peru. Most of you have probably had a Pisco Sour, but down here there are a whole mess of different Pisco drinks (and different types of Pisco). I'm glad the Pisco drinks are so good, because the beer...well it ain't a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA if you catch my drift.
On Sunday I needed to procure a sweatshirt, an additional shirt for the gym, an additional shirt for work, and some sweatpants (turns out it's winter down here). I was referred to Polvos Azules, a mall of sorts in the center of Lima. The structure itself is like any mall in the US, and they sell items inside, but the similarities stop there. There are endless, categorized narrow aisles with minuscule stalls hawking their wares. I must have seen 75 stores selling shoes, 50 selling jeans, and I would venture to say 25 selling dog sweaters. It was overwhelming not only because of the volume of stores but also because you see the same products (or almost the same products) over and over and over again. I enjoy a good value, but I don't want to go to every stall, find the item I want, bargain, and then move on searching for the lowest price. I found a nice polo, an obnoxiously lime green t-shirt, a hoodie, and a pair of sweatpants and was out in 30 minutes. If you come to Lima, you can find great values for name brand stuff, but I don't plan to go back any time soon.
Tonight is shaping up to be pretty relaxed. As July rolls around more people are staying in the Casona, but fortunately Sunday is still low key. I am going to make dinner for Kike, Juan, and Jessica tonight. I love the familial feeling I get in the Casona (in addition to the immaculately clean bathrooms). For a nujack like myself, I couldn't ask for a better place to feel at home in Lima. Alright, I better wrap things up. "I Will Survive" just hit the airwaves, and I have been dying to show off the choreography I've been working on.
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